The Shard London Bridge and it's views

- The View from the Shard: Thames, Docklands, City of London, Vauxhall, Westminster and more

The Shard, initially the London Bridge Tower, is since it's completion in 2012 the tallest building in the United Kingdom and the tallest building in the EU upon completion. It has 72 floors. The building was designed by the famous architect Renzo Piano.

It stands 309.6m tall in the Southwark district, facing river Thames, opposite the city center. It is known for its glass facade and pyramid shape. On the top there is an observation deck, "The View from the Shard", with an indoor floor and a floor with open roof that is UK:s highest viewing gallery. There are several bars there. The Shard is a mixed-use building, it consists of offices, a hotel, a departmetn of a hospital, restaurants and apartments. Part of the skyscraper is the 5-star Shangri-La Hotel (floor 34-52). Southwark Tower had to be demolished to make way for "the Shard of Glass", as the tower is sometimes called. It is connected to the redeveloped London Bridge Station.

I visited The shard in 2022, and it wasn't even there during the last visit in 2006, construction begun in 2009. It was during my visit the 2nd tallest building in Europe outside Russia.