The Gherkin, ( 30 St. Mary Axe ) City of London
I had a “wee dram” with an old friend in the bar at the top of The Gherkin recently. 40th floor! Stunning views over London, incredible architectural design, a very memorable single malt and lunch with a few insurance wizards in sharp suits! Foster+Partners Architects : Since its completion, the building has won a number of prestigious awards for architecture. In October 2004, the architect was awarded the 2004 RIBA Stirling Prize. For the first time in the prize’s history, the judges reached a unanimous decision.
In December 2005, a survey of the world’s largest firms of architects published in 2006 BD World Architecture 200 voted the tower as the most admired new building in the world.(Wikipedia extract) Also saw the Hong Kong & Shanghai Banking Corporation Building and Chek Lap Kok International Airport in Hong Kong Designed by the practice on a recent trip. Been a big fan of Foster since visiting Sainsbury Centre for the Visual Arts in UK in my student days.
http://searcys.co.uk/venues/the-gherkin/gallery/#.Ut3TU_Z9Kgw
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/30_St_Mary_Axe
http://www.fosterandpartners.com/
