The Shard Named World’s Best Skyscraper of 2013

London’s 87-story skyscraper, The Shard, recently received first place in the Emporis Skyscraper Competition. The mixed-use tower beat out 300 entries from across the world to claim the prestigious prize. The Emporis Skyscraper Award has been awarded annually since 2000, and the winner is selected based on aesthetics and functional design.

The Shard opened in 2012 after three years of construction. The tower’s height of 1,004 feet makes it the tallest skyscraper in the European Union and the second tallest structure in the United Kingdom behind a telecommunications tower. The Shard features the UK’s highest observation deck and also a 19-story Shangri-La Hotel. After opening, the hotel received many complaints from guests that due to the odd shape of the building, guests can actually see into other rooms’ bathrooms at night when the bathroom light is on. The Shangri-La Hotel responded by putting blinds in each room where this could possibly happen, and they warn guests about privacy when checking in at the hotel.

Second place at this years Emporis competition went to DC Tower 1 in Vienna. A total of five European skyscrapers made the top 10 winners’ list, but not a single North American entry received the honor. The Shard’s victory was the fifth year a European project received the Skyscraper Award. North American projects have won six times, including the previous two years.  Click here to see a list of previous winners and runner-ups.