The Shard: 6 Fascinating Facts You Didn't Know
23 July 2019 - Omega
Sitting at over 300 metres (1,000ft) high, London’s tallest landmark has an incredible 72 habitable floors, boasts 11,000 panes of glass and from the top the breathtaking 360-degree views over London and the surrounding counties extend for up to 40 miles on a clear day. A visit to The View from The Shard is the perfect way to complete a memorable trip to London – sitting at almost twice the height of any other viewing platform in the capital, it’s sure to impress. To get you in the mood, here are six facts that you might not know about this iconic addition to London’s skyline…
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It's eco-friendly!
Did you know that this futuristic skyscraper is built with 95% recycled materials? To make way for The Shard, Southwark Towers was demolished but architects reused the remains of this high rise to help with their new creation. This makes it one of the most environmentally-friendly buildings in the country!
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The building is popular with animals...
Believe it or not, during the building’s construction, a fox managed to climb 2,907 steps to the 72nd storey where he was found! It is said he survived off the food leftover by construction workers and was fondly nicknamed Romeo.
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Luxury with a hefty price tag!
You may have heard of Shangri-La, a chain of luxury hotels, with its London location operating on floors 34-52 of The Shard. But can you guess how much one night in their most exclusive room will set you back? A whopping £14,000! As you’d expect, the room boasts stunning views as well as a Nespresso machine, steam shower, jacuzzi bath, 1,000 thread count sheets and a twenty-four-hour butler. Best get saving for that one!
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How far?!
The length of the building’s wiring totals an enormous 320 kilometres (200 miles), meaning it could stretch from London to Paris!
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Fancy taking a ride on the fastest lifts in Europe?
Then The Shard is where you want to be! The lifts in this iconic building move at nearly 20 feet per second. To top it off, there are 44 lifts within the skyscraper, some of which are double-decker!
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Keep it clean!
Remember those 11,000 panes of glass? Well someone has to clean them, but it’s not for the faint-hearted! The Shard has a team of six window cleaners to keep it looking spick and span. It takes them one week to clean a single side of The Shard, and with four sides, that means it takes them roughly a month to finish – just in time to start all over again.
Tickets to The View from The Shard are timed, but once you are inside, you can stay as long as you like. Spanning three floors (68,69 and 72), not only are there amazing views to be had, but there are some other fascinating features too. On Floor 68 you’ll find an exhibit called Cloudscape where you can learn about the various types of cloud to be seen from the observation deck. Floor 69 boasts interactive telescopes and Floor 72 is perfect for those feeling a little more adventurous – as you’ll be open to the elements! Check out our great-value breaks that include admission to The View from The Shard.