Now Great Britain has the greatest building
The Shard is next to London Bridge, but you can see it from almost anywhere in central London!
On 5 July 2012, the Shard was officially inaugurated to the public. They held a light show to celebrate the inauguration on the same day.
The Shard is 310m high. It is the tallest building in Europe now. There is a viewing gallery, 72 floors which are habitable, offices and many other cultural things. It is located in the centre of London. It is thought that it will be the new landmark of UK. As many other people think, Renzo Piano, architect of the Shard, also expects many positive effects from it.
Even though a lot of positive effects are expected, there are some concerns about the Shard. The most frightening thing about it is overshadowing. Near the Shard, there are many inhabitants and St. Paul’s Cathedral. The Shard overshadows a huge area next to it.
As usual, tall buildings change the weather because it interrupts the way of the wind. But the shape of this Shard is different. Mr.Piano considered many different ways to design it. The harmony of other buildings near the Shard and safety. It is designed to reduce wind bluster like London’s Gherkin. Both are curved shapes. It makes the wind go around the building.
It will be a nice place to visit. Even though there is some worrying about it, it makes many tourists visit London.
By Minhae Jeon