I’ve enjoyed watching The Shard at London Bridge grow from a short concrete stump back in March 2010, and now it’s rapidly heading towards its completion deadline of May 2012.
The final crane – the tallest ever built in Britain – was installed in September and tasked with installing the skyscraper’s upper spire.
Pre-fabricated and pre-assembled with the use of 3D modelling, the vertigo-inducing crane underwent a “test run” in Yorkshire before being lifted onto the building.
Standing 310 m (1,017 ft) tall when completed in May 2012, the Shard will have the honour of being the tallest building in the European Union – and the 45th-tallest building in the world.
Seen rising over the tower blocks of Barrington Road in Brixton, the Shard is flanked by the Heron Tower to the left and the Gherkin to the right.
Related posts:
The Shard, London Bridge, nears completion
Heron Tower skyscraper, 110 Bishopsgate, London
Shard London bridge at night, Jan 2011
London Shard tower keeps climbing to the sky
The Shard comes under close scrutiny from Southwark Cathedral
The Shard and London Bridge Quarter in the April gloom
The London Shard at London Bridge, London SE1 continues to soar
The Shard rises! Iconic London skyscraper underway
