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The prestigious Stirling Prize from the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) in association with The Architects' Journal was awarded on Saturday 16th October 2004 at a ceremony televised live on Channel 4. In an unusually unanimous decision, the judges awarded it to Foster & Partners, led by Sir Norman Foster, for the revolutionary 30 St Mary Axe, London's first envionmental skyscraper. 30 St Mary Axe in the City of London, affectionately known by Londoners as the Gherkin or the Erotic Gherkin, is located on the site of the former Baltic Exchange which was badly damaged by an IRA bomb in 1992. Controversially, the decision was taken to demolish the Exchange, a Grade 2 listed building. The new tower looks somewhat like a bullet: circular, narrower at the base, widening on the floors above before tapering to its apex giving a distinctive outline on the London skyline. More than that, the distinctive new building has been designed to use 50% less energy than a traditional office block.
The circular tapering shape utilises the plot in a more economic way than a traditional box like structure. To get the same amount of office space, a four-sided building would have had to use most or all of the plot. The shape of this building, allows much of the area to be landscaped, providing a valuable outdoor area in the heart of the City. The exterior cladding consists of 5,500 flat triangular and diamond shaped glass panels, which vary at each level. The glazing to the office areas consists of a double-glazed outer layer and a single-glazed inner screen that sandwich a central ventilated cavity which contains solar-control blinds. The cavities act as buffer zones to reduce the need for additional heating and cooling and are ventilated by exhaust air which is drawn from the offices. The glazing to the light-wells that spiral up the tower consists of openable double-glazed panels with a combined grey-tinted glass and high-performance coating that effectively reduces solar gain. The aerodynamic form encourages wind to flow around its face, minimising wind loads on the structure and cladding, enabling the use of a more efficient structure. Wind is not deflected to ground level – as it is with rectilinear buildings – helping to maintain pedestrian comfort and safety at the base of the building. Wind tunnel tests have shown that the building will improve wind conditions in the vicinity. Natural air movement around the building generates substantial pressure differences across its face, which can be used to facilitate natural ventilation within the building. 30 St Mary Axe is a revolutionary design, quite unlike anything else nearby, and there were many worries that it would not fit in well to its historic surroundings. In fact, its distinctive shape complements and enhances the London skyline rather than detracts from it. Perhaps critics would do well to remember that St Paul's Cathedral was disliked by many when Sir Christopher Wren first drew up the plans. London is a vibrant, living city, not a museum so it needs modern buildings at the cutting edge of design, not only for their utility, but also as a legacy for future generations. If you are interested in architecture, read about the 2005 winner of the Stirling Prize, the Scottish Parliament. You might also like to learn more about the The Spinnaker, the 547ft tower that has opened in Portsmouth in October 2005, making a stunning addition to the skyline. Copyright © 2005 - Carol Fisher
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30
St Mary Axe, London