The Shard

For the tallest building in the whole of the European Union, The Shard was being strangely elusive. I got out of London Bridge Tube station and scanned the skies for the conical glass structure that is the newest addition to London’s skyline. But I couldn’t find it anywhere. I looked up in despair... and there it was, looming above my head! The Tube station is located right under The Shard. #facepalm

Originally called The London Bridge Tower, the 87-storey building got the new name when someone said it was “like a shard of glass through the heart of historic London”. Most Londoners, as you might have gathered, don’t like The Shard, even less than the Parisians like the glass pyramids at the Louvre.

The 1,000ft Shard is designed by the Italian architect Renzo Piano. At first glance I wasn’t much impressed. It was tall, yes, but it appeared to be little else. I changed my view once I saw the views! Spread over floors 68, 69 and 72, the viewing gallery is called The View from The Shard. Prior booking is required, costing £24.95 for an adult ticket. Add another £8 for a champagne ticket and you can sip a glass of bubbly up among the clouds.

Well, not exactly the clouds because the viewing decks are covered in glass, fully in the lower deck and partially in the topmost floor.

The views are stunning, especially if you are so lucky as to visit on a clear day. London lies sprawled in every direction, iconic landmarks appearing like little Lego pieces. And through it meanders the Thames, like a fat, lazy, regal serpent. I was taken aback by how much the Thames looks like our Hooghly back home — same curves, same muddy complexion, same urban sprawl on both banks.

Er, that’s me the Calcuttan being overly patriotic. If the banks of the Hooghly are dotted with abandoned warehouses and dirty ghats, the Thames riverfront boasts of iconic monuments like the Tower of London, Tower Bridge and the spiffy Albert Embankment.

There are a number of high-powered telescopes with interactive displays on the viewing decks that are very helpful in identifying various London landmarks. Remember not to hog them for too long, yes, even if you’ve paid nearly Rs 2,500 for being up above the world so high!