The Shard / Renzo Piano Building Workshop

The Shard / Renzo Piano Building Workshop  - Exterior Photography, Waterfront, Cityscape
Courtesy of Renzo Piano Building Workshop

The Shard / Renzo Piano Building Workshop  - Exterior Photography, CityscapeThe Shard / Renzo Piano Building Workshop  - Image 3 of 28The Shard / Renzo Piano Building Workshop  - Exterior Photography, Windows, FacadeThe Shard / Renzo Piano Building Workshop  - Image 5 of 28The Shard / Renzo Piano Building Workshop  - More Images+ 23

  • Collaborator: Adamson Associates
  • Design Team Phase One (2000 2003): J. Moolhuijzen, N. Mecattaf, W.Matthews with D.Drouin, A.Eris, S.Fowler, H.Lee, J.Rousseau, R.Stampton, M.van der Staay and K.Doerr, M.Gomes, J.Nakagawa, K.Rottova, C.Shortle, O.Aubert, C.Colson, Y.Kyrkos
  • Design Team Phase Two (2004 2012): J. Moolhuijzen, W.Matthews, B.Akkerhuis, G.Bannatyne, E.Chen, G.Reid with O.Barthe, J.Carter, V.Delfaud, M.Durand, E.Fitzpatrick, S.Joly, G.Longoni, C.Maxwell-Mahon, J.B.Mothes, M.Paré, J.Rousseau, I.Tristrant, A.Vachette, J.Winrow and O.Doule, J.Leroy, L.Petermann; O.Aubert, C.Colson, Y.Kyrkos
  • Phase One Consultants: Arup (structure and services); Lerch, Bates & Associates (vertical transportation); Broadway Malyan (consulting architect)
  • Phase Two Consultants: WSP Cantor Seinuk (structure); Arup (building services); Lerch, Bates & Associates (vertical transportation); Davis Langdon (cost consultant); Townshend Architects (landscape); Pascall+Watson (executive architect for the station)
  • City: London
  • Country: United Kingdom
More SpecsLess Specs
The Shard / Renzo Piano Building Workshop  - Image 7 of 28
© Sam Roberts

Text description provided by the architects. The Shard, also known as the London Bridge Tower, is a 72-storey, mixed-use tower located beside London Bridge Station on the south bank of the River Thames. This project was a response to the urban vision of London Mayor Ken Livingstone and to his policy of encouraging high-density development at key transport nodes in London. This sort of sustainable urban extension relies on the proximity of public transportation, discourages car use and helps to reduce traffic congestion in the city.

The Shard / Renzo Piano Building Workshop  - Image 20 of 28
Diagram
The Shard / Renzo Piano Building Workshop  - Image 22 of 28
Context Plan
The Shard / Renzo Piano Building Workshop  - Image 23 of 28
Site Plan

A mix of uses – residential, offices and retail – creates a building that is in use 24 hours a day. The slender and pyramidal form of the tower was determined by its suitability to this mix: large floor plates at the bottom for offices; restaurants, public spaces and a hotel located in the middle; private apartments at the top of the building. The final floors accommodate a public viewing gallery, 240 m above street level. This arrangement of functions also allows the tower to taper off and disappear into the sky - a particularly important detail for Renzo Piano Building Workshop given the building’s prominence on the London skyline.

The Shard / Renzo Piano Building Workshop  - Image 3 of 28
© Michel Denancé
The Shard / Renzo Piano Building Workshop  - Image 24 of 28
Sketch

Eight sloping glass facades, the “shards” define the shape and visual quality of the tower, fragmenting the scale of the building and reflecting the light in unpredictable ways. Opening vents in the gaps or “fractures” between the shards, provide natural ventilation to winter gardens. The extra-white glass used on the Shard gives the tower a lightness and a sensitivity to the changing sky around it, the Shard’s colour and mood are constantly changing.

The Shard / Renzo Piano Building Workshop  - Image 26 of 28
Middle Section

It required a particular technical solution to ensure the facade’s performance in terms of controlling light and heat. A double-skin, naturally ventilated facade with internal blinds that respond automatically to changes in light levels was developed. The logic is very simple: external blinds are very effective in keeping solar gain out of a building, but unprotected external blinds are not appropriate for a tall building, hence the extra layer of glass facade on the outside. As part of the project, a section of London Bridge Station’s concourse was also redeveloped and the Shard has been the stimulus for much of the regeneration of the surrounding area, now known as the London Bridge Quarter.

The Shard / Renzo Piano Building Workshop  - Image 5 of 28
© Michel Denancé

Project gallery

See allShow less

Project location

Address:London, United Kingdom

Click to open map
Location to be used only as a reference. It could indicate city/country but not exact address.
About this office
Cite: "The Shard / Renzo Piano Building Workshop " 01 Mar 2018. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/889852/the-shard-renzo-piano-building-workshop> ISSN 0719-8884

© Ben Marshall

伦敦碎片大厦 The Shard / 伦佐·皮亚诺建筑工作室

You've started following your first account!

Did you know?

You'll now receive updates based on what you follow! Personalize your stream and start following your favorite authors, offices and users.