Home to the world’s most expensive sea-view luxury homes, London’s highest observation deck opens

Written / Compiled and reported by MOOK Scenic Spots Family Travel Network, Li Xinyi

 

Western Europe’s tallest skyscraper, The Shard, is set to officially open its observation deck tomorrow (Feb. 1), allowing visitors to enjoy a 360-degree panoramic view of London from a height of 244 meters. A uniquely designed all-glass observation deck toilet lets guests enjoy the thrill of soaring above the city even while using the facilities. This extraordinary experience, despite ticket prices as high as NT$1,165, sold out completely by the end of last year. The Shard is a modern engineering marvel and has quickly become London’s most eye-catching new landmark. This 72-floor vertical city includes office spaces, residential units, high-end restaurants, a five-star hotel, and London’s highest observation deck. Private luxury sea-view residences on floors 53 to 65 are priced between £30 million and £50 million, equivalent to NT$3 billion. These luxury homes not only offer views over London and the North Sea, but some even feature kitchen elevators that can deliver food directly from the hotel downstairs.

The Shard was designed by the renowned Italian architect Renzo Piano and is a magnificent architectural feat built at a cost of NT$60 billion. Constructed with 11,468 glass panels, the 309.6-meter-tall structure resembles a towering glass pyramid. Its design draws inspiration from the spires of London churches and the sails of ships docked along the River Thames. However, constructing this skyscraper posed multiple challenges. Firstly, its location in the London Bridge area, adjacent to a major hospital with up to 750,000 daily visitors, meant time pressure was a major hurdle. The tight construction schedule required workers to complete one floor per week. To meet this demand, the construction team adopted an innovative and bold approach—carrying out above-ground and underground work simultaneously. As one team excavated the basement, another built the core structure upwards. This method had never been used in the construction industry before and significantly reduced the building timeline.

During construction, how did 1,400 workers and large amounts of equipment move around the unfinished upper floors? In the past, temporary cranes installed on the exterior walls were typically used, but they were slow and often halted due to weather conditions. To address this, The Shard installed temporary ultra-high-speed elevators during construction. However, these convenient elevators also attracted unexpected visitors. Workers once found a fox on the 50th floor and were baffled as to how it got there. There were also reports of extreme high-altitude BASE jumpers sneaking onto the elevator unnoticed by security and leaping from the 52nd floor. These incidents brought The Shard considerable attention even before its completion. The building, which took four years to complete, mobilized over 1,400 workers and used nearly 12,000 tons of steel and 100,000 tons of concrete. To learn more about The Shard’s astonishing architectural achievements, tune in to Discovery Channel’s “Building The Shard,” airing at 8 PM on February 3.