The Swiss Re Tower (aka 'The Gherkin' or '30 St Mary Axe ')
Nearby The Swiss Re Tower (aka 'The Gherkin' or '30 St Mary Axe ')

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Designed by Norman Foster and affectionately, and understandably, dubbed "The Gherkin" thanks to its unique bullet-shape The Swiss Re Tower at 30 St Mary Axe stands out as one of the City of London's most stunning and critically acclaimed architectural features. Looming up at 180 metres tall it towers over nearby constructions and with its tessellated glass exterior and unique energy-saving methods was voted (December 2005) the most admired new building in the world. It's hard to miss if you're wandering around the City and, while it's not open to the public (except during Open House Weekend), it's worth a visit just to stand at the base and take in its sleek smooth structure.The Swiss Re Tower (aka 'The Gherkin' or '30 St Mary Axe ') images
The Swiss Re Tower (aka 'The Gherkin' or '30 St Mary Axe ')
Location map of The Swiss Re Tower (aka 'The Gherkin' or '30 St Mary Axe ')
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Hotels near The Swiss Re Tower (aka 'The Gherkin' or '30 St Mary Axe ')
London > Hotels > Luxury Chain Hotel Petite Doubles: 68% off from £115
40 Liverpool Street, EC2M7QN | 5 minutes from The Swiss Re Tower (aka 'The Gherkin' or '30 St Mary Axe ')
Housed in one of the great Victorian station hotels, this showstopper is a mixture of meticulous nineteenth century restoration and the glittering wit of Terrence Conran's ...More
London > Hotels > Luxury Chain Hotel Double Rooms: 73% off from £90
8-14 Cooper's Row, EC3N | 7 minutes from The Swiss Re Tower (aka 'The Gherkin' or '30 St Mary Axe ')
The Grange City Hotel is a 5 star hotel that's luxury is matched by the superb panoramic views over the city of London. A stone's throw ...More
London > Hotels > Mid-Range Chain Hotel Double Rooms: 28% off from £119
5 Commercial Street, E1 | 9 minutes from The Swiss Re Tower (aka 'The Gherkin' or '30 St Mary Axe ')
...More
Alternative Historic Buildings nearest The Swiss Re Tower (aka 'The Gherkin' or '30 St Mary Axe ')
London > Attractions > Historic Buildings
12 Leadenhall Street, London, City, London EC3V | 3 minutes from The Swiss Re Tower (aka 'The Gherkin' or '30 St Mary Axe ')
The landmark Lloyd's building, at 1 Lime Street, is arguably one of the most iconic buildings in The City. Designed by architect Richard Rogers, it was ...More
London > Attractions > Historic Buildings
Tower 42, 25 Old Broad Street, London, City, London EC2N | 4 minutes from The Swiss Re Tower (aka 'The Gherkin' or '30 St Mary Axe ')
The first skyscraper in the City of London and, at 600ft, it's still the tallest in central London, though the fifth tallest in the city as ...More
London > Attractions > Historic Buildings
City of London, City, London EC4N | 9 minutes from The Swiss Re Tower (aka 'The Gherkin' or '30 St Mary Axe ')
Mansion House, the Palace of the London Mayor, was originally for the Lord Mayor to represent the City in appropriate style, Sir Crispin Gascoigne was the ...More
Sights and Attractions near The Swiss Re Tower (aka 'The Gherkin' or '30 St Mary Axe ')
London > Attractions > Art Galleries
64 Middlesex Street, London, Spitalfields, London E1 | 6 minutes from The Swiss Re Tower (aka 'The Gherkin' or '30 St Mary Axe ')
The Electric Blue Gallery gallery, co-owned by Jessica Tibbles and Olivier Bernay, opened in January 2009. By February, Wallpaper* magazine was calling the launch "a highlight ...More
London > Attractions > Art Galleries
56 Artillery Lane, London, Spitalfields, London E1 | 7 minutes from The Swiss Re Tower (aka 'The Gherkin' or '30 St Mary Axe ')
Raven Row, a non-profit contemporary art centre in Spitalfields, not far from the Market, opened to the public on 28th February 2009. The name - nothing ...More
London > Attractions > Museums
Bartholomew Lane, London, City, London EC2R | 8 minutes from The Swiss Re Tower (aka 'The Gherkin' or '30 St Mary Axe ')
Sorry, no free samples here but you can get your hands on a real gold bar. Housed within the Bank of England, the Bank of England ...More
Events near The Swiss Re Tower (aka 'The Gherkin' or '30 St Mary Axe ')
London > Events > Exhibitions Dates: 30th May, 31st May and 1st June 2012 - 11am-7pm
StolenSpace Gallery, Dray Walk, The Old Truman Brewery, 91 Brick Lane, E1 | 14 minutes from The Swiss Re Tower (aka 'The Gherkin' or '30 St Mary Axe ')
Contemporary drawings by the Japanese artist and designer known for his work in the worlds of fashion, skating and album cover design....More
London > Events > Concerts Dates: Friday 1st June 2012 - 1pm
Guildhall School Of Music And Drama, Silk Street, EC2Y | 14 minutes from The Swiss Re Tower (aka 'The Gherkin' or '30 St Mary Axe ')
Students perform Bach's Organ Sonata No 1, Mozart's Operatic Arias from The Marriage Of Figaro and Quantz Sonata In D, Rimsky-Korsakov's Flight Of The Bumble Bee ...More
London > Events > Concerts Dates: Friday 1st June 2012
Cafe 1001, 1 Dray Walk, Brick Lane, E1 | 16 minutes from The Swiss Re Tower (aka 'The Gherkin' or '30 St Mary Axe ')
Indie-rock by the London-based band....More
Entertainment near The Swiss Re Tower (aka 'The Gherkin' or '30 St Mary Axe ')
London > Entertainment > Classical Music
230 Bishopsgate, London, Spitalfields, London EC2M | 7 minutes from The Swiss Re Tower (aka 'The Gherkin' or '30 St Mary Axe ')
Built in 1891-94 by Charles Harrison Townsend, the Bishopsgate Institute's facade has a theme of arts and crafts. Inside you will find 19th century tiling, a ...More
London > Entertainment > Arts Centres
91 Brick Lane, London, Spitalfields, London E1 | 14 minutes from The Swiss Re Tower (aka 'The Gherkin' or '30 St Mary Axe ')
Popular with the Shoreditch crowd on the weekends, The Old Truman Brewery houses more than 200 small, creative businesses, a bar and several areas for hire. ...More
London > Entertainment > Live Music
Glaziers Hall, 9 Montague Close, London Bridge, Bankside, London SE1 | 15 minutes from The Swiss Re Tower (aka 'The Gherkin' or '30 St Mary Axe ')
100 people in a room, all armed with a large African drum, banging in unison, until reaching a deafening crescendo - that's the premise of Drum ...More
Shopping near The Swiss Re Tower (aka 'The Gherkin' or '30 St Mary Axe ')
London > Shopping > Markets
Whittington Avenue, off Gracechurch Street, London, City, London EC3V | 4 minutes from The Swiss Re Tower (aka 'The Gherkin' or '30 St Mary Axe ')
Leadenhall Market is a restored Victorian covered market that sells traditional game, poultry, fish and meat. Although there has been a forum (market place) on where ...More
London > Shopping > Food and Drink Shops
4-5 Leadenhall Market, London, City, London EC3V | 4 minutes from The Swiss Re Tower (aka 'The Gherkin' or '30 St Mary Axe ')
Dedicated fromageries are rare in London, but with around 100 different British and continental cheeses on offer, they don't come much more dedicated than Cheese at ...More
London > Shopping > Food and Drink Shops
7 Leadenhall Market, London, City, London EC3V | 4 minutes from The Swiss Re Tower (aka 'The Gherkin' or '30 St Mary Axe ')
This excellent butchers within the beautiful Leadenhall Market continues the long tradition at the market where British food has been sold since the 14th century. The ...More
Restaurants near The Swiss Re Tower (aka 'The Gherkin' or '30 St Mary Axe ')
London > Restaurants > Cafes and Delis
The Gherkin, 30 St Mary Axe, London, City, London EC3A | 1 minute from The Swiss Re Tower (aka 'The Gherkin' or '30 St Mary Axe ')
Specialists in the creation of amazingly tasty cakes which are also sold on to some of the finest restaurants in the city, this store and adjoining ...More
London > Restaurants > Cafes and Delis
25 St Mary Axe, London, City, London EC3A | 1 minute from The Swiss Re Tower (aka 'The Gherkin' or '30 St Mary Axe ')
Pret sells up market fast food, hand made from natural ingredients, to take away or eat on site, in its trademark no nonsense chrome interiors. The ...More
London > Restaurants > Italian restaurants
107 - 112 Leadenhall Street, Bank, , London, City, London EC3A | 1 minute from The Swiss Re Tower (aka 'The Gherkin' or '30 St Mary Axe ')
Italian cuisine. Booking advised for lunch. Separate room for parties. ...More
Education near The Swiss Re Tower (aka 'The Gherkin' or '30 St Mary Axe ')
London > Education > Evening Classes
4 Luke Street, London, Shoreditch, London EC2A | 16 minutes from The Swiss Re Tower (aka 'The Gherkin' or '30 St Mary Axe ')
National charity for adult learning which also runs an excellent selection of theatre, literature, history and politics evening classes....More
London > Education > Professional Training
106 Bunhill Row, London, City, London EC1Y | 19 minutes from The Swiss Re Tower (aka 'The Gherkin' or '30 St Mary Axe ')
City’s Print Journalism course is recognised as the best in London. Although places like Goldsmith’s are trendier, City is respected in the industry thanks to a ...More
London > Education > Evening Classes
10 Sunbury Workshops, Swanfield Street, London, Shoreditch, London E2 | 21 minutes from The Swiss Re Tower (aka 'The Gherkin' or '30 St Mary Axe ')
Learn some crafty manouveurs at Making Space where classes on mask making, glass engraving, pyrography (burning patterns into wood or leather), chainmail knitting, and book hollowing ...More
Leisure near The Swiss Re Tower (aka 'The Gherkin' or '30 St Mary Axe ')
London > Leisure > Activities
95 Brick Lane, London, Spitalfields, London E1 | 14 minutes from The Swiss Re Tower (aka 'The Gherkin' or '30 St Mary Axe ')
The third of these increasingly popular 1950s retro-America style bowling alleys opened in late 2008 to much critical acclaim. Located in the Old Truman Brewery on ...More
London > Leisure > Parks and Gardens
City Hall, 110 The Queens Walk, London, Bankside, London SE1 | 16 minutes from The Swiss Re Tower (aka 'The Gherkin' or '30 St Mary Axe ')
Potters Fields Park occupies a prime spot between City Hall (from where the Mayor runs London) and Tower Bridge. The pedestrianised, grassy area on the south ...More
London > Leisure > Parks and Gardens
King Edward Street, London, City, London EC4M | 18 minutes from The Swiss Re Tower (aka 'The Gherkin' or '30 St Mary Axe ')
Bounded in by surrounding office buildings, Postman's Park's appeal lies in what it symbolises as much as how it looks. Located just north of St Paul's ...More
Pubs near The Swiss Re Tower (aka 'The Gherkin' or '30 St Mary Axe ')
London > Restaurants > Gastropub
28-30 Paul Street, London, Shoreditch, London EC2A | 15 minutes from The Swiss Re Tower (aka 'The Gherkin' or '30 St Mary Axe ')
Ideally located away from the chaos of the City and in the trendy and thriving Shoreditch area, The Fox is a stylish gastropub offering food and ...More
London > Restaurants > Gastropub
76 Paul Street, London, Shoreditch, London EC2A | 18 minutes from The Swiss Re Tower (aka 'The Gherkin' or '30 St Mary Axe ')
Take the spiral staircase up out of this busy Old Street boozer and you find yourself in a small, chic dining room with big picture windows, ...More
London > Nightlife > Pubs
23 Horsleydown Road, Bermondsey, London, Bankside, London SE1 | 19 minutes from The Swiss Re Tower (aka 'The Gherkin' or '30 St Mary Axe ')
Situated on the south side of the Thames in the Tower Bridge Conservation Area, this historic Southwark pub offers a truly traditional English experience. From the ...More
Nightlife near The Swiss Re Tower (aka 'The Gherkin' or '30 St Mary Axe ')
London > Nightlife > Wine Bars
Tower 42, 25 Old Broad Street, London, City, London EC2N | 3 minutes from The Swiss Re Tower (aka 'The Gherkin' or '30 St Mary Axe ')
Forget the London Eye, Britain’s highest bar is perched in an eagle’s nest on the 42nd floor of Tower 42 (formerly the NatWest Tower). From this ...More
London > Nightlife > Nightclubs
8 Bishopsgate Churchyard, London, City, London EC2M | 4 minutes from The Swiss Re Tower (aka 'The Gherkin' or '30 St Mary Axe ')
Originally built as a Victorian Turkish Bathhouse, this one-storey building stands small next to its neighbouring City sky scrapers. But despite its diminutive one-storey stature, this ...More
London > Nightlife > Nightclubs
1 Mark Lane, London, City, London EC3R | 5 minutes from The Swiss Re Tower (aka 'The Gherkin' or '30 St Mary Axe ')
Just as you used to be in a 1920s speakeasy, at Proud Cabaret you're entertained while you dine. A lively mix of cabaret, jazz and burlesque ...More
Meeting venue hire near The Swiss Re Tower (aka 'The Gherkin' or '30 St Mary Axe ')
London > Business > Venue Hire
30 St Mary Axe, Aldgate, London, City, London EC3A | 1 minute from The Swiss Re Tower (aka 'The Gherkin' or '30 St Mary Axe ')
...More
London > Business > Venue Hire
13 Bishopsgate, London, City, London EC2N | 3 minutes from The Swiss Re Tower (aka 'The Gherkin' or '30 St Mary Axe ')
...More
London > Business > Venue Hire
13 Devonshire Sq, Broadgate, London, City, London EC2M | 4 minutes from The Swiss Re Tower (aka 'The Gherkin' or '30 St Mary Axe ')
...More
Also in St Mary Axe
Our recommendations in the same street as The Swiss Re Tower (aka 'The Gherkin' or '30 St Mary Axe ')
Alternate names and popular misspellings for The Swiss Re Tower (aka 'The Gherkin' or '30 St Mary Axe ')
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What's On Today Near The Swiss Re Tower (aka 'the Gherkin' Or '30 St Mary Axe ') Grande Fete Clubbing and Nightlife | On 1st June 2012 Proud Cabaret 5 minutes walk from The Swiss Re Tower (aka 'the Gherkin' Or '30 St Mary Axe ') ...More Dance Nights Clubbing and Nightlife | Until 29th June 2012 EC3 Live 7 minutes walk from The Swiss Re Tower (aka 'the Gherkin' Or '30 St Mary Axe ') Princess Karina and DJ Gary Baldi spin dance hits....More Josiah McElheny: The Bloomberg Commission Exhibitions | Until 12th August 2012 Whitechapel Gallery 11 minutes walk from The Swiss Re Tower (aka 'the Gherkin' Or '30 St Mary Axe ') Asked to create a new piece for the Bloomberg Commission, the New York-based artist offers a display of seven large-scaled ...More ![]() Gilian Wearing Exhibitions | Until 17th June 2012 Whitechapel Gallery 11 minutes walk from The Swiss Re Tower (aka 'the Gherkin' Or '30 St Mary Axe ') Turner Prize winner Gilian Wearing is famed for her fly-on-the-wall documentaries, reality TV and the techniques of theatre used to explore how ...More Government Art Collection: At Work Exhibitions | Until 4th September 2012 Whitechapel Gallery 11 minutes walk from The Swiss Re Tower (aka 'the Gherkin' Or '30 St Mary Axe ') A diverse selection of works, darting from the 16th century to the present day, chosen by high profile political figures, ...More ![]() Brick Lane Market Shopping | Until 31st January 2013 Brick Lane 11 minutes walk from The Swiss Re Tower (aka 'the Gherkin' Or '30 St Mary Axe ') Brick Lane Market is pure East End London, which means Jewish bagel shops, Bangladeshi curry houses, Indian sari silks - ...More 2 Years Of Eleflight Records at The Horse & Groom Clubbing and Nightlife | On 1st June 2012 Horse And Groom 14 minutes walk from The Swiss Re Tower (aka 'the Gherkin' Or '30 St Mary Axe ') ...More 12 Dirty Bullets, Barricades, Arp Attack Concerts | On 1st June 2012 93 Feet East 14 minutes walk from The Swiss Re Tower (aka 'the Gherkin' Or '30 St Mary Axe ') Indie-rock by the London-based band....More Bam Bam Sound Concerts | On 1st June 2012 The Big Chill Bar 14 minutes walk from The Swiss Re Tower (aka 'the Gherkin' Or '30 St Mary Axe ') Johnny Clash and Duck supply ska, reggae and bashment....More Guildhall School Oboes Players Concerts | On 1st June 2012 Guildhall School Of Music And Drama 14 minutes walk from The Swiss Re Tower (aka 'the Gherkin' Or '30 St Mary Axe ') Students perform Bach's Organ Sonata No 1, Mozart's Operatic Arias from The Marriage Of Figaro and Quantz Sonata In D, ...More
Hotels near The Swiss Re Tower (aka 'The Gherkin' or '30 St Mary Axe ')
From cheap budget places to stay to luxury 5 star suites see our deals for The Swiss Re Tower (aka 'The Gherkin' or '30 St Mary Axe ') hotels, including Ibis London City from 28% off. |














