The London skyline is not exactly something that springs to mind when you think of the city - history, culture, variety, aging transport system yes, but a stand out skyline no. So some of the more recent buildings that have popped up have certainly helped improve that and the Gherkin is one such building. It’s size and position (and most importantly design) make it visible from all sorts of places - for instance if you are going down Streatham High Road towards Brixton, you get a great view of the Gherkin towering in the distance.

It’s been said already but it is unusual for a building to become an instant icon, but this is what the Gherkin has managed to do. It really is an outstanding and beautiful bit of design and is well worth a visit to go and see it up close and get more of a feel for how its been created, with its sleek lines as the building expands out in the middle and tapers back in again.

All in compared to some of the older buildings of London’s skyline (some of these are the old names..sorry) - Tower 42, the BT Tower, Canary Wharf, Centrepoint, the Lloyds Building - the Gherkin is a welcome relief in terms of design. I haven’t been inside but I’m told by those that have that the great design is continued inside and its a building to try and get a nose around if you can - Open House Day in September might be a good time…so long as you don’t mind a bit of queuing.

They also give it different lights at different times of the year - look out for the green and red feel over the Christmas period.

Sir Norman Foster - please keep on coming up with these great designs and give London a skyline to be proud of.

Beyond being a fantastic modern landmark for Londoners, the Gherkin is also a great venue for a party. I recently went to a corporate launch there, and was impressed. Hire the 2 top floors, place a string quartet as your welcome crew outside the lifts, and serve great hors d’oeuvres…if you are lucky enough to pick a sunny day, the views are amazing.
One small warning: the glass roof transforms the top floor into a greehouse. The men in suit were looking increasingly uncomfortable as the evening progressed. And not the best place either for an ice sculpture!

I really like this building. Its desogn is breat. Everytime I pass it I always have to look at it even when I’m far away when I can only see the top of it. Its one of the buildings I have to go see during London’s open day which I think is once a year. I heard of it last year so I hope it’ll happen again this year so I can actually go inside this building to have a look around. It’ll be a change looking at it from the inside instead of just looking at it from the outside. If anyone has a chance look up this open day/weekend thing and have a look at it.

A landmark in it's own right, what is it? A gherkin, a tube of lipstick or a Tampon? All in all it is all of the above. This contemporary design by award winning architect Richard Rogers has re-invented the London skyline. The building is built with specifics that give it natural ventilation by taking winds from the base of the building which are then funneled up the inner layer of the structure.
Worth seeing if you're into architecture and design.
A bit hard to find from Liverpool Street station but fun to get lost in the City where you'll sudenly turn a corner onto St. Mary's Axe and encounter the Gherkin's splendour.

For a short while, my company was based in an office at the foot of this architectural icon. Up close its a truly awesome building. I spent many hours admiring the diagonal bracing, something you don't see from afar. Plus you really appreciate the cigar shape and how the middle floors are wider than the lower ones. The plaza below is a reasonably pleasant destination too, with a good pub, deli surrounded by many bars, cafes and restaurants. In a bizarre twist of fate we're moving to a Norman Foster designed building shortly, so look forward to living the dream rather than dreaming it!!

It's not often that new buildings become instant icons, but Norman Foster's 180m-tall design for Swiss Re, completed in 2004, is one of the them. The 'Gherkin', as it is usually now known, is fast becoming a visual shorthand for London, along with Big Ben and Tower Bridge.

The shape, of course, makes it stand out, but there's more to this design than meets the eye: the distinctive diagonal bracing combines wall and roof into one surface, with a series of curving atria between the outer wall and the offices within. This is designed to reduce energy consumption, by allowing air movement within to cool the building in summer and keep is warm in winter. It also provides office space without internal supports. The unique shape - it is larger in the middle than the ground plan - aims to maximise office space within a constricted site.

While not the tallest of London's buildings, it still stands out as an impressive addition to the City's skyline.

Really like this building. Once attended a presentation by Sir Norman Foster about it's design.