For design-loving renters, living in London can pose a challenge. But a new development in London Bridge is revising that assumption. Shard Place – a 27-storey glass tower – has just launched to the rental market.
Located adjacent to The Shard and designed by the same architect, Renzo Piano Building Workshop (RPBW), Shard Place completes the trio of buildings in Shard Quarter, joining The Shard and The News Building, headquarters of News UK.
Shard Place houses 176 apartments ranging from studios to three-bed units. There are 20 layout options, all of which are fully furnished down to linen and kitchenware (a necessity for the clientele, who are often moving from abroad – one tenant moved in with only a rucksack of their belongings).
RPBW’s architectural prowess can be felt in the faceted façade, naturally ventilated winter gardens in many of the apartments, and two intersecting volumes that appear to 'float' 16m above the ground.
Interiors, designed by State of Craft, offer two palette options – Bermondsey and Borough, named for the local neighbourhoods – in light or dark colourways. Bermondsey Light features off-white walls, limed oak and white lacquered furniture; its Dark counterpart sets the natural texture of fibre rugs against taupe walls, tan leather and pops of green. The Borough collection offers either natural oak and taupe furniture with aubergine tones, or black oak and gold accents against cooler tones of grey and blue.
Natural light is a defining feature, especially in the apartments cast in the light colourway. This is achieved through floor-to-ceiling windows and triple-aspect vistas which comprise the Thames in the foreground and St Paul’s, Westminster and the London Eye in the distant plane.
Furnishings include handmade pieces by State of Craft, complemented by designs from icons like Børge Mogensen, B&B Italia and Fredericia. Art is also a big deal: over 1,000 curated works, selected by Richeldis Fine Art, are displayed in Shard Place.
There are 12,000 sq ft of amenity spaces here, positioned across three levels. Usually, these are concentrated in the basement of such developments; that they’re not makes a huge difference to the gym (complete with private studio, sauna and steam room), which has views over the King’s College quad.
London’s highest outdoor swimming pool and its landscaped sun deck are on the 27th floor. Elsewhere, find a double-height orangery; a library with a south-facing terrace and views to St Paul’s; a private dining room with a kitchen; and a 15-seat cinema.
And if that’s not enough for appreciators of design, landmarks such as White Cube, Tate Modern and Borough Market are just a stone’s throw away.
Rental prices start from £700 per week for studios, £825 per week for one-bedroom apartments, £1,340 per week for two-bedroom apartments, and £1,875 per week for three-bedroom apartments, the-shard.com
-
The Bang & Olufsen-powered Spaceshop enables Vollebak to boldly go into the future of retailCult clothing brand Vollebak reaches for the stars with this cross-disciplinary take on the traditional pop-up, a ‘Spaceshop’ that brings together science fiction, science fact and showmanship
-
Despite moments of beauty, the ‘Hot Milk’ film adaption drifts aimlessly‘Hot Milk’, adapted from Deborah Levy’s 2016 Booker-shortlisted novel, marks Rebecca Lenkiewicz’s directorial debut
-
Aston Martin completes its first Tokyo townhouse, crafted by the brand’s design teamThis luxurious private house in Tokyo’s Omotesandō neighbourhood offers design and details shaped by Aston Martin, as well as features for the dedicated car collector
-
Kengo Kuma’s ‘Paper Clouds’ in London is a ‘poem’ celebrating washi paper in construction‘Paper Clouds’, an installation by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma, is a poetic design that furthers research into the use of washi paper in construction
-
Foster + Partners to design the national memorial to Queen Elizabeth IIFor the Queen Elizabeth II memorial, Foster + Partners designs proposal includes a new bridge, gates, gardens and figurative sculptures in St James’ Park
-
Wolves Lane Centre brings greenery, growing and grass roots togetherWolves Lane Centre, a new, green community hub in north London by Material Cultures and Studio Gil, brings to the fore natural materials and a spirit of togetherness
-
A new London exhibition explores the legacy of Centre Pompidou architect Richard Rogers‘Richard Rogers: Talking Buildings’ – opening tomorrow at Sir John Soane’s Museum – examines Rogers’ high-tech icons, which proposed a democratic future for architecture
-
At the Royal Academy summer show, architecture and art combine as never beforeThe Royal Academy summer show is about to open in London; we toured the iconic annual exhibition and spoke to its curator for architecture, Farshid Moussavi
-
This ingenious London office expansion was built in an on-site workshopNew Wave London and Thomas-McBrien Architects make a splash with this glulam extension built in the very studio it sought to transform. Here's how they did it
-
Once vacant, London's grand department stores are getting a new lease on lifeThanks to imaginative redevelopment, these historic landmarks are being reborn as residences, offices, gyms and restaurants. Here's what's behind the trend
-
Lego and Serpentine celebrate World Play Day with a new pavilionLego and Serpentine have just unveiled their Play Pavilion; a colourful new structure in Kensington Gardens in London and a gesture that celebrates World Play Day (11 June)
