The View from The Shard

Last updated

The View From the Shard viewing window The View From the Shard (8367215057).jpg
The View From the Shard viewing window

The View from The Shard is an observation deck located between the 68th and 72nd floors of The Shard, the tallest building in London. The View from The Shard consists of a triple level indoor gallery on the 69th floor and a partially outdoor gallery on the 72nd floor. It was opened on 1 February 2013 by the then Mayor of London, Boris Johnson. In its first year of opening, it was visited by 900,000 people and made a profit of over £5 million. [1]

Contents

External view from the indoor viewing gallery The Shard, The View From The Viewing Platform (9329576286).jpg
External view from the indoor viewing gallery

The triple-height main viewing gallery on the 69th floor allows for 360-degree viewing up to 40 miles (60 km). On hand are a team of “London Experts” who engage with guests and have a thorough knowledge of the view and London in general. They also provide tours throughout the day.

Outdoor viewing gallery The View From the Shard (8368283210).jpg
Outdoor viewing gallery

The gallery on the 72nd floor is the highest public level of the building at a height of 800 ft (244 m). [2] [3] This gallery is partially open-air, allowing visitors views of the pinnacle of the building, as well as 360-degree views around the building.

Amenities

The lifts travel at 6 meters per second (approximately 18mph). [4] Including a transfer of lifts on the 33rd floor, the ride from the lobby to the 68th floor takes approximately 1 minute.

The visitor toilets feature panoramic windows with views over the River Thames and the City of London, with optional electric blinds.

As of 2023 the venue contains a champagne and cocktail bar, gelato bar and coffee shop on Level 69 and a further champagne bar on Level 72.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">London Eye</span> Observation wheel in London, England

The London Eye, or the Millennium Wheel, is a cantilevered observation wheel on the South Bank of the River Thames in London. It is Europe's tallest cantilevered observation wheel, and the most popular paid tourist attraction in the United Kingdom with over three million visitors annually. It has made many appearances in popular culture.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tate Modern</span> Modern art gallery in London, England

Tate Modern is an art gallery in London, housing the United Kingdom's national collection of international modern and contemporary art, defined as from after 1900, and forms part of the Tate group together with Tate Britain, Tate Liverpool and Tate St Ives. It is located in the former Bankside Power Station, in the Bankside area of the London Borough of Southwark.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Hancock Center</span> Skyscraper in Chicago, Illinois

The John Hancock Center is a 100-story, 1,128-foot super tall skyscraper located in Chicago, Illinois. Located in the Magnificent Mile district, the building was officially renamed 875 North Michigan Avenue in 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Transamerica Pyramid</span> Skyscraper in San Francisco

The Transamerica Pyramid is a 48-story modernist skyscraper in San Francisco, California, United States, and the second tallest building in the San Francisco skyline. Located at 600 Montgomery Street between Clay and Washington Streets in the city's Financial District, it was the tallest building in San Francisco from its completion in 1972 until 2018 when the newly-constructed Salesforce Tower surpassed its height. The building no longer houses the headquarters of the Transamerica Corporation, which moved its U.S. headquarters to Baltimore, Maryland. The building is still associated with the company by being depicted on the company's logo. Designed by architect William Pereira and built by Hathaway Dinwiddie Construction Company, the building stands at 853 feet (260 m). On completion in 1972 it was the eighth-tallest building in the world. It is also a popular tourist site. In 2020, the building was sold to NYC investor Michael Shvo, who in 2022 hired Norman Foster to redesign the interiors and renovate the building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oxo Tower</span> Building in London, England

The Oxo Tower is a building with a prominent tower on the south bank of the River Thames in London. The building has mixed use as Oxo Tower Wharf containing a set of design, arts and crafts shops on the ground and first floors with two galleries, Bargehouse and gallery@oxo. The Oxo Tower Restaurant, Bar and Brasserie is on the eighth floor, which is the roof-top level with fine and casual dining. In addition to this, situated on the eighth floor is a viewing gallery open to the public. The third to seventh floors contain 78 flats owned by Redwood Housing. Much of the second floor can be hired out for events and weddings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Federation Square</span> Major public space and cultural precinct in Melbourne, Australia

Federation Square is a venue for arts, culture and public events on the edge of the Melbourne central business district. It covers an area of 3.2 ha at the intersection of Flinders and Swanston Streets built above busy railway lines and across the road from Flinders Street station. It incorporates major cultural institutions such as the Ian Potter Centre, Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI) and the Koorie Heritage Trust as well as cafes and bars in a series of buildings centred around a large paved square, and a glass walled atrium.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Imperial War Museum North</span> Museum in Manchester, England

Imperial War Museum North is a museum in the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford in Greater Manchester, England. One of five branches of the Imperial War Museum, it explores the impact of modern conflicts on people and society. It is the first branch of the Imperial War Museum to be located in the north of England. The museum occupies a site overlooking the Manchester Ship Canal on Trafford Wharf Road, Trafford Park, an area which during the Second World War was a key industrial centre and consequently heavily bombed during the Manchester Blitz in 1940. Just across the Trafford Wharf Road from the Museum is the bulk of the Rank Hovis Flour Mill, a survivor from a former industrial age and now rather out of keeping with the surrounding architecture. The area is now home to the Lowry cultural centre and the MediaCityUK development, which stand opposite the museum at Salford Quays.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Helen's (skyscraper)</span> Commercial in London, England

St Helen's is a commercial skyscraper in London, United Kingdom. It is 118 metres (387 ft) tall and has 23 floors. The postal address is No. 1, Undershaft, though the main entrance fronts onto Leadenhall Street, in the City of London financial district.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Shard</span> Skyscraper in London, England

The Shard, also referred to as the Shard London Bridge and formerly London Bridge Tower, is a 72-storey skyscraper, designed by the Italian architect Renzo Piano, in Southwark, London, that forms part of The Shard Quarter development. Standing 309.6 metres high, The Shard is the tallest building in the United Kingdom, and the second-tallest building in Europe, only 40cm less than the Varso Tower in Warsaw. It is also the second-tallest free-standing structure in the United Kingdom, after the concrete tower of the Emley Moor transmitting station. It replaced Southwark Towers, a 24-storey office block built on the site in 1975.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Queen Elizabeth Hall</span> Concert hall in London

The Queen Elizabeth Hall (QEH) is a music venue on the South Bank in London, England, that hosts classical, jazz, and avant-garde music, talks and dance performances. It was opened in 1967, with a concert conducted by Benjamin Britten.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yokohama Landmark Tower</span> Third tallest building in Japan

The Yokohama Landmark Tower is the third tallest building and fifth tallest structure in Japan, standing 296.3 m (972 ft) high. Until surpassed by Abeno Harukas in 2014, it stood as the tallest building in Japan. It is located in the Minato Mirai 21 district of Yokohama city, next to the Yokohama Museum of Art.

The Al Faisaliyah Tower is a commercial skyscraper and mixed-use complex located in the al-Olaya district of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The 267-metre-high office tower, the centerpiece of the Foster + Partners development, it is notable for having been the first skyscraper built in Saudi Arabia, and for the monumental stained glass wall of its lobby, designed by architectural artist Brian Clarke in collaboration with Norman Foster. Presently the seventh tallest building in Saudi Arabia after the Kingdom Centre, Burj Rafal and Abraj Al Bait, the Center presently ranks as the 325th tallest building in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baiyoke Tower II</span> Hotel skyscraper in Bangkok, Thailand

Baiyoke Tower II is an 88-story, 309 m (1,014 ft) skyscraper hotel at 222 Ratchaprarop Road in the Ratchathewi District of Bangkok, Thailand. It is the third tallest completed building in the city, after MahaNakhon and Magnolias Waterfront Residences at ICONSIAM. The building comprises the Baiyoke Sky Hotel, the tallest hotel in Southeast Asia and the seventh-tallest all-hotel structure in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SEG Plaza</span> Skyscraper in Shenzhen, Guangdong, China

SEG Plaza is a skyscraper in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China. Completed in 2000 and located at the junction of Shennan Road and Huaqiangbei Electronics Market, it originally stood 356 metres (1,168 ft) tall including the height of the original antenna which has since been removed. It was the 21st tallest in China and the 72nd tallest in the world. The observation floor at the 69th level used to offer views over Shenzhen and northern Hong Kong but has been converted to office space. It is the home of, and named after the Shenzhen Electronics Group (SEG). It can be reached by Huaqiang North Station and Huaqiang Road Station of the Shenzhen Metro.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heron Tower</span> Skyscraper in the City of London, England

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St George Wharf Tower</span> Skyscraper in Vauxhall, London, England

St George Wharf Tower, also known as the Vauxhall Tower, is a residential skyscraper in Vauxhall, London, and part of the St George Wharf development. At 181 metres (594 ft) tall with 50 storeys, it is the 20th-tallest building in London and was the tallest residential building in the United Kingdom on its completion.

<i>Titanic</i> Belfast Visitor attraction in Northern Ireland

TitanicBelfast is a visitor attraction opened in 2012, a monument to Belfast's maritime heritage on the site of the former Harland & Wolff shipyard in the city's Titanic Quarter where the RMS Titanic was built. It tells the stories of the Titanic, which hit an iceberg and sank during her maiden voyage in 1912, and her sister ships RMS Olympic and HMHS Britannic. The building contains more than 12,000 square metres (130,000 sq ft) of floor space, most of which is occupied by a series of galleries, private function rooms and community facilities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rafayel on the Left Bank</span> Building in London, United Kingdom

Rafayel on the Left Bank is a luxury eco hotel at Falcon Wharf, Battersea, London, occupying four floors of a 17 floor building.

1 Undershaft is a supertall skyscraper planned for the City of London financial district. The scheme is being developed by Aroland Holdings and designed by Eric Parry Architects. It is set to replace the St Helen's tower, and upon completion will share The Shard's status as the tallest skyscrapers in London and the United Kingdom.

Gama Tower is a skyscraper located at Jalan H.R. Rasuna Said, South Jakarta, Indonesia. It was also known as Rasuna Tower and Cemindo Tower during construction period, but finally named as Gama Tower. As of 2022, it is the 3rd tallest building in Jakarta, as well as Indonesia.

References

  1. "Shard rakes in £5million from visitors to viewing platform in first year". Evening Standard. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
  2. "The View from The Shard Media Briefing" (PDF). The View From The Shard. Baron Phillips, Baron Phillips Associates. March 2015. Retrieved 20 June 2015. (page 1)"The View from The Shard:...At a maximum height of 244m (800ft), provides spectacular 40-mile (64km) 360 degree views of the city" (Page 5) "Level 72 open-air viewing gallery Guests can go even higher to the viewing gallery on Level 72 (800ft/244m) which is open-air and exposed to the elements."
  3. "The Shard". LBQ. Retrieved 21 May 2015. It is 95 storeys tall, with level 72 the highest habitable floor.
  4. "The world's fastest elevators - 20 metres per second - are coming soon to China". The Independent. Retrieved 5 November 2022.

51°30′16″N0°05′11″W / 51.5045°N 0.0865°W / 51.5045; -0.0865