I keep reading in newspapers that ought to know better that The Shard, at 1,017 ft, will supplant 1, Canada Square, Canary Wharf as the highest building in the UK and Western Europe.

To me, this cannot be true, as Emley Moor transmission tower, although referred to as a mast, satisfies my criteria for a building and is 1,084 ft high.
Indeed, it is a listed building !

There are those out there who are trying to say that Emley Moor is not a "building" because the top part of it cannot be habitated ... pah! I say, and pah! again.


... AND A QUICK EDIT
The highest habitable level of the Shard is actually lower than the highest habitable bit of Emley Moor.
IMHO Case is now closed.

So your boss walks into the office and tells you all that you are relocating from an anonymous concrete block of an office in a back street of central London to The Shard and better still they've bagged you all the 70th floor.

Good news or bad news ?

Its not really like putting your desk on the open plains of Helmand Province is it, but not really that far short in terms of target practice for anyone with even the slightest of grudges.

I'd certainly make a note of EVERY escape route on my first day there.

If you're on the 70th floor, I would suggest that by the time you know there's a problem it may be too late to get down the stairs and out to safety

Great video of guy jumping from 850 feet up the Shard here. http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/4254088/Daredevil-jumps-off-The-Shard-four-times.html

Great video of guy jumping from 850 feet up the Shard here. http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/4254088/Daredevil-jumps-off-The-Shard-four-times.html

Fascinating pictures here from Silent UK, which got to the top in December. Personally, I like quite a lot of the modern stuff that's going up in London, but this doesn't work for me – mostly because of the incredible extent to which it is utterly dominating the landscape and in particular, because it's visually so near to St Paul's.

Fascinating pictures here from Silent UK, which got to the top in December. Personally, I like quite a lot of the modern stuff that's going up in London, but this doesn't work for me – mostly because of the incredible extent to which it is utterly dominating the landscape and in particular, because it's visually so near to St Paul's.

The first time I visited Engelhard's HQ in New Jersey, I was surprised that all the executive offices were on the 5th floor as opposed to the very top. It was only when it was explained to me that the ladders of the NJ Fire Department would only reach the 5th floor that everything fell into place

Mintball wrote:Fascinating pictures here from Silent UK, which got to the top in December. Personally, I like quite a lot of the modern stuff that's going up in London, but this doesn't work for me – mostly because of the incredible extent to which it is utterly dominating the landscape and in particular, because it's visually so near to St Paul's. But I read in the paper that "Londoners have taken the Shard to their hearts". Then I saw who had said it ... the head honcho in the development company that built it. Must admit, it looks good from Primrose Hill, esp. at night.

Mintball wrote:Fascinating pictures here from Silent UK, which got to the top in December. Personally, I like quite a lot of the modern stuff that's going up in London, but this doesn't work for me – mostly because of the incredible extent to which it is utterly dominating the landscape and in particular, because it's visually so near to St Paul's. But I read in the paper that "Londoners have taken the Shard to their hearts". Then I saw who had said it ... the head honcho in the development company that built it. Must admit, it looks good from Primrose Hill, esp. at night.

In a lot of ways it is very impressive. I just think it dominates more than it needs to – although aiming to be so high was always going to be about dominating the landscape.

I'm starting to become aware of just how many places I can see it from – and that's without being on higher ground such as Primrose Hill.

I love 'The Gherkin'. Broadgate Tower and Heron Tower are nothing special; if they ever get The Pinnacle finished, that should be really quite cool – and will be the tallest building in the City. But I think that will be okay, as it won't simply be thrusting up alone, with no other tall buildings around it. The one that looks like a clunky old mobile phone will hopefully never get built, but I hope it's true that the new Richard Rogers 'Cheesegrater' on Leadenhall is back on.

Surely the best thing about being on Primrose hill at night is you can't see Primrose hill...

No, the best thing about Primrose Hill is that it has some good value gradients for running up and jogging back down.
Great for the lungs and thighs.

Some might say that the young ladies pertly panting in running tights might just edge it, but not me, certainly not.