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by MYLENE, LONDON

Mauritius News, August 2012

To build or

not to build There is a belief that if we stop building in London, we stopgrowth. The concept is that people tend to flock to thriving cities,therefore a growing population encourages the flow of talent,money and an international workforce. We cannot fail to have noticed that the London skyline is dotted

with cranes as construction companies turn design into structure.It is a tremendous achievement that weeks apart, two excitingand innovative structures have opened to the public.

The Shard of Glass, Europe's tallest skyscraper and TheEmirates Air Line Cable Car. These two major new landmark inthe capital send a message across the globe that London canattract serious investment, which in turn will help to acceleratethe economy and boost employment. Those of us who complain ofthe inconvenience and nuisance of building sites across thecapital, have to remember that a city starts dying whenimportant industries no longer thrive and vital population moveaway. If this happened, we would be left with a desolate urbanlandscape of boarded up houses and businesses.

As the eyes of the world focus on our vibrant capital, these twogreat engineering achievements send a positive, optimisticmessage across the globe.

Travel link connecting two world classdestinations

"The Emirates Air Line is a stunning addition to London’s transportnetwork, providing a much needed new connection across theThames. I am sure the Emirates Air Line is now set to be a must-seedestination in its own right, giving people the chance to drink inbreath-taking panoramic views. Crucially, the Emirates Air Linesupports my ambitious plans to revive the neighbouringareas…..creating jobs for Londoners and stimulating growth," sosaid The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson at the unveiling of theUK's first ever urban cable car.

On the following day that those words were spoken, June 27th, Imade my way to Greenwich North underground station to see formyself this brand new way to travel across the Thames. My firstsight of the red, silver and black cars travelling at heights of 90metres between two brand new terminals (Emirates GreenwichPeninsula by the O2 and Emirates Royal Docks beside the ExCeLconference centre) was spectacular. I could almost believe I was in

a scenic mountain pass rather thana revitalised part of east London,an area that had been neglected fordecades.

Approaching the terminal (it'sall airport terminology here) ,polite uniformed staff are on handto point passengers in the rightdirection to purchase boardingpasses (tickets) or to ensure theiroyster has enough money for thejourney, in which case it's straightto the take-off platform wheremore staff are waiting. The cablecars arrive at a very slow pace,slow enough without stopping, toallow at least eight people toboard, one at a time, beforeascending towards the sky. From

the cabin you get to see a spectacular bird's eye view of the capitalcity, taking in Canary Wharf, historic Greenwich, the Thames Barrierand the Olympic Park. It is a unique perspective of London.Emirates Air Line boasts a cable span of 1,100 metres with threesoaring helix towers. The two newly constructed terminals connecttwo world class destinations, The 02 on the south side, with ExCeLon the north.

Convenience and accessibility has been one of the main focus pointof this world class infrastructure sponsored by Emirates.Pedestrians, wheelchair users and cyclists can board one of the 34cabins that come round every 30 seconds. With a capacity to carryup to 2,500 people per hour in each direction, it is the equivalent of30 buses.

On the return journey, myself and my brother Marco, managedto get a cabin all to ourselves. I felt free to stand up and move aroundand take pictures when suddenly a voice came through a smallspeaker asking me to stay seated and to state that the inside of allcabins are monitored.The Thames Cable Car gets my vote as a destination that must beseen by Mauritian family and friends when they visit London.

Marco was one of the first member of the public to step into thecable car, making him the first Mauritian to ride the Emirates AirLine cable car. He says, "I have crossed the Thames by bridge, boatand plane but my most memorable crossing is by the EmiratesAirline Cable Car." Can't say better than that.

http://www.emiratesairline.co.uk

The Shard A timeless reminder of the power ofimagination to inspire change

Standing 309.6m (1,016ft) high on the capital’s South Bank, theShard is the tallest building in Western Europe providing 31.4acres of space. Officially inaugurated on 5 July 2012 to mark thecompletion of the exterior of the building, the Shard has beendescribed as a vertical city. On completion it will house highquality offices, world-renowned restaurants, the 5-star Shangri-Lahotel and exclusive residential apartments inside its crystallinefacade. Like all London skyscrapers, The Shard quickly gained anickname, which has since also become its formal name. Thisname came about during the planning stages when masterarchitect, Renzo Piano described the development as a ‘shard ofglass’ because each external facet of the building looks exactly likea fragment of glass.

The Shard is the highly visible face of London’s newestcommercial quarter, London Bridge Quarter. It is a key part of thecontinuing regeneration of the South Bank and is the result of ashared vision between The State of Qatar, Sellar Property Groupand Renzo Piano. Fast becoming one of the most recognisableLondon Skyline silhouettes it boasts the capital's highest publicviewing gallery with a 360° view of London stretching for over40miles.

For a hefty sum of £24.95 you can travel by the latest high-speed ‘kaleidoscopic’, state-of-the art-lift to level 69 whereLondon is laid out before you as a diverse tapestry capturing past,present and future before travelling to level 72, the highest levelopen to the public where you will have the experience of beingexposed to the elements and the sounds of the city beneath. Or,you can wait until spring 2013 when the building is due tocomplete and all floors will be open to the public.

The Emirates Air Line cable car

Marco Lamy

Mylene’s box The Shard, London - The Shard from Tower Bridge, photo courtesy of Sellar PropertyGroup