On the chapter of architectural aesthetics of this building, let us leave people to judge by themselves. Having been at the top floor, we can say that we were impressed by the view, with seagulls trying unsuccessfully to land on the top glass panels, the sun going down over the City... The rest is . just secondary.

We just did a “walk by” of this building, but I’m glad we did. It’s a fine example of the diverse architecture that is in London. Close to St. Paul’s Cathedral, but far from similar! I was not aware there is a restaurant (or more) available inside. If you’re interested in architecture, this building is certainly worth checking out while in town.

Wednesday 2nd October we were walking the streets of the City of London, sightseeing. We could not overlook this impressive building as it stretched skywards. The building is actually 30 St Mary Axe, however it is more commonly known and referred to as "The Gherkin" due to it’s shape. It is one of the many modern tall buildings that now populate the London skyline. As we walked by all we could do was stop and stare in amazement at this amazing structure, for it's sheer size, design and construction. It stands on the site of a previous building, the Baltic Exchange which was destroyed by a bomb explosion in 1992. The amazing building has risen up from the site and now stands one hundred and eighty metres (five hundred and ninety one feet) tall. It is a stand out feature of the skyline. The building constructed with mainly metal and glass panels in stripes, it has forty-one floor and was completed in December 2003 and opened in April 2004. As we walked by the building it was fascinating to see the reflections of the surrounding buildings move around the panels of The Gherkin. It is possible visit the viewpoint at the top of the building, we did not visit as we had plans for later in the afternoon. As we stood there in awe of the building, it's height made us feel a bit intimidated, insignificant and small. Later on in the afternoon the tables turned as we visited the viewing platform at the nearby Horizon 22. Standing on the fifty-eighth floor, we had the opportunity to look down on The Gherkin from above, was not so intimidating then.