The Shard MEDIA FACTSHEET

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1 MEDIA FACTSHEET The Shard Overview The Shard is the latest landmark addition to London s skyline, standing 309.6metres high on the capital s South Bank. It is the tallest building in Western Europe providing 31.4 acres of space. When complete, The Shard will be a vertical city containing offices, an exclusive collection of residences - the highest homes in Europe - a 5-star Shangri-La Hotel and spa, restaurants and the capital s highest viewing galleries - The View from The Shard. The Shard is owned by LBQ Limited, comprising the State of Qatar (the majority shareholder) and Sellar Property Group, with non-equity funding by Qatar National Bank. The State of Qatar has a strong commitment to invest and build in the UK as part of Qatar s 2030 Vision, which is the country s roadmap to achieving a sustainable, diversified economy, and The Shard forms part of this portfolio. His Excellency Sheikh Abdullah Bin Saoud Al Thani, Governor of Qatar Central Bank and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Shard Funding Limited and London Bridge Quarter, says: The Shard is the newest London landmark and a beacon of the city of London s resilience and expansion, even during tough economic times. It is a symbol of Qatar s belief and commitment to London both today and in the future. We have a long heritage and continued commitment to invest and build in the UK for the long term and The Shard highlights this close relationship. The Name Like all London skyscrapers, The Shard quickly gained a nickname, which has since also become its formal name. The name The Shard is derived from master architect Renzo Piano s description of the development as a shard of glass during planning stages. The Shard is a light and elegant presence in London s skyline. The design has been influenced by the irregular nature of the site and each facet forms a shard, a plane of glass gently inclined inwards, rising towards the top. The corners of the development are open and the shards do not touch, allowing the building to breathe. Irvine Sellar, Chairman of Sellar Property Group and partner of LBQ Limited, says: Page 1 of 6 While The Shard will offer high quality commercial and public spaces, and give the public the best views of London, first and foremost it will become a new symbol for the city and

2 something Londoners can be proud of. The Shard is fast becoming one of the most recognisable London skyline silhouettes.. The Shard is the highly visible face of London s newest commercial quarter, London Bridge Quarter, and a key part of the continuing regeneration of the South Bank. It is the result of a shared vision between The State of Qatar, Sellar Property Group and Renzo Piano to create a new landmark building for London. London Bridge Quarter London Bridge Quarter is a 2m sq ft gross mixed-use development regenerating this part of London s South Bank. The Shard and its sister development The Place are linked seamlessly with London Bridge Station through a new central plaza, public realm, bus station and train station concourse. London Bridge Quarter has excellent transport links with two underground lines, 15 bus routes serving 124 destinations and a mainline station with direct access to 247 stations - it is one of London s best connected business locations. The Place, a new HQ building also designed by Renzo Piano, sits alongside The Shard. At 17 floors, it offers an impressive 428,664 sq ft of office space and a roof terrace on level 14, with views across London. It topped out on 19 June For more information visit: and Restaurant Space Located in The Shard s mid-levels (floors 31-33) the restaurant accommodation amounts to 30,000 sq ft and includes a triple height atrium giving spectacular views over the City and West End. The space has been leased to two highly successful international operators (Aqua Restaurant Group and Rainer Becker, Arjun Waney) who will provide a total of three different restaurant offerings complemented by at least two separate bar operations. This will create the concept of all day dining where restaurants will be open for breakfast, lunch, dinner and will be open late in a club-style atmosphere. Facts and Figures Height of building 309.6m/1016ft (equivalent to 87 levels) Occupiable floors 72 levels Height of the highest habitable floor 259.9/853ft (Level 78 ) No. of glass panels 11,000 Glass Area facade of glass is 56,000 m 2 = 8 football pitches No. of escalators 8 No. of lifts 44 (including double decker lifts) Staircases 306 flights Gross floor area 31.4 acres Sustainable approach 95% of construction materials are recycled 20% of all steelwork is from recycled sources The Shard outperforms its emissions regulations by 45% Reduced energy use comes via 740m2 photovoltaic array which supplements power to the entire building The project provides local jobs and training during construction and in operation Page 2 of 6

3 Notes People behind the building Joint Owner Joint Owner Funding State of Qatar Sellar Property Group Qatar National Bank The Team Developer Architect Principal Contractor Project Manager Quantity Surveyor Structural Engineer Services Engineer (The Shard) Services Engineer (The Place) Commercial Agents (The Shard) Commercial Agents (The Place) Sellar Property Group Renzo Piano Building Workshop Mace Turner & Townsend Davis Langdon WSP Cantor Seinuk Ove Arup and Partners WSP Buildings Knight Frank, Jones Lang LaSalle CBRE, Colliers International Internal occupation - floors Floor/s Name Description (15,000 sq ft) The View from The Shard The highest public observation galleries in London, The View from The Shard will open in February (62,000 sq ft) Residences Ten exclusive residences each offering 360 o views of London (192,000 sq ft) Shangri-La Hotel and Spa The Shangri-la s first UK hotel with 200 luxuriously appointed rooms (29,000 sq ft) The Shard Restaurants A mix of international restaurants centred around a triple height atrium (595,000 sq ft) The Shard offices and winter gardens Grade A office accommodation with breath-taking views in an innovative and high quality workspace. 2 (5,000 sq ft) Retail space A selection of new retail units opening out onto the station concourse Concourse Shard Plaza Central public realm with seating and planting Media contacts: Weber Shandwick: qnbtheshard@webershandwick.com Bronwyn Daly: +44 (0) / / bdaly@webershandwick.com Nafisa Nathani +44 (0) , nnathani@webershandwick.com Page 3 of 6

4 London Bridge Quarter Creating a new commercial district at the heart of historic London MEDIA FACTSHEET Overview The Shard, Western Europe s tallest building, is fast becoming a symbol of the changing London Skyline. But The Shard is far from an isolated development, instead it forms part of a wider regeneration effort that is a catalyst for change in terms of the redevelopment of London Bridge and the on-going movement of commerce south of the river. London Bridge Quarter is a 2bn development which will see The Shard and its sister development The Place link seamlessly with London Bridge Station through a new central plaza, public realm, bus station and train station concourse. The project forms a major part of the move to attract business and investment to London s historic Southbank, bringing the economic and cultural focus of the City of London south of the river. London Bridge Quarter comprises: m sq ft The Shard, a mixed use vertical town with 600,000 sq ft of offices, three floors of restaurants, a 200 room five star Shangri-La hotel, 10 residences, The View from The Shard public viewing gallery and retail; ,000 sq ft The Place headquarters office building; 3. New train station concourse; 4. New bus station; 5. The Shard Plaza new public space linking the two buildings to the transport hub and the rich culture, history and amenity of the surrounding area The Shard and The Place are together expected to provide permanent employment for as many as 12,500 people. London Bridge Quarter has excellent transport links with 54 million passengers per year passing through two underground lines, 15 bus routes serving 124 destinations and a mainline station with direct access to 247 stations. Offering direct routes to the West End, City and Canary Wharf in under 20 minutes - it is one of London s best connected business locations. Network Rail, which is responsible for Britain s rail infrastructure, also plans to expand the station as part of the 6bn investment in London s rail network through the Thameslink Programme. For London Bridge this will mean:- Page 4 of 6

5 An increased passenger capacity by approx two thirds An increased number of tracks through the station and trains through central London by up to 300% Creating a new concourse from new entrances off Tooley Street and St Thomas Street New shops, restaurants and other facilities to complement the area s ongoing regeneration Targeted start 2013 and completion by 2018 Irvine Sellar, Chairman of Sellar Property Group and partner of LBQ Limited, says: London Bridge Quarter is investing in an area with a great history and potential that has been neglected over the past few decades. Our development will work to create one of the most exciting business districts in London, shifting the City south of the river. The Shard has put London Bridge on the map and ongoing work to revitalize London Bridge Station, The Place and the surrounding area will ensure it remains there. History and Culture London Bridge Quarter sits at the heart of one of the oldest areas of Southwark, London, which can trace its history back to Roman times. The famous playwright William Shakespeare lived in the borough and his Globe Theatre is only a few minutes walk from London Bridge Quarter. Dating from the 12 th century, Borough Market which is opposite London Bridge, has been long famed for its food market and now supplies Londoners with delicacies from around the world as well as traditional favourites. In the 1960s Southwark and the London Bridge area fell into economic decline as the local docks lost their position as international ports. Efforts to regenerate the area began to come into focus in the early 2000s and in 2006 it was granted Business Improvement District (BID) status with the aim of making the area a world class business district. Work now continues to secure the area s rich history and culture while also developing new economic bedrock. Tourists who come to get the best view of London, from The View from The Shard, will no doubt be tempted to spend an entire day in Southwark with other attractions including the world s most visited modern art gallery, The Tate Modern, the infamous medieval jail The Clink Prison Museum and the replica of the Golden Hind, the first ship to circumnavigate the globe which is moored between Southwark Cathedral and Clink Street. The area also boasts a vibrant mix of other museums, galleries, theatres and restaurants and the capital s City Hall is also based on the Southbank, a few minutes walk away. The Shard is following in the footsteps of neighbouring Southwark Cathedral, which itself was the tallest building in London during the 17 th century. The Shard The Shard stands at 310m (1,016 ft). The Shard s 95-stories will become a vertical city comprising office space, residences, restaurants and the five-star Shangri-La Hotel. The building will also house the capital s highest public viewing gallery, The View from the Shard, which will offer 360 views of London stretching for 40 miles and opens 1 February Restaurant Space Located in The Shard s mid-levels (floors 31-33) the restaurant accommodation amounts to 30,000 sq ft and includes a triple height atrium providing spectacular views over the City and West End. The space has been leased to two highly successful international operators (Aqua Restaurant Group and business partners Rainer Becker, Arjun Waney) who will provide a total of three different restaurant offerings complemented by at least two separate bar operations. Page 5 of 6

6 Aqua Restaurant Group, was founded by Londoner David Yeo who was recently named Restaurateur of the Year for Asia. It will operate restaurants on floors 31 and 33 while the Becker and Waney partnership will operate restaurants on floor 32. Both Aqua Restaurant Group, and restaurants operated by Becker and Waney are located in some of the world s most vibrant cities. The Shard s all day dining experience will provide a variety of options for all budgets and occasions. The Place The Place, a second new building at London Bridge Quarter also designed by The Shard s architect Renzo Piano, is the ideal corporate headquarters, and completes in spring It topped out on 19 June 2012 and at 17 floors, it offers an impressive 428,664 sq ft of office space and a roof terrace on level 14, with stunning views across London. London Bridge Station London Bridge Station was first opened in 1836 and is the oldest station in London. As commuters who pass through the station and surrounding area will attest it was in need of modernising, not least to cope with the passenger numbers which are dramatically higher than the station s original architects could have ever planned for. A new bus station and train station concourse was completed in July 2012 as part of the London Bridge Quarter project. LBQ Limited London Bridge Quarter is owned by LBQ Limited, comprising the State of Qatar (the majority shareholder) and Sellar Property Group, with non-equity funding by Qatar National Bank. The State of Qatar has a strong commitment to invest and build in the UK as part of Qatar s 2030 Vision, which is the country s roadmap to achieving a sustainable, diversified economy. For more information visit: Media contacts: Weber Shandwick: theshardpressoffice@webershandwick.com Ben Evetts: bevetts@webershandwick.com Beth Laffin: blaffin@webershandwick.com Julia Harris: jharris@webershandwick.com Page 6 of 6