three years
How long did it take to build The Shard? The building work started in March 2009 and was completed on July 5 2012, taking just over three years to build.
When was the shard built?
March 16, 2009
The Shard/Construction started
When and why was the shard built?
The years of hard work and ingenuity came to fruition in 2012, when The Shard was completed and officially opened by the Prime Minister of Qatar. Since then, its restaurants, hotel and viewing gallery have opened to the public and tenants have begun to move into its offices.
When was the shard finished?
February 1, 2013
The Shard/Opened
How old is the Shard London?
12c. 2009-2013
The Shard/Age
Who built Shard?
Renzo Piano
The Shard/Architects
The Shard was developed by Sellar Property Group in association with London Bridge Quarter Ltd and designed by the Italian architect, Renzo Piano.
How did they construct the Shard?
The Shard is an unusual mixture of concrete and steel, a tiered wedding cake of a building with a concrete basement, structural steel from ground to level 40, concrete from levels 41 to 69, and steel again from there to the top at level 95.
What is the history of the Shard?
The Shard was designed by famed architect Renzo Piano in conjunction with Broadway Malyan. Piano started the design in 2000 under contract by Irvine Sellar. Sellar is a property developer in London that was intent on redeveloping the Southwark Towers that once inhabited the space upon which the Shard now stands.
When was the Shard built?
Full construction of the Shard began on March 16, 2009. The Shard was part of the concurrent London Bridge project, and in May, demolition work on the New London Bridge House started. In late November of 2010, the construction of the building had reached the 68th floor.
Why is the shard so famous?
The Shard has become a symbol of London – a landmark of modern architecture in a contemporary capital. Its cutting-edge design resembling a glass shard reflects London’s skyline on its exterior and changes colour depending on the weather and the seasons.
How much will The Shard move the ground?
The demolition of Southwark Towers, basement excavations and the construction of the Shard’s superstructure were all predicted to cause movement in the ground, railway viaducts and surrounding buildings. One of the UK’s largest finite element models forecast heave of up to 12mm and settlement of up to 27mm.
When was the last piece of steel lifted from the shard?
The last piece of steel being lifted into place on The Shard’s spire in March 2012 © Mace/Sellar The Shard was conceived in 2000 by Renzo Piano at the behest of London-based entrepreneur Irvine Sellar, to be built on the land occupied by Southwark Towers, an office-block Sellar owned and wanted to replace.
