London's skyline will never be the same: Yesterday, The Shard was officially inaugurated, and celebrated with a laser lightshow.
At 1,016 feet high, the building is not only the tallest in the city and the country, but in all of Western Europe. Notably, floors 34 to 50 of The Shard will be home to the UK's first Shangri-La hotel. The building's offices and the hotel will open next year, and visitors will be able to head up to the Observatory on the 72nd floor for panoramic views of the city. (VisitLondon notes that the elevators are like "kaleidoscopes" and give passengers the chance to look at the shards of glass that make up the top of the building.
Tickets are on sale now to enter The Shard as of February 1, 2013. To book tickets to the Observatory, www.theviewfromtheshard.com. For more information about the upcoming Shangri-La, visit www.shangri-la.com/london.
Images courtesy The View from The Shard.