Qatar's Shard wins top honour at 2013 skyscraper award

Western Europe’s tallest skyscraper, London’s the Shard, which was built by Qatar’s royal family, has been chosen by a panel of international experts as the best skyscraper completed within the 12 month review period, with Dubai’s Cayan Tower picking up fourth place.

The Shard was awarded the Emporis Skyscraper Award from a choice of 300 shortlisted towers, it was announced this week.

The 306m tall winning building, designed by the architect Renzo Piano, won over the jury thanks to its unique glass fragment-shaped form and its sophisticated architectural implementation. “Construction of The Shard was complicated by the particularly tight site and therefore needed innovative planning. This makes the result all the more impressive: a skyscraper that is recognized immediately and which is already considered London’s new emblem,” stated the expert jury in explaining its decision.

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Qatar’s Shard wins top honour at 2013 skyscraper award