Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Doha on Thames

A consortium of Qatari funds is stumping up the $3.88 billion to fund the building of London’s "Shard of Glass" skyscraper. The 310-meter tower, described as “Europe's most recognisable commercial property landmark”, will add two million square feet of commercial space to the City.
It is another example of cash-rich Gulf funds stepping in to finance credit-crunched Western ventures. This one differs slightly in that it is a new build, high profile and slightly risky; nearly 400,000sqft of space has been pre-sold but filling the rest could prove sticky.

No word yet on whether the London public will know of the Qataris’ involvement, whether the tower will be renamed. Best to wait to see if the project works, then decide.


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