The Shard, the tallest building in Western Europe, was opened with a dazzling display of twelve lasers and 30 searchlights that illuminated the skies above London on Thursday.
From London’s Southbank, the beams of light stretched from the 1,016ft high building to hit key London landmarks including Tower Bridge, the Gherkin and the London Eye.
The light show was complemented by pieces of classical music, performed live by the London Philharmonic Orchestra, and was seen by key figures including the Qatari Prime Minister and the Duke of York.
The 95-storey building includes luxury apartments, restaurants and a number of viewing galleries. Tickets for The View From The Shard visitor experience go on sale today, ahead of its official opening on February 1 2013.
“The Shard is an iconic addition to the capital’s skyline and will be one that all of London can access and enjoy,” said Irvine Sellar, Chairman of Sellar Property.
“It will become as essential a part of a visit to London as going to the top of the Empire State building is for visitors on a trip to New York.”
Londoners and tourists will get the chance to get 360-degree views of the city, stretching for 40 miles from 800ft above the capital.
Upon arrival to the building, visitors will take a 30-second high speed “kaleidoscopic” lift to level 68, where they will experience the “cloudscape”, which gives the impression of being on a plane rising above London.
From there, they will go on to level 69 where the vast views of the city will be revealed. High-tech digital telescopes will be in place, as well as multimedia displays and installations that will give an understanding of the capital’s history.
Those keen to take their visitor experience to new heights can head to level 72, the highest public level of The Shard, where they can observe the shards that form the top of the building.
(Images: The View From The Shard)
