Inside the London building that once stood where the Shard now stands | My news from London

The Shard, a now familiar sight on the London skyline, is an impressive 72-storey structure that has become part of our everyday landscape. But do you remember what stood in its place before?

The answer might surprise you – it was the rather unremarkable Southwark Towers!

This small skyscraper, which once overlooked London Bridge station, was nothing more than an ordinary building. In its heyday, it may have seemed impressive, but by the 1990s it had become pretty standard fare.

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These striking images capture the moments leading up to and during its demolition. At just 100 meters tall and 25 stories high, it paled in comparison to the Shard’s 309 meters and 73 stories.

Prior to demolition, Southwark Towers served as the London office of accountancy firm Price Waterhouse, prior to their merger with Coopers and Lybrand.

When it came time for the building to come down in 2008, it became the largest building in Britain ever to be demolished, alongside Drapers’ Gardens. However, due to its proximity to other buildings, it could not be blown up using explosives and had to be dismantled piece by piece.

While you may not have missed much, it is worth noting that this place was home to a number of London businessmen for many years.

For them, it represents a lost piece of London nostalgia. Construction on The Shard began in March 2009 and was completed by the end of 2012.

In 2013, The View from The Shard was officially opened to the public.