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.

Archistar and their signatures

Rules to interpret a signature:

Your first name relates to your individual ego - If your first name is larger than your family name, it suggests that you are proud of your own accomplishments. However, the larger the first name, the larger the desire to appear important. This can also indicate a low self-esteem.

The Family name projects social status - If your family name is larger than your first name, you take great pride in family achievements and reputation, rather than in your own accomplishments.

Legible signature – If the signature is legible and simple, the writer is unpretentious, honest and straightforward. This person will follow the rules and do as they are told… just the same as when they were in school.

Illegible Signature  - If the signature is illegible, the writer may be in such a hurry that they can’t take the time to shape the letters properly… doctors, executives, movie stars. An illegible signature is often a sign of a big ego… someone who expects others to know who they are. This person also wants to keep their personal lives private and shielded from the outside world.

We now analyze signatures of great architects!

Looking at the signature of Charles-Édouard Jeanneret, better know as Le Corbusier, it’s obvious that the beginning stroke of the “L” stands for pilotis and that the sweeping broad stroke of the “C” clearly stands for roof top garden – the 1st and 5th point in his Five Points of Architecture made famous in the book “Vers une Architecture“. The clearly defined first “r” indicates a love for stainless steel, while the casual, almost sloppy final “r” is a nod towards his famous quote: “Chairs are architecture, sofas are bourgeois.”
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To anyone paying attention, the over-sized “R” in the signature of Ludwig Mies van der Rohe indicates obvious pride in family accomplishments. The vertical strokes that are loosely tied together indicate the same skin and bones approach he took towards his architecture. The lengthy lead in stroke to the “M” is an indication of his loathing for the Nazi’s who thought his work was not “German enough”, something that eventually lead to frustration over evaporating commissions and brought him to the states.
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The signature of Tadao Ando tells us that “I am a superstar and only need to go by one name …. like Cher”. The separation of the last letter in the signature, the ’O‘, and it’s exaggerated proportions and separation from the ‘And‘, is a pop cultural reference to the American Classic song “… and Bing-O was his name-O” while the upwardly sloping tilt of the signature tells us that Tadao Ando had humble origins but expects to have his name in polished chrome and lights. The dot over the “n”, since there isn’t a letter there that needs a dot, tells us that “I can knot reelly spell all that wel”… Then again, he doesn’t need to, does he?
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This is the signature of Renzo Piano – not that you would ever be able to tell. Clearly the signature of an international superstar, acknowledged as the recipient of the Knight Grand Cross, Pritzker Architecture Prize, AIA Gold Medal, Kyoto Prize and the Sonning Prize. He has more important things to do than sign his name (except on the back of the checks he is depositing into his bank account). What you may not know is that the two dots at the end of his signature are a homage to Egyptian hieroglyphics, specifically “Apophis” the Snake God and the God of Chaos – an ironic nod towards the buildings he creates which are notable for their clarity and serenity.
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The extremely legible signature of Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer, famous for pioneering the formal possibilities of reinforced concrete, show that he is a man among the common man despite the vertically rising tilt of his signature. The loop at the bottom of the capital “O” in Oscar, the hook present in the “N” in Niemeyer, but the lack of any embellishment in the “y“ show that he is a man of detail, prone to folly at times. Also, looking at the final “r” you know that he believes that “… sofas are not bourgeois, but are – in fact – very comfortable and good for afternoon siestas.” I would have to agree with him on that.
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What can you say about the signature of Richard Meier? Completely illegible (does it say “Texas” at the end??) which is a clear indication of assumed stardom and self-importance … but the squiggly line embellishment at the bottom (closely resembling a sad clown smile) is an attempt after the fact of a strong desire for our love and acceptance. Meier has built a career based on the theories of others – particularly Le Corbusier – and the casual self-importance and self-loathing present in the beginning, middle and end of this signature speak volumes … and a love of the color white.
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Big first name is an indication of ego and everyone knows Frank Lloyd Wright had a big ego. The squished together”Lloyd Wright” show that there were no family accomplishments of note that were of any importance to Frank and that this was his show and everything was about him (just ask any of his clients…)

Source: lifeofanarchitect

Latest pictures of Shard of London

Shard London Bridge, view from Borough High Street. August 2011

 

Shard London Bridge, view from Southwark Bridge. August 2011

 Shard London Bridge, view from Southwark Bridge. August 2011

photographs by Wilson Yau

Source: RIBA Blogs

European tallest building

With its concrete core (800 feet/244 meters) ended last week The Shard by the italian architect Renzo Piano became the tallest building in Europe.
This construction will be 1018 feet/311 meters high and will include office space, luxury flats, restaurants and bars, the five-star hotel and a public viewing gallery, for overall floor area of 50000 sq feet/5110 sq meters.
The skyscraper will be completed in 2012 in time for the London Olympic Game (construction of the tower began in 2009).

Two sky gardens are located on each office floor to help improve indoor air quality as well as naturally ventilate the work areas. The building’s design was influenced heavily by the irregular site plan and the multiple facets will rise up to a point, but will not touch. Access to public transportation via bus and train are located directly on site.

Source: Building Design