Stories from cities

The Shard

Case overview

Developed by Sellar Property in association with LBQ Ltd. and designed by renowned architect Renzo Piano, The Shard is a mixed-use vertical town rising to the equivalent of 95 stories. Located in central London, it comprises more than 111,000 square meters of space across 72 occupiable floors, including premium offices, retail stores, luxury residences, a five-star hotel, restaurants, and a public viewing gallery to central London.

Project name	The Shard
Location	London, United Kingdom
Year completed	2012
Height	310 m
Floors	95 total, 72 occupiable

A skyline redefined

The Shard presented a range of construction challenges. Its scale and distinctive design, combined with a limited footprint in one of central London's busiest areas, created a highly demanding construction schedule from the outset.

To help address these challenges, KONE introduced its innovative KONE JumpLift solution, improving efficiency, productivity, and safety on site. KONE JumpLift is a self-climbing elevator that can be used as an alternative to traditional external hoists during the construction phase. The Shard marked the first use of this technology in Great Britain.

Key requirements of the project

Provide permanent vertical transportation solutions that could also be used during construction
Maximize space utilization and traffic handling capacity within the building
Design custom elevator cars to meet specific project requirements

Results of the collaboration

Faster construction progress

The use of KONE JumpLift self-climbing elevators during the construction phase helped enable a quicker handover.

Efficient people flow

KONE DoubleDeck elevators powered by energy-efficient KONE EcoDisc® hoisting motors contribute to efficient people flow and increased passenger handling capacity.

Customized elevator design

Customized elevator cars created at KONE's production factory in Finland were designed to complement the building's aesthetics, creating a lasting impression for passengers.

Technology highlights

15 KONE MiniSpace™ elevators
2 KONE MonoSpace® elevators
13 KONE DoubleDeck elevators
3 KONE hydraulic elevators

3 KONE TransitMaster™ 150 escalators
2 KONE EcoMaster™ 130 escalators
5 KONE JumpLift construction time elevators

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