The view from The Shard viewing platform opens

The tallest building in Western Europe at 1016ft (309.6m) in height, the Shard skyscraper in London Bridge was inaugurated on 5th July.
Starting from 6th July the first batch of tickets is released for its viewing platform, the View from The Shard.

The View from The Shard observation area will be housed in the 68th-72nd floors of the skyscraper some 800ft (244m) above the capital. From that vantage point, guests will be able to see up to 40 miles (64km) away.

The viewing platforms are accessed by two high-speed ‘kaleidoscopic’ lifts that ascend to the building’s 68th level in 30 seconds. From that point, visitors are invited to the triple-height, glass-fronted Level 69 where the surrounding cityscape is fully exposed. The highest point accessible to The View from The Shard visitors is on Level 72 where it will be possible to look upwards and see the few remaining floors taper out of sight as the separate panels of the building converge at its tip.

 The View from The Shard will be almost twice as high as any other viewing point in London and its developers expect it to become a major tourist attraction. To mitigate overcrowding it will be necessary for visitors to pre-book a defined arrival time and date in order to access the viewing area. Although information on exact capacity hasn’t yet been confirmed, organisers have stated that the system will ensure a “crowd- and queue-free premium experience”. Over 17,500 people had already registered to secure tickets in advance of their release today.
Costing £24.95 for adults and £18.95 for children, tickets are now available through The View from The Shard website or via the box office hotline 0844 499 7111 which, unlike web bookings, applies a handling fee to all purchases. The View from The Shard will be open to the public from February 1, 2013.