February 1: On This Day in World History … briefly

The Shard has a significant role in the 2013 'Doctor Who' episode 'The Bells of Saint John' as it is the headquarters of the episode's antagonist, the Great Intelligence. The doctor vertically rode a motorbike on the face of the building and through a window to reach the Great Intelligence's headquarters.

February 1, 2019

South Coast Herald 2 minutes read

The inauguration of The Shard on July 5, 2012 - Wikipedia

2013: Tallest building in the European Union opens to the public

Standing 309.6 metres (1 016 ft) at its highest point, and 308.5 metres (1 012 ft) at the highest point of its steelwork, The Shard became the tallest building in the European Union in December 2011, and the tallest completed building in Europe on March 30, 2012. It is taller than Frankfurt’s Commerzbank Tower at 259m (850 ft) the record holder between 1997 and 2005 and three later skyscrapers of Moscow: the Triumph-Palace, Naberezhnaya Tower, and City of Capitals. These three had each held the title for roughly two and a half years. The Shard was overtaken by a fourth such tower in November 2012: the 339m (1 112 ft) Mercury City Tower. The Shard is set to be surpassed as the tallest European building outside Russia by the 323m (1 060 ft) Hermitage Plaza building, which is planned to be completed in La Défense, Paris, in 2019.

The Shard is the second-tallest free-standing structure in the United Kingdom, after the 330m (1 083 ft) concrete transmission tower at Emley Moor. Another planned London skyscraper, the Pinnacle, was originally proposed to rival the height of The Shard, but was reduced to a height of 287.9 metres (945 ft) because of concerns from the Civil Aviation Authority. It is taller than all of the natural peaks in London and in adjoining counties, the highest of which is Walbury Hill, close to Wiltshire.

The Shard dominates the London skyline – Wikipedia

Mayor of London Boris Johnson officially opened ‘The View from The Shard’ on Friday 1 February 2013 in a grand ribbon cutting ceremony. Over 5,000 people paid for tickets to be the first to experience the views of London on the launch day, including James Episcou from Epping Forest, Essex who took the chance to be the first to propose to his girlfriend from the highest point in London. Shortly after the opening, The Guardian released an interactive expanded panorama of London to allow users to explore the views from the observation deck online, augmented with ambient sounds of the city.