2017 AT THE SHARD: CELEBRATING LEGACY
A look back at the events of 2017, a year of new arrivals, innovation and remembrance.
The Shard welcomed employees from new occupiers Mitie and CoStar, as well as existing occupiers MATCHESFASHION.COM, Foresight Group and Warwick Business School, who agreed to let additional space in The Shard offices.
“AS WE CONTINUE TO EXPAND, IT WAS VERY IMPORTANT TO THE MANAGEMENT TEAM AT FORESIGHT TO ENSURE ALL DEPARTMENTS REMAIN IN ONE LOCATION TO MAXIMISE THE BENEFIT OF ‘THE SHARD EFFECT’.”
Bernard Fairman
Group Chairman, Foresight Group
The Shard restaurants welcomed Hutong’s new Head Chef, Sifu Fei Wang along with new dishes using complex flavours and techniques of Sichuan province, which Oblix hosted a series of guest dinners and bar takeovers which saw visits from the prestigious Henschke Family from Australia and Scott Baird from San Francisco, winner of the World's Best Cocktail Menu 2017.
From business professionals to celebrities, The Shard has welcomed thousands of visitors to over 1,500 events throughout the building. Highlights include the Brit Awards 2017 Sony Music After-Party and Summer Solstice at The View from The Shard.
The Shard also welcomed new window cleaner, Paddington Bear. The new recruit has now moved on, but you can see how he got on when Paddington 2 is released on DVD later this month.
INNOVATIONS AND ACHIEVEMENTS
2017 welcomed a range of new events, menus and things to do at The Shard. The Shangri-La Hotel London launched a new in-room wellness experience for overnight guests in partnership with fitness expert Dan Roberts and mindfulness guide Michael James Wong. The hotel also launched a new movie-inspired cocktail menu in GONG, complete with the floating ‘Feel the Force’, and a locally sourced five-mile dinner menu in Lang.
The View from The Shard launched the UK’s highest virtual reality experience. Guests can ride the world’s highest slide or be part of the building’s construction team.
Office occupier, Jellyfish, were crowned performance agency of the year at The Drum Search Awards, as well as taking a place in The Sunday Times 2017 International Track 200 along with MATCHESFASHION.COM and Sapphire Systems.
The Shard occupiers ended the year by packing 50,000 meals for Protiviti’s ‘I on Hunger’ programme and donating, wrapping and delivering 681 Christmas gifts for local London Bridge charities.
A LEGACY TO REMEMBER
On 5 July 2017, it had been five years since The Shard was formally inaugurated by His Excellency Sheikh Hamad Bin Jassem Bin Jabor Al Thani, Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the State of Qatar, and HRH the Duke of York KG. It was an event that marked the physical completion of the exterior of the building and represented the culmination of a 12-year journey to build a significant new landmark on the London skyline. The inauguration was marked by a spectacular light and laser show that illuminated the building.
On Sunday 26th February, Irvine Sellar, The Shard’s visionary, developer and joint owner, passed away at the age of 82. For many The Shard will be a lasting memory of Irvine’s determination to achieve the unthinkable, a legacy to be continued.
