London, England - 2011; Many centuries separate these two iconic landmarks of London. The Shard is a 95-storey skyscraper in Southwark, London. Located by London Bridge and standing 309.6 metres (1,016 ft) high, it is currently the tallest building in the European Union. Its construction began in March 2009 and it was inaugurated in 2012; it always reminds me irresistibly of the Imperial Cruiser in the opening scene of 'Star Wars'. Building started on the ancient Tower of London in 1078, just after the Norman Conquest. For the mathematically challenged, that's 934 years earlier.