The Gherkin, 30 St Mary Axe, Steel and glass skyscraper in City of London, United Kingdom.
The building at 30 St Mary Axe is a steel and glass skyscraper in the City of London, often called The Gherkin due to its cylindrical shape. The curved facade is made of diamond-shaped glass panels that extend over 41 floors, reaching approximately 180 meters (590 feet) in height.
An IRA bombing in 1992 destroyed the Baltic Exchange at this location and killed three people. Architects Norman Foster and Ken Shuttleworth designed a new tower with natural ventilation between 2001 and 2003.
City office workers book tables at the restaurant on the 39th floor for business lunches overlooking the rooftops. Visitors often arrive specifically to photograph the facade, which reflects and breaks light differently depending on the time of day.
The building is a private office tower and cannot be visited freely, except during special events or with a prior reservation at the restaurant. The surrounding streets offer unobstructed views of the exterior and are within walking distance from Bank, Liverpool Street, and Aldgate stations.
Six spiral ventilation shafts around the central core create a natural airflow that rises through every floor. This system saves roughly half the energy normally needed to cool a building of this size.
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