The
Gherkin, 30 St. Mary Axe - London, UK
Architect
|
Norman Foster + Partners
|
Date Built
|
2004
|
Location
|
30 St. Mary Axe
|
| Description |
Known affectionately as "the Gherkin"
this office building stands 189 metres high
and provided 40 storeys of office space to its
original occupant, the German reinsurance
company, Swiss Re. It was built on the
site of the Baltic Exchange building destroyed
in the IRA bomb attack in 1992. The
amazing fact about this beautifully curved
structure is that it only contains one piece
of curved glass, the lense at the top of the
building.
Energy consumption is an important issue and
this building uses energy-saving
methods. In his book, "21st Century
London", Kenneth Powell talks about Foster's
use of "mini-atria" to facilitate ventilation
by natural means. A series of shafts
pull warm air out of the building in summer
and warm the building in winter. They
also allow natural light into the building.
There was
concern about the effects of downdrafts around
the building but in fact the design has
resulted in what Powell describes as "benign conditions
in the new piazza that surrounds the
building."
|
In 2004, 30 St. Mary Axe was awarded the Stirling Prize
from the Royal Institute of British Architects. The Prize
is awarded to the building that has made the greatest
contribution to British Architecture in the previous
years.
|
