The building set to be Europe’s tallest is still under construction
in central London but critics fear that once completed, the iconic view
of St Paul’s Cathedral will be seriously compromised.
The 1,000ft Shard of Glass tower is being erected in Southwark, on
the south side of the Thames, to the consternation of conservationists
who are angry that it overshadows the view of Sir Christopher Wren’s
masterpiece.
When plans were first being considered for the Shard a decade ago,
English Heritage said the £400 million tower would “put a spike through
the heart of historic London”.
Now with the project halfway to completion, the conservation group
believes its fears are being realised after latest photos from
Parliament Hill – one of six protected panoramas - showed the tower
dwarfing St Paul’s at three times its height.
A spokeswoman for English Heritage was quoted by the Evening Standard
as saying: “We must ask if the colossal impact of this building will be
celebrated in 300 years time, as Wren’s masterpiece continues to be
today.
“We maintain that location is all. Southwark deserves investment but
it should not come at the expense of one of London’s most precious –
and finite – assets – its heritage.”
The 72-storey Shard was designed by Italian architect Renzo Piano for
property magnate Irvine Stellar.
Members of the public will be allowed
in to see the city from a four-floor viewing gallery at the top.
There are six protected views of central London – those from
Parliament Hill, Alexandra Palace, Kenwood, Primrose Hill, Greenwich
Park and Blackheath Point.
Rules state that developments “should provide an appropriate setting
for strategically important landmarks by not crowding in too close to
them and by not contributing to a canyon effect either side of the
protected vista”.
English Heritage’s objection to the development also related to the
“negative intrusion” upon views of the Tower of London and Palace of
Westminster – both world heritage sites.
SIC: CT/UK