The Gherkin | |
---|---|
Alternative names | 30 St Mary Axe / the Swiss Re Building |
General information | |
Status | Completed |
Type | Office |
Architectural style | Neo-futuristic / hi-tech / post-modern |
Location | 30 St Mary Axe, London, EC3[1][2] |
Coordinates | 51°30′52″N 00°04′49″W / 51.51444°N 0.08028°W |
Construction started | 2001 |
Completed | 2003[3] |
Opened | 28 April 2004[4][5] |
Cost | £138 million (plus land cost of £90.6 million)[8] adjusted for inflation: £288 million (plus land cost of £201 million)[8][9] |
Owner | Safra Group[6] |
Height | |
Roof | 180 metres (591 ft) |
Technical details | |
Floor count | 41 |
Floor area | 64,470 square metres (693,900 sq ft) |
Design and construction | |
Architect(s) | Foster + Partners |
Structural engineer | Arup |
Main contractor | Skanska |
Website | |
thegherkin | |
References | |
[7] |
The Gherkin, formally 30 St Mary Axe and previously known as the Swiss Re Building, is a commercial skyscraper in London's primary financial district, the City of London. It was completed in December 2003 and opened in April 2004.[10] With 41 floors, it is 180 metres (591 ft) tall[3] and stands on the sites of the former Baltic Exchange and Chamber of Shipping, which were extensively damaged in 1992 in the Baltic Exchange bombing by a device placed by the Provisional IRA in St Mary Axe, a narrow street leading north from Leadenhall Street.[4][11]
After plans to build the 92-storey Millennium Tower were dropped, 30 St Mary Axe was designed by Foster + Partners and the Arup Group.[12] It was built by Skanska; construction started in 2001.[3]
The building has become a recognisable landmark of London, and it is one of the city's most widely recognised examples of contemporary architecture. It won the 2003 Emporis Skyscraper Award.
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