The observation deck on Europe’s tallest building will open to the public in February 2013, only a year after the tower is ‘topped out’. At the time of writing the construction process is almost complete from the outside, with only the cladding on the spire – above the observatory – remaining. 

The building will appear to be complete before the London 2012 Olympic Games in July, but will take an additional year to fit out. Perhaps this gives the perfect opportunity for the structure to become a firework launch pad on Opening Ceremony night…

The public viewing gallery will comprise of several parts; firstly, a large 3-storey internal space – perfect shelter for the blustery British weather – and one which is likely to host a multitude of interactive devices to enable visitors to take a panoramic tour of the city.

Next – in a first for London – they’ll be an outdoor viewing deck at an incredible height of 280m; a similar perspective to the famous viewing platforms in New York with the Empire State Building and the Rockefeller Center.

Finally, it’s also rumoured that they’ll be a tiny meditation space housed within the Shard’s spire which is likely to be invite only due to its capacity. This spire space, right at the apex of the building, was initially intended to house a giant radiator as part of the service infrastructure, however energy efficiency improved so much in the decade from when plans where drawn up to when construction started that it could be reduced dramatically in size.

You can pre-register on The Shard’s Website to be alerted when tickets become available.

I expect them to be priced at around the same as a ticket for the London Eye - currently £17 for an adult.

One of the most tragic things about 20th Century architecture in London is that there were a whole host of beautiful old buildings that were demolished, not by WW2 bombs, but by 60s planners. St. Pancras was fortunately saved from this fate thanks to the likes of John Betjeman. Euston Station, just down the road, wasn’t so fortunate.

In 1961 the grand Great Hall of Euston Station was swept away, along with the famous Euston Arch, to make way for the modern terminus that still stands today. This is what was lost:

According to the Euston Arch trust, “the station was the first mainline terminus station opened in a capital city anywhere in the world. It was opened on July 20, 1837, as the terminus of the London and Birmingham Railway constructed by Robert Stephenson and architect, Philip Hardwick . The station first had only two platforms, one for departures and one for arrivals.

It was also Hardwick who designed the Euston Arch, a 70 feet 6 inches high Doric propylaeum, the largest ever built and which formed the entrance to the station. The grit stone structure complemented the Ionic entrance to the Curzon Street Station in Birmingham (which still exists) which was the other end of the  railway’s mainline.”

 

   In the above photo, Euston Road runs along the very bottom and Euston Square can clearly be distinguished on the North side. The arch and station frontage can be seen towards the centre of the image, much further back than today’s concourse from Euston Road; in fact, the entrance was on Drummond Street which was cut off with the building of the modern station (left). 

 

The demolition of the arch and buildings were actually considered much earlier than the 60s. “In the late 1930s the London Midland and Scottish Railway company proposed a compete rebuilding of the complex according to an American-inspired design by Percy Thomas. Returning from a tour of modern stations in the United States, he proposed a large stripped-Classical block with wings which incorporated the station, a hotel and offices. There were considerations to move the arch to another site. Ultimately the plans for re-construction were never realised, the Second World War commencing shortly afterwards.

More recently, plans have been floated to try and rebuild the Euston Arch with the construction of a new concourse in preparation for the future High Speed 2 line. Whilst this is excellent news, as the CGI below shows, more work needs to go into the proposed buildings to even come close to recreating the awe and intrigue of the lost Great Hall.

Click here to see the few objects that remain from the old Euston Station.

During the second world war, the Palace of Westminster was hit by bombs fourteen times. The most serious attack occurred on the night of 10-11 May 1941. On that night the Palace was severely damaged, the chamber of the House of Commons was destroyed and three people were killed. (ABOVE: Barbed wire defences in Parliament Square, and the shattered south face of Westminster Clock Tower.)

The Members’ Lobby, with the House of Commons chamber beyond. The damaged archway was the only portion not to be restored as a reminder to all members of war as the enter the chamber. The view today:

 

Sir Winston inspects the bomb-damaged interior of the House of Commons.