The Shard and me 5

There's something about site photos that have that weird car crash rubberneck rawness about them, a harsh reality of metal pressed upon metal - bits of building hanging out in mid-air that will eventually all be cleaned up and make it behind a magical curtain of the finished building.

These photographs taken by a friend on site visit organised by the facades and cladding contractor, offer up a fascinating vertiginous behind the scenes look at the secrets behind the shard's cladding. Some intimate on-site moments of the cladding panels being installed, interior pics that give us an idea of what its going to be like inside and detail shots of connection details protruding out into thin air against the unassuming London skyline.