Renzo Piano - The Shard

As part of London Calling, one of the world's greatest architects Renzo Piano, talks to Razia Iqbal at the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA).

A one thousand foot tall pyramid of glass now stands in splendid isolation on the south bank of the River Thames.

It is a striking and controversial addition to the London skyline, constantly changing in appearance as it reflects the weather; either melting into the heavens or rudely imposing itself on the British capital, depending upon your point of view.

What is not in contention is that The Shard is the tallest building in Western Europe and an audacious achievement, representing a pinnacle in the dazzling career of its architect, Renzo Piano.

BBC World Service and RIBA have come together to mark the topping out of The Shard by a special event with the internationally acclaimed Renzo Piano, recipient of the RIBA Gold Medal for Architecture in 1989 and more recently the AIA (American Institute of Architects) Gold Medal 2008.

Renzo Piano talks to Razia Iqbal about The Shard's origins on a restaurant napkin; the complexities of building such an enormous building so close to a river and what architecture has to do with our hopes for civilisation.

Renzo also answers questions from the audience.

(Image: Italian architect Renzo Piano speaking at event. Credit: Mark Allan)