The Shard in London

Picture of how the shard will look when finished. From www.the-shard.com

The newest skyscraper being built in London is called The Shard. It'll form a new area on the South Bank called London Bridge Quarter and it will be the highest building in Europe. According to the developers, The Shard will be 'a vertical town' with an open viewing gallery, restaurants, apartments and a five-star hotel. I believe The Shard is going to be a truly remarkable building and I cannot wait to go and see it from the inside. (It will be open to the public, I've been told).

But then I have a thing about modern buildings. I love The Ark in London (although this building has had its problems) and I also really admire the look of The Gherkin.

The Gherkin

All new buildings in London get a lot of criticism, and as I'm not an architect I cannot compete in any professional discussion about whether only mock Georgian or mock Regency style should be allowed in our Capital. All I know is that I love beautiful things, and in my mind all these buildings are beautiful and magnificent.

I've been watching The Shard go up over the last two years, because its construction began at about the time when we moved to London two years ago. It soon began to dominate the skyline in the areas that I travelled in. It's slap bang in the middle of my vision when I sit on the top of the bus from Highgate to Archway, from Hampstead down to Camden, or from Crouch End down to Finsbury Park, or when I walk the terrier up to Parliament Hill on Hampstead Heath. I've been told there is a great view from Alexander Palace too, but I am yet to see it.

Here are some of the pictures I've taken of the Shard during the past two years.

The view as night fell from The Tower Bridge

And one from Borough Market...

and right up close and personal.

This was taken somewhere around the back of Shakespeare's Globe Theatre.

View from New End in Hampstead - you can just spot The Shard in the distance.

You can see the fitting of the final piece of steel onto the very top of The Shard, which is happening today, on the BBC site here.