Completion of London’s much anticipated Shard building is in sight!

Twelve years ago, the idea for The Shard was born – scribbled on the back of a postcard in a restaurant in Berlin.

Now, 11,000 panes of glass later and after years of planning and construction, this impressive 1,017 ft. building is up and running, thanks to the efforts of 1,300 workers from all over the world.

The Shard is due to create 72 habitable floors which will include 195 hotel rooms, exclusive flats worth up to £10 million, restaurants, and ample office space to rent in Central London.

Architect Renzo Piano is of the opinion that the building will be a valuable addition for a city that is about to be bathed in the spotlight during the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and the London 2012 Olympic Games. The 11,000 specially angled glass panes have cleverly been designed so that “after a shower, it will be blue. In the evening it will become warmer and more red”, according to Piano.

In addition, The Shard is the first building in Britain to boast elevators which function during an emergency, such as a fire. Elevators normally shut down during such an emergency, yet 6 out of the 33 lifts will remain working within The Shard.

Years of planning and effort have gone into this $450 million construction, and while many see it as a great landmark for London, others are less keen. The English Heritage have deemed The Shard as ‘inappropriate’, and many see the building as an unnecessary, outlandish statement of wealth.

However, none can deny that the addition of houses, facilities and more possibilities to rent office space in London is a bad thing, and the building will also boast 47 bays for parking – a rarity in London.

The building will be open to the public within a few months, and will hold its title as the European Union’s skyscraper extraordinaire until 2016 when it will be topped by the 1,050 ft. Hermitage Plaza in Paris, France.

For further information on office space to rent in London, or any other global location, call Search Office Space now on 0800 524 4649.