The Shard is a 72-story skyscraper designed by the Italian architect Renzo Piano in Southwark, London. Standing at 310 meters high, The Shard is the tallest building in the United Kingdom and the seventh-tallest building in Europe. It is also the second-tallest free-standing structure in the United Kingdom.

Its construction began in March 2009 and was entirely done in November 2012.

This particular project drew my attention because of how unique and eye-catching it is and how all the people involved managed to make it a functioning, famous monument despite it theoretically being too ambitious and imaginative. Moreover, I like how it defines the London skyline and can be seen anywhere around the city. Also what stands out is the fact that it is made entirely of crystal clear glass to reflect the sky and be a source of public attention.

In terms of its structure, the Shard stacks a series of different systems on top of each other starting with a concrete foundation, then a steel frame for the office floors and the public spaces of the hotel, then another concrete frame for the hotel guest rooms and the residences, and finally a steel frame for the observation galleries and the building’s unoccupied top.