The View from the Shard

Towering above all other buildings in London (and Western Europe) is Renzo Piano's erect 95-storey glass 'pyramid' – a spectacular monument built above London Bridge railway/tube station on the poorer side of the river, offering staggering views of nearly everything, notably the City and the West End beyond. A multi-function development (offices, restaurants, hotel, private residences), the Shard is listed here for its 69th- and 72nd-floor observation areas (the latter being open air), which opened to the public on 1 February 2013 amid controversy and displeasure owing to its £24.95 entry fee (given former Mayor Ken Livingstone's wish that it be for the people). In 2022 it costs £32. But the experience is genuinely recommended, especially towards the end of a first-time London visit when the landmarks will have developed a certain familiarity. Visitors might also consider booking a slot about 45 minutes before sundown so as to straddle both daytime and dusk (a double treat). Tickets booked 14 days in advance are cheaper. A trip to the Shard can be combined with neighbouring food mecca Borough Market (Wed to Sat), White Cube art gallery in increasingly trendy Bermondsey St and, slightly further afield, Tate Modern [see entries]. Another of Renzo Piano's instant London landmarks is Central Saint Giles – a not universally adored but quite striking and uplifting development of more than 130,000 tiles (deep orange, lime green, mustard yellow etc), opened in 2010 and giving a colourful boost to a rather down and dreary pocket in the shadow of Centre Point, just east of Soho. Closed Monday and Tuesday, plus Christmas Day and Boxing Day (26 December). Check website for messy schedule.