30 St Mary Axe / The Gherkin
30 St Mary Axe
London
EC3A 8BF
Visitor Information
Architect: Foster + Partners
Built: 2004
Size: 2,000m² / 180 metres high
Awards: Stirling Prize and London Region Award, RIBA 2004; Best New London Building / Skyscraper Award Emporis 2003; Best British Innovation, Walpole Awards 2003
Structural engineer: Arup
Situated on the former site of the Baltic Exchange, the ‘gherkin’ is arguably the City of London’s most famous modern building. It stands at 180 metres tall and is, as its nickname suggests, an unusual egg-shape, contrasting with the vertical lines of nearby Tower 42. Despite this, there is only one piece of curved glass on the building, the lens at the top. When 30 St Mary Axe first opened it was also known as the ‘Swiss Re building’ after the company who commissioned and first owned it.
In constructing this striking building Foster + Partners used 24,000m² of external glass (the equivalent of five football pitches) and 35km of steel. The glazed double-skin façade is cooled by extracted air from the offices, reducing the overall heat load. Each floor, accessible via the 16 high-speed, high-capacity passenger lifts, rotates five degrees from the one below. At the top is a restaurant and lounge bar with spectacular 360 degree views.