Bingo is and has always been one of the favourite pastimes in the UK. There, people host virtual bingo parties, prepare educational bingo games, and play unique bingo games to have even more fun. Today, bingo is present online, and you can play bingo from the comfort of your own home, within a few clicks.
There are plenty of online bingo sites and mobile bingo sites available where you’ll come across different promotions and jackpots. And the best thing is that with online bingo, you can meet people from all over the world and have fun with them in the bingo chat rooms!
However, apart from Bingo, the United Kingdom is famous for other things, like Big Ben or Windsor Castle. But, another popular landmark of this country is London’s Shard Building. For that reason, here is our full guide on London’s Shard Building for our lovely bingo fans!
London is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world, and it has a couple of landmarks that tourists love to explore. We all know Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, the Tower of London, but did you know the skyscraper known as the Shard?
The Shard has become a popular London landmark, visible from 50 miles away. It is located in the heart of London and only the river separates it from the City of London. That area has a lot of history, so here is everything that you need to know about this iconic skyscraper.
The Shard
The Shard, also known as the Shard of Glass, the Shard London Bridge, and formerly the London Bridge Tower, is a super-tall 95-storey skyscraper and the tallest building in the United Kingdom. It was designed by the Italian architect Renzo Piano in Southwark, London.
The Shard is 309.6 metres (1,016 ft) high and is one of the 10 tallest buildings in Europe. It stands above the London Bridge Station on the South Bank of the River Thames. Moreover, the Shard has offices, restaurants, a hotel, and a 26-floor office complex.
The Shard Construction
You might not know this, but the idea to build a super-tall skyscraper in the heart of London was firstly introduced at the end of the 20th century. Then, the architects were planning for the skyscraper to replace the Southwark Towers, a 100-meters tall building from 1976. The location was ideal, just a couple minutes’ walk from London’s financial centre and across the London Bridge.
The first plans for building the new skyscraper were drawn up by the architectural firm of Broadway Malyan and it was planned for the tower to be 365 meters tall. However, this plan was denied and a new plan was submitted by the Italian architect Renzo Piano. The architect submitted a plan of a glass pyramid-shaped building with 300 meters height.
The skyscraper was initially called ‘The London Bridge Tower”. A lot of preservationists were unhappy with the decision of building such a tower in the neighbourhood because they thought that the glass tower is inappropriate for that historic area. They claimed that the tower could cut through the neighbourhood like a “shard of glass”. This inspired the architects to rename the tower and to call it “The Shard”.
Building the Shard began in March 2009 and the skyscraper was finished in November 2012. It was opened in early 2013. In addition, the Shard won first place in the 2013 Emporis Skyscraper Awards.
The Tower
The Shard tower has a glass facade that is created of about 11,000 window panes. The top of the tower looks like it is not finished, but it is designed to act as a radiator to naturally dissipate excel heat while reducing the need for air conditioning. Additionally, as we mentioned above, the Shard is multifunctional and has offices and a hotel on the lower floors, and residential apartments on the upper floors.
There is an observation deck on the top floors of the Shard where visitors have a 360-degree view of the city. On clear days, you can see up to 60 kilometres far. On top of that, the Shrad has a range of bars and restaurants with views above London. Amazing, right?
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Did you know any of these facts? Have you ever visited the Shard? To this day, this tower attracts thousands of tourists every day. If you’re as fascinated by this tower as we are, make sure to put it on your bucket list and take the opportunity to visit one of the world’s most famous buildings!
Here at Bingo Scanner, regardless of providing you with the most popular bingo sites, bonuses, and promotions, we love sharing interesting facts and stories that revolve around the UK culture. In case you have some other story that you want to share with us, feel free to let us know. And if you enjoy this article, stick with us while we go through the most popular aspects that make Britain so Great!
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