Which London skyscraper, completed in 2012, is commonly called The Shard?

The London skyscraper commonly called The Shard is officially named Shard London Bridge.

Designed by Italian architect Renzo Piano, the building rises beside London Bridge station in Southwark. Construction began in 2009, and the tower was completed in 2012. Its 309.6-metre height made it the tallest building in the United Kingdom and the tallest building in the European Union at the time of completion.

Piano conceived the tower as a vertical city, with offices, restaurants, the Shangri-La Hotel, residences, and public observation areas stacked through its height. The exterior uses glass panels arranged as irregular shards, leaving gaps between sections so the building appears unfinished or open at the top.

The name “The Shard” comes from this fragmented visual effect. Its formal name, Shard London Bridge, distinguishes it from the nearby London Bridge station and the wider London Bridge district.

The tower's observation attraction, The View from The Shard, occupies high floors and offers broad views across central London, including the Thames and the City of London.