If you want to fly above London without getting airborne, now's your chance. The Shard is the tallest skyscraper in Western Europe, a soaring 95-storey glass pinnacle. The breath-taking view from the top is like flying above this great city. The Tower of London is far, far beneath you, like a toy model. Even the tall buildings across the Thames in the City of London, the financial centre, are many storeys below. There is nothing in London quite like it.
If you book your ticket in advance to avoid any queues on the day, you can walk straight into the dedicated express elevator that whisks you at high speed to The View From The Shard, set over three floors on the 68th, 69th and 72nd storeys, where you can spend as much time as you choose.
The multi-award winning Italian architect Renzo Piano, best known for his work on the Pompidou Centre in Paris, always intended that his London masterpiece should be understood from the inside as well as admired from below and from afar. Your visit starts in the enclosed viewing decks, with use of multi-lingual electronic guides included with your ticket. Then, if you choose, you can take the lift to the open viewing deck on the 72nd floor. Take a breath, look around. This is the ultimate elemental London experience.
