The View from The Shard, the new premium visitor experience at the pinnacle of The Shard, London’s newest landmark and Western Europe’s tallest building, has revealed a glimpse of some of the attraction’s features and content that are currently being created ahead of its opening on February 1, 2013.
The View from The Shard takes people on a journey to 244m (800ft) above London, almost twice as high as any other viewing point in the city.
The attraction provides a unique encounter with The Shard and the most spectacular 64km (40 mile), 360-degree views over the capital and beyond – it is the only place you can see all of London, all at once, making it the perfect first stop for visitors to the city.
The elements of the attraction revealed illustrate the different stages of the visitor journey through The View from The Shard, and provide a glimpse of the entire visitor experience.
A series of colourful tongue-in-cheek illustrations of famous Londoners in playful juxtapositions will greet visitors at the entrance to The View from The Shard. Here Margaret Thatcher and Karl Max are pictured out for a ride together on a tandem bicycle; Vidal Sassoon and Vivienne Westwood are giving King Charles I a makeover; Alfred Hitchcock flees the pigeons in Trafalgar Square, George Orwell is installing CCTV cameras whilst Benjamin Franklin is shown at a cash machine. The ground floor draws guests into the rich tapestry of London, its diverse communities and colourful characters. Along the walls, video screens and display panels also show digital maps of London and film footage of city life – preparing guests for the breathtaking views that await them.
Guests depart the ground floor in two high-speed lifts that take just 30 seconds each to reach the viewing platforms. On their journey skywards they will be accompanied by a soaring anthem from the London Symphony Orchestra, building anticipation of seeing London like never before. The specially composed music is part of the wider musical score that will accompany guests through The View from The Shard, also featuring acclaimed London-based chamber choir, the Joyful Company of Singers.
In the viewing galleries, 244m (800ft) above London, the remarkable 360 degree, 64km (40mile) view over the city is revealed. Guests are able to explore the view through 12 digital ‘Tell:scopes’ that are being made available in Europe for the first time. The Tell:scopes - digital telescopes with large touchscreens - enable guests to explore the city around them in real-time, as well as offering alternative (pre-recorded) day and night-time views. Fully interactive, they are able to identify famous landmarks and places of significant interest in the user’s sight line and provide information about them in 10 languages. Guests are drawn deeper into the story of London as bitesize elements of history, and images, appear on screen. In total, 200 landmarks and places of interest across London will be highlighted on the Tell:scopes.
In addition, The View from The Shard has also announced yhe release of new computer generated footage providing a glimpse of the visitor experience – from street level to the viewing galleries.
A new national competition calling on members of the public to nominate their favourite parts of London to be included on attraction’s Tell:scopes. The competition, judged by TV historian Dan Snow, invites Londoners and the public to nominate parts of the capital that aren’t necessarily well-known tourist attractions or landmarks, but have a particular historical significance or charm that can add to the visitor’s experience of the city.
Anders Nyberg, Chief Executive, The View from The Shard, said: “The View from The Shard is the only place you can experience all of London all at once and the attraction will draw people into the story of London, its history, people and places like never before.
“The unrivalled panoramic views of London will be brought to life through cutting edge technology to provide a truly unique experience of one of the world’s greatest cities.”
