Londoners have been watching the rise of their towering new landmark for months, but from Friday they were able to see the view from the inside for the first time as The Shard opened to the ... more 

Londoners have been watching the rise of their towering new landmark for months, but from Friday they were able to see the view from the inside for the first time as The Shard opened to the public. London Mayor Boris Johnson was his ebullient self as he cut the ribbon to mark the opening: “This is a unique building, it’s the only building I can think of that looks like the tip of an intergalactic spear! It’s something that I think is going to capture people’s imaginations, and loads of people are going to want to come up this thing!” One hundred and thirty thousand tickets were sold ahead of the opening of the viewing galleries 244 metres (800ft) above the British capital. Euronews correspondent Ali May, one of the first to get a peak from the Level 72, which is partially open to the elements, said: “It’s impossible to come up here, see all these breathtaking views of the city, and not absolutely fall in love with it. This is London as you’ve never seen it before.” less