Hotels near The Shard

When it officially opened on Thursday 5th July 2012, The Shard became the tallest building in the European Union and the 45th tallest building in the world. Designed in 2000 by Renzo Piano, an Italian architect best known for creating Paris's Pompidou Centre in collaboration with Britain's Richard Rogers, the mixed use Shard building, visible from wherever you are in London, combines offices, three floors of restaurants and the 5-star Shangri-La Hotel with residential apartments - Europe's highest homes; yours for 30 to 50 million pounds - and London's highest viewing gallery. Covered in 11,000 panes of glass, the 'vertical city' in the newly created London Bridge Quarter is well connected with London Bridge Tube and train stations ferrying people to and from the hard-to-miss London landmark. The public viewing galleries, way up on floors 68 to 72, offer stunning views across the city and up to 40 miles beyond. Vertigo sufferers need not apply. See our full feature on The Shard for further information.