LONDON, ENGLAND – JANUARY 13: A girl looks through a telescope on the top of the Monument, with the Shard building at left on January 13, 2011 in London, England. The Shard, designed by the Italian architect Renzo Piano, will be the tallest skyscraper in the European Union on its completion scheduled for 2012, standing at 1,016 feet (310 metres) and costing an estimated 400 million GBP. The planned 87 storey skyscraper at London Bridge, opposed by English Heritage, was approved back in 2003 by then Deputy PM John Prescott following a public inquiry. Supporters of the project believe the building will be a pivotal moment for the redevelopment of South London but critics remain strongly opposed describing it as a “spike through the heart of London”. It will be the 45th tallest building in the world towering over Sir Christopher Wren’s masterpiece St Paul’s Cathedral and will host a mixture of offices space, hotel apartments, restaurants and a viewing platform. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)
