In London, the tallest skyscraper in Europe will be opened

London - A lavish show featuring lasers and a concert by the London Philharmonic Orchestra, attended by Prince Andrew and the Qatari Prime Minister, will officially open the tallest skyscraper in Europe on Thursday evening in London. The building, nicknamed The Shard due to its shape, rises to a height of 310 meters and its construction cost 450 million pounds (14.3 billion crowns).
      The skyscraper, which is the newest and most striking addition to the London skyline, was designed by Italian architect Renzo Piano. He is also known as a co-author of the Pompidou Centre in Paris. In the case of The Shard, he was inspired by the description of London in the 18th century by the Italian painter Canaletto. According to him, the metropolis was a flat city from which the spires of church towers emerged.
      However, The Shard will somewhat surpass the church tower. This "vertical city," as investors call it, will have 72 inhabited floors and another 15 floors will consist of a glass extension. The first 28 floors will house offices, followed by restaurant floors, the Shangri-La Hotel will be located on the 34th to 52nd floors, and the highest apartments in Britain will occupy the next 12 floors, while floors 68 to 72 will feature observation spaces accessible to the public.
      Currently, the only confirmed tenant is the Hong Kong hotel group Shangri-La, whose hotel is expected to open in the building next February. At that time, the observation deck will also be opened to the public, and the first companies will move into the offices. Although none have been confirmed yet, the project's spiritual father, businessman Irvine Sellar, claims he is in talks with at least three interested parties. There are mentions of the Qatari television station Al-Jazeera and the consulting firm AT Kearney.
      Apartments in The Shard, from which it is said one can see the sea in good weather, will be among the most expensive in the city. According to British media, they will be sold for 30 million to 50 million pounds (954 million to 1.59 billion crowns).
      "We won't really be putting them on the market," a representative of the investment company told The Guardian. "At this level, there are 25 to 50 potential buyers worldwide. Agents will simply call them," he said.
      The Shard is located at a busy traffic intersection near London Bridge, a relatively atypical location, since most high-rise buildings constructed in London since the 1980s are either across the river in the City or in the new financial center on the site of the former docks at Canary Wharf. Additionally, the area around London Bridge is not among the most beautiful in the capital.
      The entire project was in jeopardy after the financial crisis in 2008. The Shard was saved by a consortium of investors from Qatar, who purchased 95 percent ownership and now own another significant building in the British metropolis after the Harrods department store.
      Therefore, it is no surprise that the official inauguration will be accompanied by a massive show, with laser beams from the skyscraper directed at other London skyscrapers and landmarks, such as the famous skyscraper known as the Gherkin, the Tower Bridge, the Tate Modern gallery, the giant Ferris wheel London Eye, or St. Paul's Cathedral. The London Philharmonic Orchestra will play, and the honor guests will be Prince Andrew and Qatari Prime Minister Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabir Al Thani.
      However, not everyone is pleased with the construction. Predictably, Prince Charles, Andrew's brother and heir to the throne, who is not a fan of modern architecture, voiced his concerns. He stated that "London is apparently becoming an absurd picnic table". "We already have a giant cucumber, now it looks like we’re going to have a giant salt shaker," he remarked about The Shard and Gherkin.
      The organization English Heritage, which protects the country’s cultural heritage, also claims that the building is in the wrong place and obstructs views of St. Paul's Cathedral and Parliament. According to The Guardian, The Shard is "a perfect metaphor for today's London... in which inequality is growing and it is dangerously dependent on investments from 'quick' money." "It is expensive, out of reach for most people, and owned by foreign investors," the paper wrote.
      The Shard is expected to be the tallest skyscraper in Europe, but by the end of the year, it is set to be surpassed in height by the completion of Mercury City Tower in Moscow.