The Shard

Renzo Piano sketched the design on a napkin in 2000, taking the form from the spires and masts in Canaletto's views of London, and the tower was completed in 2012 at 309.6 metres, making it the tallest building in the United Kingdom and, briefly, in Europe. It is clad in eleven thousand glass panels angled so the facets do not quite meet at the top, leaving the structure open to the air. The View from the Shard occupies floors sixty-eight to seventy-two, with an enclosed level at 244 metres and a partly open-air one above it where wind reaches through the gaps in the glass. Restaurants and bars on floors thirty-one to thirty-three offer the view for the price of a drink, which many visitors prefer.

What you actually see

• The open-air level - floor seventy-two, exposed to the wind through the glass.
• The Piano facets - eleven thousand angled panels that do not close at the apex.
• The Thames panorama - the river, the City and the estuary on clear days.
• The bar alternative - the same view from floor thirty-one for a drink.

When to go

Year-round; clear winter days give the longest sight lines, while summer haze limits them. Sunset is the most popular slot and priced accordingly. The upper level is exposed and genuinely cold in winter.

Honest expectations

Tickets are among the most expensive viewing platforms in Europe, and a drink in the bars several floors below costs less for a comparable view. Low cloud frequently sits at the viewing level, and the operator does not refund for weather unless visibility is near zero. Booking ahead is much cheaper.

Nearby

Borough Market and Southwark Cathedral are at the foot; the City lies across London Bridge.