Europe's tallest building has been officially unveiled in London. The Shard, a 95-story tower which stands at 310 meter, dwarfs almost everything around it, including nearby Tower Bridge and St Paul's Cathedral. It was officially named on July 5 as the highest tower in Europe, in a ceremony carried out by Britain's Prince Andrew, the Duke of York. In 2009 the building was officially launched by Qatari Prime Minister Hamad bin Jassem al-Thani, whose country funded the building, and Queen Elizabeth II's son Prince Andrew. The 95-floor building has a glass facade covering the equivalent of eight football pitches, while the volume of concrete used in its construction could fill 22 Olympic-sized swimming pools. It has capacity for 12 thousand people and will contain a five-star hotel, 600 thousand square meters of office space, luxury restaurants and shops. The jagged-tipped skyscraper will also house 10 apartments, reportedly costing up to US$ 78 million each, which on floors 53 to 65 will be the highest residential properties in Britain. The US$ 705.4 million project was 95 percent funded by Qatar. The Shard's inauguration marks the completion of the exterior of the building, located on the south bank of the River Thames at London Bridge, while work on the inside is expected to continue into 2013. The skyscraper, whose name was coined by its Italian architect Renzo Piano, is still significantly shorter than Dubai's 828-metre Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world. It takes over from Capital City Moscow Tower as the highest in Europe, but it is expected to be surpassed before the end of the year by Russia's planned 332 meter Mercury City Tower. Recently, France also unveiled plans to build Europe's tallest tower "Hermitage Plaza Towers" , but its construction hasn't started yet and its only 320 m tall. But the building's futuristic silhouette has angered traditionalists who say it has dwarfed older landmarks such as St Paul's Cathedral and the Houses of Parliament. English Heritage, the body responsible for protecting historic sites, says the skyscraper mars a view of St Paul's, which was London's tallest building for 250 years (1710-1962).

Thierry Henry has lodged controversial plans to demolish his US$ 9.5 million north London house and replace it with a larger property - incorporating a 12 meters high fish tank that will cost US$ 400 thousand to build, reported The Daily Mail. Henry wants to rebuild his luxury home - which was completed only in 1999 and is described as one of the finest examples of modern architecture in the UK. Stretching 12 meters from the bottom of his house to the very top, it will take 5.5 thousand gallons of water to fill house 300 fish. The aquarium will actually be made up of four separate tanks, one for each storey of the house. Each will be made of Perspex-like material and will give the optical illusion of one giant aquarium - but will be cheaper to clean, run and maintain than a single tank. Each aquarium will require a filtration system to ensure the water stays clean and fresh. Experts say there are 2 thousand species of marine life suitable for the tanks, ranging from smaller breeds of shark to clown fish, yellow tangs, blue tangs and angel fish. Henry's new home will be taller than the existing one and include a bar, a cinema and a swimming pool. Despite spending at least US$ 3.2 million on rebuild costs, the finished house is likely to be worth at least US$ 16 million. The footballer is keen to highlight the eco-features of the new home, which includes extensive glass paneling to capture natural light and a so-called "biodiverse" roof, which will incorporate plants and trees. The French footballer is the latest in a long line of celebrities including Madonna, the Beckhams, Cher and Premier League footballers Stephen Ireland, Joe Hart and Micah Richards, to splash out on opulent fish tanks. Ireland has reportedly spent more than US$ 160 thousand on his 4 meters aquarium, and is now believed to be planning a shark tank under his kitchen floor. But Henry's super-size version will dwarf them all.

The crazy, twisting ArcelorMittal Orbit observation tower in London is now complete and final preparations are underway for visitors. Set to open right before the games begin in July, the spiraling red steel tower will provide views of the Olympic Park. The tower was designed by Anish Kapoor, engineered by Cecil Balmond, and is sponsored by ArcelorMittal, a sponsor of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and a global leading steel company. The tower, which is both a structure and a work of art, has been constructed out of 60% recycled steel and reaches a height of 114.5 meters. The ArcelorMittal Orbit is an observation tower located in the heart of London's Olympic Park and stands at almost 4,500 feet tall. The sculpture was designed by Anish Kapoor, and structural engineering was done by Cecil Balmond. Visitors to the tower will ascend via an elevator in the core to enjoy the observation deck at the top. The platform will afford panoramic views of up to 20 miles, encompassing the entire Olympic Park and London's skyline beyond. After their visit is over, visitors will be encouraged to descend via the 455 steps that were designed to make the visitors feel as if they were orbiting around the structure. Or just get really dizzy. ArcelorMittal, the sponsor of the tower and the Olympics, is a leading steel manufacturer and provided the material for the sculpture. Construction of the ArcelorMittal Orbit took 18 months and required 560 meters of tubular red steel to form the lattice superstructure. Almost 60 percent of the 2,000 tonnes of steel used in the sculpture were drawn from recycled sources. Steel was chosen for its unique properties including strength, modular structure, advantages of weight and speed of construction and recyclability. The exterior of the structure is outfitted with 250 colored spotlights that can be controlled and programmed for special effects. Cecil Balmond: "Anish and I were conscious from the beginning that the ArcelorMittal Orbit would be a lasting legacy to the city and so we wanted to stretch the language of the icon as far we could go. The Orbit is a hybrid, a network of art and structure, and its dynamic is the non-linear. You read into it multiple narratives in space."

A five-year renovation of London's King's Cross Station is now complete and the glorious new hub will formally open to the public on March 19, reported The Inhabitat. Designed by John McAslan + Partners, the renovation was a three part project that included a re-use, a restoration and a new build. The train shed and range buildings were adapted and re-used, the station's previously obscured Grade I listed facade has been delicately restored, and the new Western Concourse is the showcase of the project. The semi-circular concourse also features a 150 meter free spanning roof that floods the space with natural daylight. On top of all that, the US$ 784 million renovation included improved passenger circulation, a photovoltaic system, and new skylights for the train shed. More than 1 thousand tons of steel, 1 million specially-made heritage bricks, 5 million ceramic tiles and five million meters of cabling were used in the building with more than 5 thousand people working on the project. As the station was originally built in 1852 and listed as a Grade I facility, the facade had to remain fully intact. The renovation had to carefully and creatively restore and keep this intact while opening the space up for passengers and providing room for rail utilities and offices, along with new cafes, bars and retail. The Western Concourse will be the new beating hearts of the station when it's officially opened up to passengers come Monday, March 19th. The free spanning roof emerges next to the historic facade and expands up and over the concourse to provide uninterrupted space to move. Naturally daylit through the translucent ceiling, the room is bright and cheery, a welcome departure from the once gloomy station. Beyond the new construction, the train shed was fully revamped to improve passenger circulation, access and the overall aesthetic. A huge new skylight system over the tracks transforms the space into something bright and welcoming. A rooftop photovoltaic system will generate 10-20 percent of the stations energy needs as well. King's Cross railway station, also known as London King's Cross, is a major London railway terminus opened in 1852. It stands on the northern edge of central London and is one of 18 UK stations managed by Network Rail. King's Cross was originally designed and built as the London hub of the Great Northern Railway and terminus of the East Coast main line. It took its name from the Kings Cross area of London, itself named after a monument to King George IV that was demolished in 1845. Plans for the station were first made in December 1848 and the detailed design was by Lewis Cubitt.

Baca Architects was recently granted approval to build the UK's first amphibious house on the banks of the Thames River in England, reported The Inhabitat. The test home will respond to the issue of rising floodwaters - a pressing world-wide problem caused by climate change. When faced with rising tides, the modern home will rise and float, keeping its occupants safely out of harm's way. The comfortable 70 square meters home will be built adjacent to the river's shoreline with only 32 feet of clearance should the waters rise over their normal levels. The Baca team conducted years of research to come up with a model home that would respond to flooding conditions and work with the flood to protect the home. The firm is a leader in waterfront architecture, and this an ideal site upon which to develop a flood-resistant home. During dry times, the home will rest on fixed foundations that will keep it in place. But if flooding should occur, the entire structure will rise up in its dock, and buoy along with the flood waters. The house will be built in a flood-prone area called Flood Zone 3b, which is located on a tiny island in the Thames in Buckinghamshire. Like other homes in Buckinghamshire, the home will be designed with a traditional pitched roof and other characteristics found in homes in the region. Although it will blend in our the outside, the home will be highly energy efficient thanks to lots of insulation and high-performance glazed windows. A surrounding garden will be planted as the first line of defense against flooding, and the home will react when the water reaches a threatening level, after providing a warning message to the residents. The lightweight timber facade will rest between four vertical guideposts that will keep the structure in place and protected. The house is planned for construction later this year, and it will provide a great model for dealing with flooding problems around the world.