Seven Year Itch?
30 St Mary Axe is now seven years old, but the relationship between this building and the Londoners who see it every day remains as strong as ever and looks set to endure. It's a rare example of a modern building that seems to have found a place in people's hearts. How has the Gherkin managed to do this?
The nickname gives us the first and most obvious reason - its highly distinctive form. A lot of office towers look as if all that matters is the ideal floor plan demanded by the clients who can afford these spaces. In this respect the years have only made 30 St Mary Axe more distinctive and more valued.
But there's more to it than this. Its size and location are extremely important. If the building stood in Paddington or Bermondsey it would not work nearly so well. If it was any larger it would be difficult to view it with the same indulgent affection. It does not seek to dominate or to overwhelm. It is in scale with the other tall buildings around it, and it is not constantly in view across the entire area as the Shard threatens to be across a large swathe of the metropolis. For this reason its charm is never quite exhausted, which is perhaps surprising given that its novelty shape doesn't offer a great deal of fresh insights over the years (and it's worth adding here that because the building is circular it looks the same from every direction, which could also have been a significant loss). It appears - disappears, reappears - at surprising moments, and seems to belong to the larger experience of the City of London.
There may be other reasons for its popularity that go beyond what can actually be witnessed. Very few people who see 30 St Mary Axe regularly have ever been inside the building - unfortunately its magnificent top floor is generally reserved for expensive private events. But images of these interior spaces are quite familiar now and give the building a more substantial presence in our imaginations. We feel that its distinctiveness is more than skin-deep, and that here is a place where the entire design was motivated by a strong vision of the experience it would provide for its fortunate occupants.
Find out more about 30 St Mary Axe below and see how the building could be used to create stimulating lessons for different ages from Key Stage 1 upwards.
Building and site description
Widely known as ‘the gherkin’ because of its cylindrical shape, faceted walls and tapering top, 30 St Mary Axe is instantly recognisable on London’s skyline. Its elegant shape makes the building appear more slender than it actually is.
30 St Mary Axe © Alys Tomlinson
30 St Mary Axe was designed by Foster and Partners, completed in 2003 and officially opened in 2004 as Swiss Re’s headquarters.
The rounded glass walls consist of thousands of flat triangular panes of glass, which allow a 360-degree view across London. Only in the lens at the top of the building is there a single piece of curved glass.
The building has 76,400 square metres of floorspace. It contains offices, a restaurant, a shopping arcade and a surrounding plaza at street level. There are two high-speed, high-capacity passenger lifts.
Generated by a ‘radial plan’, the building’s energy-conscious enclosure brings together walls, roof and a continuous triangulated ‘skin’. The design provides column-free floorspace, light and views, and incorporates many sustainable building design features.
Spiralling light wells allow the maximum amount of sunlight to flood the interiors. Atria between the radiating fingers of each floor link together vertically to form a series of informal break-out spaces.
These atria are also where air is drawn in through opening panels in the glazed façade before being circulated as part of the temperature control system.
Collecting the 2004 RIBA sterling award, Foster and Partners described 30 St Mary Axe as ‘humanising the workplace, conserving energy [and] democratising the way people communicate with a building and the way it relates to the urban realm.’
Architectural style
21st century contemporary iconic design
30 St Mary Axe © Alys Tomlinson
Quirky facts
- At 180 metres, 30 St Mary Axe is over three times the height of Niagara Falls.
- Each floor rotates 5 degrees from the one below.
- The building’s 24,000 square metres of glass would cover five football pitches.
- Below level 35, the windows are cleaned by men in one or two cradles. Above that, a hydraulic cherry picker is used.
Building highlights
- triangular glass panels
- panoramic views of London
- plaza with an arcadian garden that is open to the public
- sustainable design features: maximising natural daylight and ventilation; minimising heating and cooling through a ventilated double-skin façade.
Using this building as a teaching resource
30 St Mary Axe allows students to investigate how a city develops and changes over time. It is a great example of contemporary architecture surrounded by listed buildings on a medieval city plan. The context of the site allows for lively discussion and an investigation of the lifecycle of cities and how and why places change.
Investigation of the structure is suitable for cross-curricular work, taking in its mathematical shape, design, geographical position, the history of its surroundings and the science of its energy efficiency.
Suggested activities
Key stages 1 and 2 (art & design, science)
Study the building’s shape and glass-panelled ‘skin.’ Then draw it. Talk about the building, what it’s made of and what it reminds you of.
Key stages 2 and 3 (art & design, design & technology)
Having looked closely at 30 St Mary Axe, design a building of your own based on triangulation (linked triangles).
Key stages 3 and 4 (maths, art & design, design & technology, English)
What are the gherkin’s distinguishing features? What makes it different from other tall buildings? In what ways is it similar? Create a chart comparing 30 St Mary Axe with another building of your choice.
Detail of 30 St Mary Axe © Alys Tomlinson
Region
London
Location
30 St Mary Axe
London EC3A 8PA
020 7071 5029 (press office)
Accessibility
The gherkin is not generally open to the public apart from the plaza, shops and (for private functions) the restaurant. However, a virtual tour is available, and it is often open to the public during the Open House London event.
Further information
Foster and Partners’ website provides excellent images of 30 St Mary Axe.
The 30 St Mary Axe website also provides excellent images and facts about the building and construction process.
Victoria & Albert website has a short film on the computer-aided design for 30 St Mary the Axe, or you can visit the architecture exhibition on-site.
