Modern icons: the Gherkin
Officially, this is the Swiss Re building or 30 St Mary Axe. But naturally, everyone calls it the Gherkin. It caused a great deal of controversy when it was built – I seem to remember it was Prince Charles who referred to it as an “erotic gherkin” and it had other, ruder names – but now it seems to have settled in and Londoners have taken it to their hearts. It may be brash, oddball, modernist, but one thing it’s not is boring.
It’s a Norman Foster design, full of rather subtle touches. For instance, despite the wonderful curves of the …read more
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