Sitting atop the highest point in all of LondonThe Shard, a towering 300-meter-tall steel and glass behemoth designed by master architect Renzo Piano seemed to beckon, its pyramidal, razor-sharp silhouette slicing the skyline and tapering to an apex, left ‘open’ for practical and symbolic reasons. (Photo: Pixabay)There is no better way to explore London than on foot, for architectural marvels steeped in history abound every nook and corner. The site manifests as the historic north-eastern gateway to the City of London.*Disclaimer: This article has been contributed by Baikunth Nath Sinha, Sr GM – Architecture, VYOM.Leadenhall Market, one of the oldest markets in London dating back to the 14th century, is located in the historic centre of the City of London financial district.I alighted at the impressive Liverpool Street Station, following an hour and a half long train ride from Suffolk. Churches, palaces, castles and mansions, built over centuries, stand in stark contrast to modern glass-sheathed edifices, creating an indelible impression.

The mammoth skyscraper trumps everything in its vicinity and challenges many notions of China Wholesale Post Cap London being a mid-rise city that does not celebrate the skyscraper culture.Piercing the skyline in a stunning display of magnificence, the unmistakable dome of St Paul’s rose above the city, an exemplar of Neo-Palladian architecture, which had cemented its popularity in 18th century England.On the South Bank of the Thames stand the ruins of the Winchester Palace, the stronghold of the erstwhile bishops of Manchester. Sitting atop the highest point in all of London, the inside of the church is a visual spectacle, featuring intricate mosaics on the ceiling..Also Read: Heritage diaries: Exploring the world’s architecture capital – PragueLuckily, a friend residing in the city, an architect by profession, volunteered to be my guide. The Shard’s arrival has spurred overall growth in its neighbourhood, reviving the London Bridge area and drawing hordes of visitors.Countless other architectural wonders, both quaint and colossal find their place in London’s urban fabric. The feeling dissipated rapidly as the city engulfed us in its overwhelming drama. Punctuated by pediments and giant columns, the image of this regal building will remain etched in my memory for years to come.

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Crowds on the beach in Cape Canaveral watch two of the three boosters from the SpaceX Falcon Heavy launched from Kennedy Space Centres Pad 39A land moments apart at Landing Zones 1 and 2 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The Falcon Heavy has three first-stage boosters, strapped together with 27 engines in all.A Falcon 9 SpaceX heavy rocket lifts off from pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla.The image shows the companys spacesuit in Elon Musks red Tesla sports car which was launched into space during the first test flight of the Falcon Heavy rocket. The Falcon Heavy briefly roared to life for the first time at NASAs Kennedy Space Center. All three boosters — 27 engines in all — were tested. The car will be on board when SpaceX launches its new rocket, the Falcon Heavy, from Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral. The Falcon Heavy rose from the same launch pad used by NASA nearly 50 years ago to send men to the moon.A SpaceXs Falcon Heavy rocket lifts off from Launch Pad 39A, for the maiden demonstration test flight at the Kennedy Space Center. For the Heavys inaugural flight, the rocket will carry up Elon Musks roadster.A Falcon 9 SpaceX heavy rocket stands ready for launch on pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Centre in Cape Canaveral, Fla.The crowd cheers at Playalinda Beach in the Canaveral National Seashore, just north of the Kennedy Space Center, during the successful launch of the SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket.SpaceX fired up its newest, biggest rocket in a critical launch pad test.The image shows the companys spacesuit in Elon Musks red Tesla sports car which was launched into space during the first test flight of the Falcon Heavy rocket. In addition to SpaceX, Musk runs the electric car maker Tesla.Crowds of people, reminiscent of shuttle launch days, line the beaches of Cape Canaveral and Cocoa Beach to watch the launch of the SpaceX Falcon Heavy from Pad 39A at Kennedy Space Centre and the return of the rockets boosters landing at Landing Zone 1 and 2 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station..

A mannequin "Starman" sits at the wheel of a Tesla Roadster in this photo posted on the Instagram account of Elon Musk, head of auto company Tesla and founder of the private space company SpaceX.A Falcon 9 SpaceX heavy rocket lifts off from pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla.The worlds most powerful rocket blasted off on its first test flight, carrying a red sports car aiming for an endless road trip past Mars. With liftoff, the Heavy became the most powerful rocket in use today, doubling the liftoff punch of its closest competitor.With more than 5 million pounds of liftoff thrust, the Heavy will be capable of lifting super-size satellites into orbit and sending spacecraft to the moon, Mars and beyond. Playalinda is Gate Hinges one of closest public viewing spots to see the launch, about 3 miles from the SpaceX launch pad 39A. The Falcon Heavy has three first-stage boosters, strapped together with 27 engines in all.This photo shows a Tesla car next to the fairing of a Falcon Heavy rocket in Cape Canaveral, Fla. The big rocket is made up of three rocket boosters that will produce more thrust than any other rocket now flying.Two booster rockets from the Falcon 9 SpaceX heavy, return for a landing at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla.A Falcon 9 SpaceX heavy rocket lifts off from pad 39A. Heres a bunch of photos of SpaceXs rocket carrying Elon Musks car to space

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But Ghosn’s comments belie the work still to be done, as its engineers edge forward in steps rather than leaps.To instil confidence, the artificial intelligence that will power Nissan’s autonomous cars will mirror the driver’s driving style as closely as possible, while "ironing out any bad habits", the automaker said.Manufacturers are experimenting with icons or written messages Wholesale Post Cap for sale appearing on wind-shields, warning sounds, and in one case a light-strip along the length of the car whose colour and intensity would alter in different situations.Google offers promises of a fully autonomous car, but these automakers are taking a more gradual approach, focusing on aspects such as self-parking and crash avoidance technology.To better understand them, Nissan is undertaking the immense task of studying thousands of intersection scenarios in an attempt to identify cultural patterns by country or context.Japanese car manufacturers will have to convince the public that letting go of the wheel in a self-driving car is safe, while also dealing with the biggest threat to the cars’ security: the humans using them. Intersections present a particular challenge, said Melissa Cefkin, who is based at Nissan’s Silicon Valley research centre.Nissan chief executive Carlos Ghosn told reporters at the Tokyo show the company has high hopes the technology will save lives while altering car journeys forever.Functions such as emergency braking and speed-limiting devices that track the distance between vehicles already exist, but getting drivers to abandon the steering wheel completely is a harder sell.Toyota, Nissan and Honda are intent on putting autonomous cars on highways — and also city roads for Nissan — by 2020, and the triumvirate of Japan’s auto industry were keen to stress the advances made so far at the recent Tokyo Motor Show."

The tiny pointers that motorists pick up from one another are not yet within the reach of the technology."We must make sure our clients understand how the machine works," said Nissan’s chief planning officer, Philippe Klein. "Sometimes drivers communicate between themselves and with pedestrians or cyclists directly, by swapping looks, with a hand gesture, or even verbally," she said.Obtaining the trust of drivers is crucial, as without it "we cannot move forward", said Moritaka Yoshida, a Toyota executive.And even if the user of a self-driving car is convinced of its superior safety, other road users need to feel secure sharing the tarmac.Their stated goal — preventing deaths on the road — is laudable, but the technological arms race is also highly lucrative: consultancy firm AT Kearney has estimated the market for the self-driving car could be worth more than $566 billion by 2035. "Currently, the machine isn’t capable of grasping all the subtlety of these clues," Cefkin said."As a result, time spent behind the wheel is safer, more efficient and more fun," he said. "Sometimes it’s interpretative: we look for signals while judging the vehicle’s speed and movements."It compensates for human error, which causes more than 90 per cent of all car accidents.

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