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- Each floor rotates 5 degrees from the last but the spiralling atriums were not fully realised. They stop every six floors for fire safety reasons.
- The only curved piece of glass on the entire building is the very top piece that crowns it.
- The advantages of the shape are numerous - at the bottom it tapers in creating more ground space and allowing a new public plaza to build whilst circular towers also create less downdrafts. Tapering at the top into the crown reduces wind resistance further.
- The lifts can carry a maximum of 378 people at any one time reaching speeds of 6 metres a second.
- The floor to ceiling heights are 2.75 metres, three centimeters more than is needed to have accomodated the worlds tallest man ever. Of course he couldn't have worn heels.
- The building contains the highest dining space in London at 163 metres. The entire top floors are occupied by the company restaurant for Swiss Re.
- The building weighs 70,000 tonnes, contains 333 piles in the foundations, 35 kilometres of structural steel at 11,000 tonnes, and 24,000 square metres of glass cladding.
- Almost all of the plant space is located externally on an adjacent six story structure at 20 Bury Street.
- The building is the winner of the 2005 RIBA Stirling Prize for Architecture and has become an instant hit with the public appearing prominently in Olympic 2012 promotions.
 News Articles
03-09-2007 > Survey Finds Gherkin Is Ugly 04-12-2006 > IVG Asticus Buy The Gherkin 19-09-2006 > Why Swiss RE Would Sell The Gherkin... 23-08-2006 > London Open House 2006 Rundown 08-08-2006 > Londoners Lost Without Landmarks 11-07-2006 > Royal Mail Releases New Architecture Stamps 13-06-2006 > Is Londons Ugliest Building Really The Gherkin 31-08-2005 > 2005 London Open House 18-09-2004 > Swiss RE to Open Up 23-06-2004 > Building the Gherkin 26-04-2004 > Gherkin Set For Opening 07-08-2003 > Swiss RE Externally Complete 02-12-2002 > Swiss RE Lights Up  Companies
- Architect
- Foster + Partners
- Developer
- Swiss Re
- Structural Engineer
- Arup Associates
- Services Engineer
- Hilson Moran Partnership
- Main Contractor
- Skanska
- Quantity Surveyor
- Gardiner & Theobald
- Planning Consultant
- Montague Evans
 Reference Data
- Reference No.
- 58
- First Uploaded
- 19-02-2006
- Last Editorial Date
- 20-05-2008
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- Address
- 14-34 St Mary Axe, London. EC3
- Council
- City of London
- County
- London
- Region
- London
- Country
- United Kingdom
View in Google Maps  Available office space in EC3
E.O.G - Leadenhall Street, Leadenhall Street, Monument MWB City Exec - Finch Lane, Finch Lane, Bank BE Group - Threadneedle St, Threadneedle Street, Bank Find Other Offices - Status
- Complete
- Proposal date
- 1999
- Construction start date
- 2001
- Completion date
- 2003
- Style
- Zoomorphic
- Roof Height (AOD)
- 194.90
- Roof Height (AGL)
- 179.80
- Top Floor Height (AGL)
- 163.00
- Floor To Ceiling Height
- 2.75
- Total Floors (O.G)
- 41
- Total Floors (U.G)
- 1
- Number of Lifts
- 17
Market Data- Primary Use
- Office
- Secondary Use
- Retail
- Floorspace (sq m)
- 47,950.00
- Car Parking Spaces
- 5
- Land Costs
- £90,600,000.00
- Date of Purchase
- 1998
- Construction Cost
- £138,000,000.00
- Budget Date
- 2001
- Last Sale Value
- £595,000,000.00
- Sale Date
- 2006
Metres > Feet |
