What was the building previously called?

The skyscraper was previously known as the Swiss Re Building.

Why is the building nicknamed The Gherkin?

The tower is nicknamed The Gherkin due to its vegetable-like shape.

What previously occupied the site?

The site was previously occupied by the Baltic Exchange and the Chamber of Shipping.

In which part of London is the skyscraper situated?

The skyscraper is situated in the primary financial district of the City of London.

London · United Kingdom

30 St Mary Axe: what's nearby, how to get there and when to go · 2026

Long-term professionals in the City trade quiet residential amenities for dense financial footpaths and strict office security around St Mary Axe.

The Gherkin · CC BY-SA 4.0

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British Museum≈ 40 min Big Ben≈ 45 min Palace of Westminster≈ 45 min Westminster Abbey≈ 45 min Buckingham Palace≈ 55 min

About the place

The distinctive curved glass silhouette on St Mary Axe defines the commercial skyline of the financial district.

The commercial skyscraper stands in the primary financial district on St Mary Axe, a narrow corridor running north from Leadenhall Street. Known widely by its popular vegetable nickname The Gherkin and originally called the Swiss Re Building, the multi-storey corporate tower introduced curved aerodynamic geometry to the historic street grid.

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The modern tower occupies ground previously held by the Baltic Exchange and the Chamber of Shipping. Those former commercial exchange headquarters suffered extensive structural damage during a bomb explosion by the Provisional IRA in the surrounding street, prompting the redevelopment of the entire site into prime corporate office space.

Associations

The GherkinVegetable nickname derived from the distinctive curved profile.
Baltic ExchangeHistoric maritime institution whose destroyed site the tower now occupies.
Swiss Re BuildingOriginal corporate designation of the commercial skyscraper.
Commercial accessPrivate office operations restrict general entry to tenant personnel.

Facts

The tower stands on the historic site of the Baltic Exchange and the Chamber of Shipping.
The location was redeveloped following bomb damage caused by the Provisional IRA on St Mary Axe.
The structure originally carried the official name of the Swiss Re Building before its popular nickname took hold.
St Mary Axe forms a narrow street heading north from Leadenhall Street in the financial district.

Updated September 10, 2026Source: Wikipedia

30 St Mary Axe: what's nearby, how to get there and when to go · 2026

What is around9

The distinctive curved glass silhouette on St Mary Axe defines the commercial skyline of the financial district.

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