Shardly worth it?

Advance tickets to view London from the Shard went on sale July 6 in celebration of its completion and the next phase of its development.

Due to open on 1 February 2013  the view from the Shard will take guests from street level up to 244m (800ft)  where they will encounter the cloudscape and the feeling they are on a different plane rising above the world. Guests will have a 360 degree, 64km (40mile) view over the city and beyond.

The Shard (www.the-shard.com) was designed by Master Architect Renzo Piano. At a height of 1,016 ft (310 m) the building redefines London’s skyline and claims to be a dynamic symbol of the Capital, recognisable throughout the world. Located in the historic London Bridge Quarter in the heart of London, the building sits centrally between the West End, Westminster, the South Bank, the City and Canary Wharf.

Stunning though it is, one cannot but help wonder that in times of recession if it’s ‘Shardly worth it’. Will anyone be able to afford to rent it or will it be prove to be like Seifert’s Centre Point in Tottenham Court Road and remain empty?