“The Shard” to Grab a Piece of London’s Skyline

Forget London Towers and Big Ben; London’s skyline will become a bit more modern with “The Shard,” set to become the tallest building in London and one of the tallest in Europe. Standing at 1,017 feet, the 72-story cone-shaped structure will have twisting glass facets on the outside. Inside is mixed-use, with offices, apartments, restaurants and a 15-story observation deck. That means more than a fifth of the building is dedicated to simply peering out onto the rest of the city. And is the company in charge of this massive undertaking British? Nope. It’s Paris-based Renzo Piano Building Workshop, which hopes to have construction completed by 2012. [via FlyLyf]