The Louvre Museum (Musée du Louvre) is the largest museum in the world, and arguably the most popular as well. Dan Brown’s “The Da Vinci Code” probably made Louvre a more famous place than it already was.
I first saw this egg like building when I was nearby Tower of London; wasn’t sure what the building was until doing some researches after I was back from London… its name is 30 St Mary Axe, or the Gherkin, or Swiss Re.
It seems that London is crazed to build modernized buildings since the 90s; and the Gherkin is probably the defining masterpiece.
The building was designed by Lord Foster and team of engineers and was constructed in 2001-2004 to replace the old Baltic Exchange building which was severely damaged by an IRA bomb in 1992.
Its official name is 30 St Mary Axe, which is obviously its address. The nickname Gherkin is referring to its shape; some press actually called it the erotic gherkin when the project was first announced. Swiss Re was the first owner of the tower, and still the largest occupant of the building.
Despite the curved shape, the building only uses one piece of curved glass in 30 St Mary Axe - the lens on top of the building. However, the building won multiple architecture awards not just because of its structure, but also for its energy saving and other features. [Facts]
The Gherkin claimed to have the tallest restaurant in London (at its top - 40th floor) but it is only opened for tenants and guest. I guess I should start networking with some London businessmen in order to get to the top of 30 St Mary Axe next time.
