30 St Mary Axe |
| Hob Uid: 1554759 | |
Location :
Greater London Authority
City and County of the City of London
Non Civil Parish
|
| Grid Ref : TQ3329981252 |
| Summary : 30 St Mary Axe, which was formerly known as the Swiss Re Building and is known colloquially as the "Gherkin", was built in 2001-2003 in St Mary Axe Street in the Algate area of the City of London. The building was commissioned by the company Swiss Re and was designed by the architectural practice Foster and Partners. The structural engineer for the building was the company Arup and the main contractors were Skanska Construction UK. 30 St Mary Axe is 180 metre in height and is the sixth tallest building in London. The building stands on the site of the former Baltic Exchange building which was destroyed in an explosion in April 1992. The land was sold in 1996 to Trafalgar House who submitted an application to build the Millennium Tower. The size of the proposed building led to this application being rejected and plans for a smaller tower, 30 St Mary Axe were approved. The original plan was to reconstruct the old Baltic Exchange or incorporate its original façade into the new building. However, the building was too damaged by the explosion and plans for a completely new redevelopment were made. The building consists of 41 storeys and is circular in plan and the building widens in profile and tapers towards the apex. The building is made up of a metal structure and curved panes of glass that dominate its façade. The curved dome at the top of building is intended to represent the glass dome that stood at the top of the former Baltic Exchange building. The interior of the building features a bar for tenants on the 40th floor and a restaurant on the 39th floor. The rest of the building consists of offices. |
More information : 30 St Mary Axe, which was formerly known as the Swiss Re Building and is known colloquially as the ‘Gherkin’, was built in 2001-2003 in St Mary Axe Street in the Algate area of the City of London. The building was commissioned by the company Swiss Re and was designed by the architectural practice Foster and Partners. The structural engineer for the building was the company Arup and the main contractors were Skanska Construction UK. 30 St Mary Axe is 180 metre in height and is the sixth tallest building in London.
The building stands on the site of the former Baltic Exchange building which was destroyed in an explosion in April 1992. The land was sold in 1996 to Trafalgar House who submitted an application to build the Millennium Tower. The size of the proposed building led to this application being rejected and plans for a smaller tower, 30 St Mary Axe were approved. The original plan was to reconstruct the old Baltic Exchange or incorporate its original façade into the new building. However, the building was too damaged by the explosion and plans for a completely new redevelopment were made.
The building consists of 41 storeys and is circular in plan and the building widens in profile and tapers towards the apex. The building is made up of a metal structure and curved panes of glass that dominate its façade. The curved dome at the top of building is intended to represent the glass dome that stood at the top of the former Baltic Exchange building.
The interior of the building features a bar for tenants on the 40th floor and a restaurant on the 39th floor. The rest of the building consists of offices. (1)
The National Grid Reference for the building is: TQ3329981252 (2) |