The Qatar Prime Minister and Foreign Minister H E Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem bin Jabor Al Thani and the Duke of York will jointly inaugurate The Shard in London Bridge on July 5.
The Shard, in which Qatar is a 95 percent investor, is the centrepiece of the London Bridge Quarter. Towering over London bridge station, the iconic structure is the tallest building in Western Europe at 310M (1,016 ft) and will consist of the capital’s highest public viewing gallery offering 360° views of the City of London.
“In addition to punctuating the skyline, The Shard, which appears over London Bridge Station, will be the highly visible face of London’s newest commercial quarter for the millions of people who pass through the transport hub”, Sheikh Abdullah bin Saoud, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Shard Funding Limited, said.
He also said that it is important for Qatar as it represents a major investment in an eclectic and vibrant city and region that presents excellent opportunities for people and businesses on the South Bank.
The Shard enjoys a unique, contemporary design and offers a wide array of modern facilities. It uses a thermally efficient façade that prevents overheating by reacting to natural lighting levels maintaining stable temperatures.
London Bridge Quarter will comprise two major buildings, The Shard and The Place, which is an office building. The multi-use vertical city features high quality offices, the 5-star Shangri-La hotel with more than 200 rooms and suites that is due to open by November 2012 and three floors of signature restaurants. It will also feature exclusive super prime residential apartments.
www.the-shard.com