Construction on The Shard officially began in March 2009 and it topped out—meaning it reached its final height—in July 2012. That means it was basically a giant, glittering birthday present for the London 2012 Olympics, which started just a few weeks later. Pretty impressive timing, right?
The real kicker? The whole thing was designed and finished in just over three years. Three years to build Western Europe’s tallest building. That’s faster than some of us can get around to finishing a home renovation project!
A Vision That Pierced the Sky
But the idea itself is much older. Architect Renzo Piano first sketched the concept in 2000 after being inspired by the spires of London’s churches and the masts of old ships. He wanted something that looked like a shard of glass, a sharp, crystalline needle poking through the city. Once planning permission was finally granted in 2003, the real race was on.
Can you imagine the meetings? “Hey, let’s build a 95-story glass mountain next to London Bridge Station. No big deal.” And they actually did it!
The Shard Wiki, ザシャード ロンドンパス , The Shard: An Architecture Landmark To
