bubbles Architecture – Norman Foster (2004) The 30 St Mary Axe – London

The 30 St Mary Axe
The Gherkin

The 30 St Mary Axe (ou Swiss Re Building) is a building located in the business district of the City of London in England. In reference to its shape, Londoners have become accustomed to call the Gherkin (the Gherkin).

History The building is on the former Baltic Exchange building site, the headquarters of a global market for sales of ships and maritime.datant Information 1903, the Provisional IRA detonated a bomb near the Bourse, severely damaging the historic stock exchange building and neighboring structures. and which had been damaged by a terrorist attack in 1992,
The building received the Emporis Skyscraper Award 2003 rewarding the most outstanding skyscraper of the year 2003 as well as numerous other awards such as the Stirling Prize and the London Region Award due to its design and energy saving. It was opened on 28 avril 2004 and was designed by Norman Foster's architectural firm for Swiss Re. It is the first skyscraper built in the neighborhood for years 1970 and was the highest building construction in the city before the construction of the tower The Shard. Its designers claim the title of first ecological skyscraper in the UK. In November 2014, it is acquired by Safra group 726 £ millions , the German real estate group IVG Immobilien, who had acquired 2007.

Architecture Inside, the floors are organized in six-pointed star for all local benefits from external light. Top of 180 meters and 41 floors, its aerodynamic shape allows the use of the wind in the ventilation system of the building, summer and winter ; this form employs cells, a spiral façade structure and the form of a pickle (gherkin). Between 12 and 25 ° C and a moderate wind, Weather Stations manage open windows. If the temperature is below or above these temperatures, natural ventilation is supplemented by heating or cooling of the air. The ventilation and the internal organization of the premises allow energy savings. The idea of ​​making a building environmentally also results in the near absence of self parking (18 places) the benefit of a large park for bikes. This encourages employees of companies based in the skyscraper to use public transport or cycling ; which enhances the traffic control policy implemented by the municipality in central London in the form of a toll. The project illustrates the experience of Norman Foster in terms of building height, renewable energy, in the wake of the Commerzbank Tower Francfort2.

The characteristics of the building is a cigar-shaped structure, glass façade with panels shaped losange.La tower facade is a double glass shell allows natural ventilation of the building.
Its spiral facade fitted with sockets allows ventilation run by weather stations that direct the opening and closing of fenêtres.À inside, the stages are organized in six-pointed star in order to make the most of the angle 360 ​​° and benefit to all of the local light extérieure.Le top of the tower has a bar coated with a conical dome glass. One benefit of a complete panorama of the city of London. This bar is for residents or reservation for a reception.

Skyscrapers are built outside the historic center of the city of London. The Gherkin was the first to break the silhouette of the buildings of downtown London. He acted as a catalyst for the construction of a set of skyscrapers in the City of London. The singular silhouette of the tower Gerkhin is easily identifiable in the landscape of London and this from any point of the capital. Its particular shape makes it a singular object which contrasts with the set of historical buildings area.

BONUS

DESIGNER’
Ross Lovegrove, British industrial designer who worked on the design of Sony Walkmans and on the iMac computer from Apple including, proposes a concept of amazing green urban transport : transparent car fuel bubble-shaped solar, the roof is covered with solar panels. 4 passengers can be transported : their business can also be stored. Navigation is done automatically by voice command and satellite. The night, parking takes another form, it is the height : the car is placed on a telescopic pole that then rises a few meters. guaranteed in city space saving ! A precision : the post also serves as a lamp to illuminate the street ! Hence the name of this concept : “Car on a Stick”, “Car on a stick”. A green UFO in the city, he was thinking ! You can find all the works of Ross Lovegrove on its website : www.rosslovegrove.com