Spectacular Laser and Lightshow Marks the Official Opening of Europe's Tallest Building

    LONDON, ENGLAND, July 05, 2012 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Europe's tallest building, 'The Shard' in London, which stands at 310 metres (1,016ft), will be officially inaugurated by HRH The Duke of York, KG, His Excellency Sheikh Hamad Bin Jassim Bin Jabor Al Thani, Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the State of Qatar on Thursday 5th July, and members of the public can enjoy a spectacular laser and lightshow set to live music at 10.15pm.

Those wanting to see the stunning light show, which features 12 lasers and 30 searchlights, linking The Shard to London landmarks including the London Eye and Tower Bridge are advised to go to Tower Bridge, Tower Hill and the Tower of London Path or any elevated position to the north of The Shard for the best views.

The pyramid shaped glass facade building designed by the Pritzker Prize-winning Italian architect Renzo Piano - who made his name with the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris which he designed together with Richard Rogers - is visible for miles around and towers high above the newly regenerated London Bridge Quarter, a GBP2 billion regeneration project in the Southwark area of London.

Thursday's opening event marks the completion of the exterior of the building. Inside, the building features 589,602 sq ft of office space, restaurants, the five star Shangri-La Hotel (due to open in 2013), private apartments and the UK's highest viewing platform, The View from The Shard, which is due to open in early February 2013.

The viewing gallery, which occupies storeys 68 to 72 and offers views stretching 40 miles on a clear day, is expected to become one of the city's major tourist attractions when it opens next year. Tickets for The View from The Shard go on sale at 9am (BST) on Friday 6th July. To book your tickets go to www.theviewfromtheshard.com on Friday and you could be one of the first to experience The View. For visitors travelling to London, whether for business or to take in the sights, LondonTown.com offers a wide choice of London hotels situated conveniently within walking distance of all the best London attractions.

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