The Shard, London - A Modern Landmark Above the Capital
The Shard, London
A Modern Landmark Above the Capital
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London is a city that has never stood still. Its skyline tells the story of centuries of change, from church spires and railway stations to concrete towers and modern glass skyscrapers. Few buildings have changed that skyline quite as dramatically as The Shard.
Standing beside London Bridge Station on the south bank of the Thames, the Shard is impossible to miss. Rising to almost 310 metres, it is the tallest building in the United Kingdom and has become one of the most recognisable landmarks in modern London.
Designed by Italian architect Renzo Piano, The Shard was conceived as much more than another office tower. Construction began in 2009, with the building formally inaugurated in 2012. Its distinctive shape is formed from angled sections of glass that rise towards an apparently unfinished point in the sky.
It is this unusual design that gave the building its name.
What I find particularly interesting about The Shard is how much its appearance changes. On a bright day, the glass reflects the sky and surrounding buildings. When the weather closes in, the upper floors can disappear completely into the clouds. At sunset it catches the last light over London, while at night it becomes something completely different.
Its location is also important.
The Shard does not stand amongst the main cluster of skyscrapers in the City of London. Instead, it rises above Southwark, immediately beside London Bridge, dominating an area filled with a mixture of old railway architecture, historic streets, and modern development.
From many parts of London, the Shard appears unexpectedly between buildings. Walk along the Thames, and its position seems to constantly change. Even from some distance away, that sharp glass point immediately identifies the London skyline.
Inside, the building contains offices, restaurants, hotel accommodation, and private residences. Near the top is The View from The Shard, providing enormous views across London and, in good weather, far beyond the centre of the capital.
For me, however, some of the most interesting views are from ground level.
The contrast between The Shard and the older London surrounding it is what makes the area so interesting to photograph. Victorian railway architecture, busy streets, Borough Market, old brick buildings, and the Thames all sit beneath this enormous structure of steel and glass.
It is a good example of something London does particularly well—placing completely different periods of architecture almost side by side.
Like most major additions to London's skyline, The Shard has not been universally loved. Its scale and location dramatically altered views that had existed for generations, and there were understandable arguments about whether such a dominant modern building belonged within London's historic landscape.
More than a decade after its completion, however, it is difficult to imagine the modern London skyline without it.
Architecture does not always have to quietly disappear into its surroundings. Occasionally a building arrives and completely changes them.
The Shard certainly did that.
For a photographer, it is one of those buildings you can return to again and again and never quite photograph in the same way. The weather, light, reflections, and viewpoint constantly alter its appearance.
Whatever your opinion of the architecture, The Shard has earned its place as one of the symbols of twenty-first-century London—a vast structure of glass and steel rising above one of the oldest cities in the world.
Photography and words by Daren Frankish
European Media
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