If you’ve ever been to the IET’s Savoy Place venue in London I’m sure you know that the view from the balcony in the Riverside Room is amazing. Spanning a 180 degree view along the river Thames from the Palace of Westminster and Big Ben, down stream to Canary Wharf and St Pauls Cathedral. And at night, when the city lights up, it’s even more magical… 
The view however, is forever changing with the continuous construction of new buildings and the newest kid on the block is even taller and shinier than those before. So tall in fact, that at 1017ft, it’s now the tallest (habitable) building in Europe. I’m sure the view from the top is stunning but at £25 to access the viewing platform, I’m not sure that I’ll get to see it anytime soon… Those who know London well will know that I’m referring to the Shard at London Bridge Quarter.
We’ve watched its construction with great interest from Savoy Place and now the volunteers of the IET London Network, in collaboration with those of the IET Built Environment Technologies Network, are hosting an event where three key members of the design team will be giving us an insight into Renzo Piano’s masterpiece: "Different Facets of The Shard - Engineering challenges overcome to achieve the dream".
So… if you’re in town on the evening of Wednesday 3rd October come and join me for the lecture and see the view for yourself! 
