Most Londoners are now won over by the Shard
It turns out Londoners are becoming quite attached to the Shard.
The 87-storey skyscraper has been dubbed a “towering icon of inequality” and “the tallest white elephant in the world” in the past, but most Londoners – 57 per cent – think it’s changed the capital’s skyline for the better, according to a new YouGov poll.
When the Shard was due to be opened back in July 2012, local campaign group Bermondsey Village Action Group said there was "nothing intrinsically endearing about it", but those who see it regularly have obviously become more accustomed to it.
Despite the majority thumbs up, 21 per cent of London’s inhabitants said the 310m building, which is the tallest in the city by 75m and boasts 11,000 windows, hasn’t made much difference to the skyline, while 15 per cent reckon it's made it worse.
The Shard has received its fair share of criticisms over use and perceived swankiness, but that doesn't seem to have put off the general public – it's viewing gallery has proved a hit. On Trip Advisor, The View from The Shard has 1,239 "excellent" ratings out of 2,435 reviews, with 781 calling it "very good".
The shiny landmark scores a little more highly than the Gherkin, officially called 30 St Mary Axe, which has bagged approval from 52 per cent of Londoners. 29 per cent think it’s made little difference and 11 per cent labelled it a detriment.
A recent poll by Ipsos Mori showed around one in three of us thinks the Gherkin is the best skyscraper in the city.
The Walkie Talkie tower, 20 Fenchurch Street, has been considerably less of a winner, however. While a quarter of respondents came back positively, the same number said it had had little impact. 36 per cent deemed its impact to be negative.
In the Ipsos Mori poll, it came seventh out of 13 skyscrapers, with just 18 out of 500 people ranking it their favourite.
