The City Adventurers headed to the City of London for a spot of sight-seeing.
30 St Mary Axe, otherwise known as The Gherkin, is one of the City of London’s most recognisable pieces of architecture. This distinctive landmark got its nickname due to its round, vegetable-like design. A feature of the London skyline, the glass-fronted tower was designed by British architect Sir Norman Foster. Opened in 2004, it took two years to construct and features a distinctive spiral design. The Gherkin is 180 metres (591ft) tall and towers 41 floors above the City of London’s financial district.
The Gherkin is a private office building, so it isn’t normally open to the public. However, you can visit the iconic building does take part in the annual Open House London event. Remember to take photo ID with you as you will need to pass through airport-style security.
The Gherkin facts
- Despite its shape, the lens at the very top of the tower is the only piece of curved glass used in The Gherkin.
- There are 18 passenger lifts which travel at speeds of up to six metres (20ft) per second.
- There are 1,037 steps in each of The Gherkin building’s stairwells.
- 30 St Mary Axe is covered in 24,000 sq m (2,200 sq ft) of glass, which equates to five football pitches.
- The Gherkin building is constructed from more than 35km (21 miles) of steel, weighing a total of 10,000 tonnes.
- information from https://www.visitlondon.com/
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The UK based Social Club for people who love exploring new places, discovering new things, seeing shows and solving mysteries.
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