The lights of a spectacular laser show painted the skies above London with a variety of colors late on Thursday to mark an official inauguration of the tallest skyscraper in Europe.
The Shard, which has an irregular pyramidal shape and is clad entirely in glass, stands 309.6 meters (1,016 feet) above ground level on the banks of the Thames River near the famous London Bridge.
The 87-floor futuristic tower will contain offices, exclusive residences, a luxury hotel, restaurants and a viewing gallery after the work on its interior is finished in 2013.
Visitors will have a breathtaking 360-degree view across London from the 69th floor, paying 25 British pounds ($39) to climb the tower in one of its 44 elevators.
The Shard was designed in 2000 by Renzo Piano, an Italian architect best known for creating Paris’s Pompidou Centre.
The project was almost cancelled in late 2007 due to the looming global financial crisis, but an infusion of capital from a consortium of Qatari investors allowed the construction of the tower to start in 2009.
The Qatari investors now own an 80% stake in the Shard.
Despite criticism over its architectural design and placement in the heart of London, The Shard will certainly become one of the most prominent landmarks of the British capital, along with Big Ben, St. Paul’s Cathedral, the London Eye and the “Gherkin” building.
