Case study 1: The Shard, London

Questionnaire:

(I asked 20 people of different age groups, including both visitors and staffs to get an insight into their perception of the space and the content. Below are representative answers. Basically, most of answers of these questions are positive)

Do you think ‘ the Shard’ is a great addition to London skyline?

Yes, it makes the city more modern.
No, it is too tall.

Are you satisfied with the functions that provided by ‘the Shard’? Do you think it has a good cooperation with its surrounding?

Yes, I think the public view gallery attracts a lot of tourists to visit this building.
Yes, I like the environment that provided by restaurants here.

Do you think the Shard works best in terms of its appearance (sculpture) or function/ use?

Basically all people prefer its appearance. Because most of people said the shape of the Shard was the first thing come into mind when mentioned the Shard.

Do you think the Shad’s positive influences outweigh the negative influences?

Yes, it is good to have strong modern statement building in London.
Yes, especially for tourism, it does promote the economic development and bring lots of business opportunities.
Yes, way of the world - bigger is best.
Yes, it creates a new landmark for London.
Yes, it is good to have strong modern statement building in London.

The Shard, London

32 London Bridge St, London SE1 9SG

Context

The Shard is a mixed - use building. It is conceived as a vertical city where people could live, work and relax. In environmental terms, the Shard is close to major public transport facilities, which includes a railway station, a bus station and an external public square (Powell, 2011, p.326). Open vents in the gaps among sloping glass facades is one of the most prominent identities of the Shard, which can provide natural ventilation to winter gardens. Moreover, started in 2013, the final floors of the Shard has the UK's highest public viewing galleries, which allowed the public to access to enjoy the views of London.

Retails and Reception – Floor 1-2
Offices – Floor 2-28
Restaurants – Floor31-33
Hotel – Floor 34-52
Residences – Floor 53-65
The Public View Gallery – Floor 68-72

"Taking inspiration from the spires of London churches and the masts of tall ships depicted by the 18th-century Venetian painter Canaletto, Renzo Piano designed The Shard as a spire-like sculpture emerging from the River Thames" (Jodidio, 2014, p.535).

Arguments

Positive:

[Facade] - Richard Rogers, an architect known for his functionalist and modernist designs in high-tech building, once said, "the Shard was the most beautiful addition to the London skyline. Its beauty was partly due to the light that casted on the facades of the building could generate ever changing effects at different times".

[Facade] - As using advanced glazing technology in facade, the Shard achieved not only exceptional aesthetic effects, but also outstanding environmental performance (Powell, 2011, p.326).

[Social] - To solve the problem about population pressure, London is required to fulfill the requirements of higher densities and utilizes land more effectively. Building towers like the Shard, which is the one of the best solution to response this problem (Moore, 2014, Available from: http://www.architectsjournal.co.uk/home/skyline/tall-stories-rowan-moore-scrutinises-the-arguments-in-favour-of-building-tall/8661613.article [Accessed: 6th January 2016]).

[Ecology] - Compared to a traditional structure of comparable size, the Shard will consume 30 percent less energy (Powell, 2011, p.326).

Negative:

[Landscape] - Because of its height, the Shard not only casts shadows on the streets and creates cold microclimates, but also destroys the scale of the city through obstructing historical sights. It lacks of proportion to its surroundings, which is the disproportionate distribution of resources and potential in society (Jones, 2011, Available from: http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2011/aug/19/shard-london-skyscraper [Accessed: 6th January 2016]).

[Function] - This building provides no civic forum or function except luxury apartments, restaurants and hotels. What's more, the Shard stands apart from the city cluster and disregards its surrounding context in scale, materials or ground presence (Jenkins, 2012, Available from: http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2012/jul/03/shard-slashed-the-face-of-london [Accessed: 6th January 2016]).

Renzo Piano

Renzo Piano is famous for his continuous exploration of structural complexity and idiographic high-tech aesthetic. Technical sophistication and solid craftsmanship are the salient features in Piano's building (Kuhl et al, 2008, p.131).

He said that architect is an adventurous profession which between art and science, between creation and memory, between the audacity of modernity and true respect for tradition. Besides working with basic architectural elements such as all kinds of materials, an architect is also required to familiar with history and geography, ecology and anthropology, science and mathematics, even climate and society (Kuhl et al, 2008, p.131).

Fig.1 The Shard Section