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ARCHITECT’S FOCUS


Creating a striking, functional, mixed-use building was architect William Matthews’ aim when designing The Shard of Glass, the towering new addition to London’s skyline


KATHLEEN WHYMAN • MANAGING EDITOR • ATTRACTIONS MANAGEMENT


What inspired The Shard’s design? It was very important to us at Renzo Piano Building Workshop that such a tall building was accessible to the public. Around the world, the tall buildings that are known and loved – that are featured on T-shirts – are the ones that people can access, such as the Eiffel Tower and Empire State Building. So, we didn’t want a normal city build- ing that closed at 5pm on a Friday and opened again on Monday. It had to be functioning seven days a week, which led to the mix of uses – offi ces, res- taurant, hotel, some apartments and a viewing gallery. The gallery is aiming for one million visitors a year and there are only 10 residents in the apartments, so they have very dif- ferent uses, but are in the same building.


We wanted


to create an open building


so avoided using heavily tinted glass, which blocks out all


life going on inside. Glass is an open, transparent material. You can see lights on inside, which show it’s functioning. By inclining the sides, it refl ects the sky and the weather, so the building changes throughout the day, similar to a weather vane. The spire doesn’t meet at the top, so visitors feel the London air.


How does The Shard enhance the capital city’s skyline? London isn’t New York, Singapore or Hong Kong, where a tall building is just another skyscraper in the forest. In London there is no forest; the building is against the sky. The Shard’s spire shape is a form that has resonance through- out the UK as it echoes the outline of its historical churches. It also represents the masts of boats that used to moor in the Thames – tall, slender elements that rested against the skyline in old London. Up until the 19th century, London


Bridge was the only bridge across the Thames and was the centre of London. To have the tallest building next to the bridge, in the middle of London, is appropriate and gives defi nition to where the centre of London is.


What is the design’s message? The building might be privately fi nanced, but it’s not just a commercial ven- ture that’s landed on the skyline – it’s a building that the public can enter: to visit the restaurant; stay at the hotel or go to the top to see the view. People often think that architecture is


just about aesthetics and the physical elements, but this is the political, social side of architecture.


What was the brief? We had a very, very brief brief. In fact, the page was blank. The most important thing with a good building is a good client. The client lis- tened to us and we listened to them. It’s a shared vision. Initially they didn’t like the sound of


a viewing gallery, but then realised it had commercial viability to it as well as a socio-political importance in gaining acceptance of the project.


What were the challenges? The fi rst challenge was planning. This building represents a change for the city. Not only is it substantially taller than the


Project architect William Matthews 44


“THE BUILDING MIGHT BE PRIVATELY FINANCED, BUT IT’S NOT JUST A COMMERCIAL VENTURE THAT’S LANDED ON THE SKYLINE – THE PUBLIC CAN ENTER”


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