The Shard has overcome many challenges to reach the point it has.
The Shard is beginning to take shape over Image may be NSFW.
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London‘s skyline with the soaring skyscraper already being cast as a symbol of twenty-first century London.
While the building is still some way from being completed, the inner shell has been finished with the external ‘shard’ effect starting to race up to the top, adding another layer to the already incredible history that this tower has.
Situated next to London Bridge station, this domineering structure can trace its routes back to a 1960s rag-and-bone merchant and a 1970s communist-styled architectural office, via Genoa and Qatar.
The tallest building in Britain which may also have the largest Image may be NSFW.
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Sellar made his name in the 1960s as one of the major rag traders in London and grew so successful that he eventually branched out into property before becoming a financial victim of the markets in the 1990s.
The Shard was proposed in 2000 on the site of a squat office block and was seen as a gamble due to Sellar’s previous experiences in the property market. These experiences were limited to buildings of three stories or less in Warrington and Portsmouth.
Despite doubt from the major building firms in London, Sellars proposed his plans and found a supporter in London’s mayor Ken Livingstone, who wanted to see the Southwark area of the city redeveloped.
The London Borough of Southwark granted planning permission following submissions of the new building’s design from Genovese architect Renzo Piano. The idea of the site was as a vertical village, featuring offices, a hotel and public viewing spaces.
As the project was about to break ground the financial markets collapsed with many speculators assuming Sellar would sell on and make a profit due to the planning applications being in place.
However, the Qatari Royal Family had other ideas and bought an 80% stake in the building during 2008, allowing the building work to start once the financial climate improved.
