Shard London BridgeThe tallest building in the European Union

Photo © Nic Lehoux
Photo © Nic Lehoux
 Shard London Bridge (eng - ita) 
http://www.archilovers.com/p36021/shard-london-bridge#info
ENG - Shard London Bridge (previously known as London Bridge Tower,[4][5] and also known as the Shard of Glass,[6][7] 32 London Bridge, and The Shard) is a skyscraper under construction in Southwark, London. When completed in May 2012, it will be the tallest building in the European Union and the 46th-tallest building in the world, standing 310 m (1,017 ft) tall. It will also be the second-tallest free-standing structure in the United Kingdom, after the 330 m (1,083 ft) Emley Moor transmitting station. Several Qatari investors are funding the construction of the tower via Islamic finance.[8]
Shard London Bridge replaced Southwark Towers, a 24-storey office building constructed on the site in 1976. Renzo Piano, the building's architect, worked together with the architectural firm Broadway Malyan during the planning stage. The tower will have 72 habitable floors, with a viewing gallery and open-air observation deck – the UK's highest[9] – on the 72nd floor. It has been designed with an irregular triangular shape from the base to the top, and will be clad entirely in glass. Shard London Bridge is expected to open to the public in June 2012.
Renzo Piano, the project's architect, compared his design to "a shard of glass". He considered the slender, spire-like form of the tower a positive addition to the London skyline, believing that its presence would be far more delicate than opponents of the project alleged. He proposed a sophisticated use of glazing, with expressive façades of angled glass panes intended to reflect sunlight and the sky above, so that the appearance of the building will change according to the weather and seasons.[26]
Following the collapse of the World Trade Center (WTC) in 2001, architects and structural engineers worldwide began re-evaluating the design of tall structures. The Shard’s early conceptual designs were among the first in the UK to be progressed following the publication of the US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) report into the WTC collapse. The building was designed to maintain its stability under the most onerous conditions.[27]
The completed Shard will contain premium office space, a hotel, luxury residences, retail space, restaurants, a 15-storey public viewing gallery, and a spa.[28] A public viewing gallery will be located at the top of the tower, and is expected to draw over two million visitors a year. In addition, a shorter building, known as London Bridge Place, will be built nearby. This will replace the current London Bridge House, and the combined sites will create what will be known as the London Bridge Quarter.
In addition to the tower, there will be major improvements made to London Bridge Tube station and the surrounding area. As part of a Section 106 legal agreement, these improvements will include a new public concourse, as well as a public piazza, a museum, and local housing and regeneration programmes.
 
 
 
 
Photo © Nic Lehoux
Photo © Nic Lehoux
© Rob Telford
© Rob Telford
© Rob Telford
© Rob Telford
Ph. Hays Davidson and John Mclean, © Rpbw, Renzo Piano Building Workshop
Ph. Hays Davidson and John Mclean © Rpbw, Renzo Piano Building Workshop
Ph. Denancé Michel © Rpbw, Renzo Piano Building Workshop
Ph. Denancé Michel, © Rpbw, Renzo Piano Building Workshop
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