Synopsis
The Shard, at 306m high, is the tallest building in Western Europe. This paper describes its design and construction, including: site history; development of the initial scheme; robustness and stability; change of material with usage and the effect of wind on both the tower and facade design. Construction challenges (including the constrained site, top-down construction of the core and basement, logistics, crane strategy, tolerances, and assembly of the spire at the top of the building) are also covered.