Contractor working to hand over skyscraper in September as Shard is inaugurated today
Shard contractor Mace says it is confident of meeting the extended practical completion date for the skyscraper, which it confirmed had been put back from May to September.
Speaking to 好色先生TV in the week of the Shard鈥檚 inauguration Gareth Lewis, Mace鈥檚 chief operating officer, confirmed the company was working towards an extended practical completion date of 30 September.
the original practical completion date of May, well ahead of the London 2012 Olympics, had been been extended beyond the Games. Developer Sellar鈥檚 construction director Flan McNamara this week said the 30 September date had been in effect for 鈥�18 months to two years鈥�.
Lewis said Mace will hand over the project to Sellar in 鈥渢hirds鈥� leading up to 30 September, according to mutually agreed non-contractual deadlines: the lowest third - mainly office space - will be handed over by the end of this month; the middle third - which houses the Shangri-La Hotel - will be handed over by the end of August and the top third by the contractual deadline of 30 September.
The news came as the Shard鈥檚 architect Renzo Piano defended the skyscraper against criticism that the 1,000ft-tower looks out of place on the London skyline.
Piano said this week the Shard was 鈥渘ot arrogant鈥� and predicted it would be 鈥渁dopted鈥� and 鈥渓oved鈥� by the public. He said Londoners would love the Shard 鈥渂ecause they will have access to it鈥� and its public viewing gallery on the 68th to 72nd floor - which will open in February next year.
The Shard will be officially inaugurated today in a ceremony attended by Prince Andrew and the Qatari prime minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber al-Thani, which will feature a laser show visible across the capital.
Al-Thani told the press conference yesterday the Shard was 鈥渁 long term investment鈥� and recouping his country鈥檚 investment in the 拢1.5bn London Bridge Quarter project was 鈥渁 minor thing for us at the moment鈥�.
Irvine Sellar said his property company Sellar was in discussions with 鈥渁 number of parties鈥� about acquiring portions of the tower鈥檚 595,000 sq ft of office space.
He described the project 鈥� which will also incorporate restaurants, a hotel and ten apartments that are expected to sell for up to 拢50m each 鈥� as Europe鈥檚 鈥渇irst vertical town鈥�.
He expects the Shard to be fully occupied by the end of 2014.
Renzo Piano on the Shard 鈥�
鈥淭he building has a soul and it also has a technical soul because it鈥檚 full of innovation. It鈥檚 a mirror of the city and of the weather and the humour of the city. It鈥檚 like a kaleidoscope as it keeps changing. It鈥檚 flirting with the weather. This is not an arrogant building.鈥�
鈥淚 don鈥檛 justify [my buildings]. Every classic building has been modern at one time. Cities are great places because they鈥檙e made in layers. If the new layer that you build is good then that鈥檚 fine 鈥� that鈥檚 essential. We have not destroyed anything here.
鈥淚鈥檓 not some genius 鈥� [geniuses] don鈥檛 exist. I have to thank the whole team.
鈥淚 think it will be very much loved. [The public] will love the building because they will have access to it. It will be adopted [by the public] 鈥� that was part of the plan. It will not shut down at 6pm [as it鈥檚 mixed-use] 鈥� it will be full of life. It will be loved more and more because it鈥檚 public.鈥�
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