Shard developer plans two residential towers at London Bridge

Irvine Sellar told guests at a dinner to celebrate the opening of the skyscraper's three new restaurants – Aqua Shard, Oblix and Hutong – that he intends to build two residential blocks on land between the Shard and its sister building The Place.

The new homes would be designed by Renzo Piano, the same architect responsible for the Shard and The Place.

Earlier this year Sellar and his Qatari business partners bought Fielden House on London Bridge Street for £13.7 million.

Sellar also owns the adjacent building at 21-27 St Thomas Street.

Sellar indicated that, after the two residential towers, his company would turn its attention to other projects in the area. The developer owns several sites along St Thomas Street and Bermondsey Street.

Last week Sellar announced that Rupert Murdoch's News Corp has taken a 30-year lease on The Place.

At Tuesday night's dinner Sellar also confirmed that Qatari TV channel Al Jazeera plans to move its London studios to the Shard.