London Inaugurates EU Tallest Skyscraper

World | July 6, 2012, Friday // 15:39
Bulgaria: London Inaugurates EU Tallest Skyscraper London's Shard tower is the European Union's tallest skyscraper. Photo by Bloomberg

Citizens and visitors to London have been treated to an amazing laser show, staged to celebrate the inauguration of Shard skyscraper, the tallest in the European Union.

At about 22:15 BST a light show began firing beams from the summit to London landmarks including the BT Tower. The spectacle could be seen across the city.

Earlier, the Duke of York and the Qatari prime minister attended a ceremony to mark the unveiling of the impressive structure, which has been funded by the Qatar National Bank.

The Shard is joint-owned by the state of Qatar, and the country's prime minister Hamad Bin Jassim Bin Jabr Al-Thani also attended the ceremony.

It is 309.6 meters tall (1,016 feet) and features high quality offices, a 5-star hotel with more than 200 rooms and suites and 3 floors of restaurants.

It will also feature exclusive super prime residential apartments and the top levels will consist of the capital's highest public viewing gallery offering 360 views of London.

The price of tickets to the platform however – set at GBP 24.95 for an adult and GBP 18.95 for a child – have angered many Londoners, who say it will cost nearly GBP 90 for a family of four to ascend to the viewing platform.

World » Be a reporter: Write and send your article
Tags: London, Shard, skyscraper

Advertisement
Advertisement
Bulgaria news Novinite.com (Sofia News Agency - www.sofianewsagency.com) is unique with being a real time news provider in English that informs its readers about the latest Bulgarian news. The editorial staff also publishes a daily online newspaper "Sofia Morning News." Novinite.com (Sofia News Agency - www.sofianewsagency.com) and Sofia Morning News publish the latest economic, political and cultural news that take place in Bulgaria. Foreign media analysis on Bulgaria and World News in Brief are also part of the web site and the online newspaper. News Bulgaria