A year ago, the skyscraper Shard became one of London's landmarks

London - The skyscraper nicknamed Shard (Shard) was opened a year ago, on July 5, 2012, in the British capital of London. The 310-meter tall building designed by renowned Italian architect Renzo Piano was at that time the tallest building in Europe. However, in November it was surpassed by the Moscow skyscraper Mercury City, which stands at 338 meters.
     The opening ceremony was attended by Queen Elizabeth II's son, Prince Andrew, and the Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabr Al Thani, whose country largely financed the construction. The costs reached 450 million pounds (14.3 billion crowns).
     The skyscraper, which has received mixed reactions from the public, features 72 occupied floors that house offices, restaurants, a hotel, apartments, and observation spaces.