The Shard by numbers: True scale of Britain's new tallest building

Britain's tallest building will be formally opened tonight with a laser and light show

The Shard has become a familiar part of the London skyline during its construction.

The tapered design and glass panelling have already made it one of the capital's most iconic landmarks

And today Europe's tallest building will be officially unveiled with a laser and light show.

The vital statistics:

The ground floor Shard Plaza will be a public area with seating and planting.

The second floor will be a 5,000 sq ft retail space will a variety of retail units opening out onto the concourse of London Bridge Station.

The fourth to 28th floors will have 595,000 sq ft of office and winter gardens.

The 31st to 33rd floors will have 29,000 sq ft of international restaurants, centred around a triple height atrium.

The 34th to 52nd floors will house the Shangri-La Hotel and Spa, with 200 luxuriously appointed rooms across have 192,000 sq ft.

The 53rd to 65th floors will have 10 exclusive residences with 360 degree views across London over a total of 62,000 sq ft.

The 68th to 72nd floors will be the public observation galleries. The 15,000 sq ft View from The Shard will open in February 2013.

It is the 59th tallest building in the world, around 2.7 times shorter than the tallest, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, which is 2,717ft high.

The design was influenced by the irregular nature of the site. Each facet forms a shard, a plane of glass gently inclined inwards, rising towards the top. The corners of the development are open and the shards do not touch, allowing the building to "breathe".

Just yards from the banks of the River Thames in Southwark, it seems to pierce the sky as it shoots high into the air.

The tower, designed by Italian architect Renzo Piano, will contain offices, exclusive residences, a luxury hotel, restaurants and a viewing gallery across 72 occupiable floors.

There are a further 15 levels which make up the "spire" - six of which have the potential to be used, with another nine exposed to the elements.

The skyscraper is joint-owned by the state of Qatar and the Sellar Property Group, and it was funded by the Qatar National Bank.

It was originally only nicknamed The Shard after Mr Piano described the building as a "shard of glass" in the planning stages, but the name stuck.

The building will inaugurated by the prime minister of Qatar, Hamad Bin Jassim Bin Jabor Al Thani, and The Duke of York.

Londoners will be treated to a spectacular laser show to be projected from The Shard shortly after 10pm.

The event marks the completion of the exterior of the building, with work on the inside expected to continue into 2013.

Abdullah Saoud Al-Thani, Governor of Qatar Central Bank, said: "The Shard is the newest London landmark and a beacon of the city of London's resilience and expansion, even during tough economic times.

"It is a symbol of Qatar's belief and commitment to London both today and in the future.

"We have a long heritage and continued commitment to invest and build in the UK for the long term and The Shard highlights this close relationship."

The skyscraper is part of a 2million sq ft development in Southwark called London Bridge Quarter.

The Shard and its sister development The Place are linked with London Bridge Station through a new central plaza, public realm, bus station and train station concourse.

The Shard's tenure at the top of the European height chart is likely to be short-lived, as the 1,089ft Mercury City Tower in Russia is set to be completed by the end of the year.

:: Tickets to go up and see the view from 244 metres (800ft) above London will go on sale at 9am tomorrow.

The View from The Shard attraction will open on February 1 next year and more than 17,500 people have already registered their interest online.

Advance tickets cost £24.95 for adults and £18.95 for children and can be booked at www.theviewfromtheshard.com or by calling 0844 499 7111. A handling fee applies for telephone bookings only.