Why is St Mary AXE so called?
Its common name (also St Mary [or Marie] at the Axe) derives from the sign of an axe over the east end of the church. The church’s patrons were the Skinners’ Company. According to John Stow in A Survey of London (1603), the name derived from “the signe of an Axe, over against the East end thereof”.
What is the 30 St Mary Axe used for?
30 St Mary Axe is business/office building in which you can also find a restaurant, lounge and a viewing platform.
Where in London is St Mary AXE?
St Mary Axe is a small street near Bishopsgate in the Square Mile. It’s famous as the home of the Gherkin skyscraper — officially called 30 St Mary Axe.
What is 30 St Mary Axe also known as?
30 St Mary Axe (previously known as the Swiss Re Building and informally known as the Gherkin) is a commercial skyscraper in London’s primary financial district, the City of London. It was completed in December 2003 and opened in April 2004.
What is the gherkins real name?
30 St Mary Axe
The Gherkin, otherwise known as 30 St Mary Axe, is one of the capital’s most famous buildings. It’s a feature of the London skyline and home to offices, a restaurant and a cocktail bar.
How do you pronounce St Mary AXE?
In the song “My Name Is John Wellington Wells”, the lyric renders his address as “Number Seventy, Simmery Axe”; this reflects the fact that some Londoners pronounce the street’s name as “S’M’ry Axe” rather than enunciating it fully.
Can you go inside the Gherkin London?
Can you go inside The Gherkin? The Gherkin isn’t normally open to the public but you can visit Helix restaurant and Iris bar, which are located on the top floors and have amazing panoramic views across the City of London. You can also can step inside the iconic building during special events such as Open House London.
Why is 30 St Mary AXE called the Gherkin?
Officially named 30 St. Mary Axe, the building has become known by its more popular moniker, “The Gherkin” because of its supposed resemblance to that particular food. On the top floor – the 40th, in fact – there is a bar for workers and their guests, providing a panoramic view of London.
Can you go inside The Gherkin London?
Why do they call it The Gherkin?
OVERVIEW. One of the most recognizable parts of London’s skyline, The Gherkin captured world attention when it opened in the early 2000s. Officially named 30 St. Mary Axe, the building has become known by its more popular moniker, “The Gherkin” because of its supposed resemblance to that particular food.
Where is 30 St Mary Axe in London?
Looking north up St Mary Axe. The gherkin-shaped skyscraper pictured is officially named 30 St Mary Axe. St Mary Axe was a medieval parish in the City of London whose name survives as that of the street which formerly occupied it.
Why was the St Mary Axe building built?
The building was built on the former location of the Baltic Exchange, destroyed by an IRA bomb in 1992, as a result the location has a historical, cultural, and emotional significance that required a special consideration by each of the parties involved. The building has roots in a radical, technical, architectural, social and spatial approach.
Where was the Baltic Exchange in St Mary Axe?
About half-way up St Mary Axe (Street) used to be the Baltic Exchange. That building was obliterated by an IRA bomb in 1992 and the Baltic Exchange was moved a short distance north to premises at 38 St Mary Axe (Street).
Why was 30 St Mary Axe called the Gherkin?
After the original site of the Baltic Exchange had been cleared, a new office block, designed by Norman Foster and Ken Shuttleworth, was built at 30 St Mary Axe and was called – unbelievably – ’30 St Mary Axe’. Because the building was round it was nicknamed the ‘Gherkin’.