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    Gherkin

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    Mai Tram Anh
    30 St Mary Axe, better known by its nickname Gherkin, is one of the most eye-catching buildings in London and it stands out prominently in the city's skyline. The Gherkin is one of several modern buildings that have been built over the years in a historic area of London.

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    Gherkin

    Uploaded by

    Mai Tram Anh
    213 views2 pages
    30 St Mary Axe, better known by its nickname Gherkin, is one of the most eye-catching buildings in London and it stands out prominently in the city's skyline. The Gherkin is one of several modern buildings that have been built over the years in a historic area of London.

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    30 St Mary Axe, better known by its nickname Gherkin, is one of the most eye-catching buildings in London and it stands out prominently in the city's skyline. The Gherkin is one of several modern buildings that have been built over the years in a historic area of London.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    213 views2 pages

    Gherkin

    Uploaded by

    Mai Tram Anh
    30 St Mary Axe, better known by its nickname Gherkin, is one of the most eye-catching buildings in London and it stands out prominently in the city's skyline. The Gherkin is one of several modern buildings that have been built over the years in a historic area of London.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
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    Gherkin

    30 St Mary Axe, better known by its nickname Gherkin, is one of the most eye-
    catching buildings in London and it stands out prominently in the city's skyline. The
    Gherkin is one of several modern buildings that have been built over the years in a
    historic area of London.
    Construction
    Construction of the Gherkin was commissioned by Swiss Re, a reinsurance company. The
    41-story skyscraper was built in 2004 after a modern glass and steel design by the
    architectural firm of Foster and Partners.

    The Gherkin
    Originally known as the Swiss Re Building, it was later renamed to its street address 30 St.
    Mary Axe after Swiss Re sold the building in 2007. Even before its construction was
    complete Londoners dubbed the building the 'Gherkin' for its distinctive shape, and it is
    still known by that name.

    High-rises in the City


    The tower was built in the heart of London's financial center at the site of the 1903 Baltic
    Exchange Building which had been damaged by a terrorist attack in 1992. The construction
    of a glittering high-tech building in the middle of a relatively low-rise area with plenty of
    historic buildings and narrow medieval streets set off a new debate about the need for tall
    buildings in the City of London. But even as many new skyscrapers are now built in Canary
    Wharf - well outside the city's historic center - the Gherkin has acted as a catalyst for the
    growing cluster of high-rises in the City.
    Architecture

    Street level
    The cigar-shaped structure has a steel frame with circular floor plans and a glass facade
    with diamond-shaped panels. The swirling striped pattern visible on the exterior is the
    result of the building's energy-saving system which allows the air to flow up through
    spiraling wells.
    On the street level, the Gherkin's base is well integrated with an open public plaza. Huge
    white X braces create a dramatic entrance. The top of the tower, where visitors find an open
    hall covered by a glass conical dome is even more spectacular. From here you have great
    views over the city. Unfortunately the building is not open to the public.

    Its unique, bold and energy efficient design has won the Gherkin many awards including
    the Stirling Prize, the London Region Award, and the Emporis Skyscraper Award.

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