By November 2012, the last steel beam was hoisted to the top. Workers painted it white and stuck a little tree on it—a tradition to “thank the forest” that gave its wood for scaffolding. (Cute, right?) The building officially “topped out” at 309.6 meters (1,016 feet).
How Long Did It Take To Build The Shard In London - Infoupdate.org
Fun fact: The Shard is actually taller than the Empire State Building if you don’t count its antenna. So London wins that one, New York. Sorry, not sorry.
The grand opening? July 5, 2012—just in time for the London Olympics. They even lit it up like a firework. Politicians gave speeches, confetti flew, and everyone patted themselves on the back. Good for them.
