This is a 360 gigapixel panorama which I shot from the crane at the top of the Shard, London Bridge while it was still under construction.
At the time of its opening, The Shard was the tallest building in the European Union. As at 2025, it’s the second tallest (outside Russia), beaten only by the Varso Tower in Warsaw – and only by half a metre! It’s comprised of 72 stories, and is 309m tall. The viewing gallery opened to the public in 2013. The building was designed by Renzo Piano.
Most of London and beyond is visible in this Gigapixel image, from the skyscrapers of the City of London and Canary Wharf, the many bridges crossing the River Thames to the distant arch of Wembley Stadium.
I was lucky enough to be commissioned to shoot the views from the Shard while it was under construction, before the views at this height were glazed in. It was slightly nerve-wracking climbing up the various platforms and onto the crane, laden down with camera gear – you can read more about this shoot in The Times who reported on it at the time.
