The Gherkin

The Gherkin: London’s Most Distinctive Skyscraper and the City of London Around It

30 St Mary Axe, known as the Gherkin since before it was completed, was designed by Norman Foster and Partners and opened in 2003. It stands 180 metres tall across 41 storeys, tapers to a dome at the top, and uses a structural steel diagrid skin that allows the building to flex slightly in wind without the internal bracing that conventional rectilinear towers require. The aerodynamic shape was not arbitrary; wind-tunnel testing showed the curved form reduces wind load and allows natural ventilation through gaps in the facade, cutting energy use by about half compared to a conventional tower of similar size. There is a real argument that the Gherkin is the most technically interesting office building in London – certainly more interesting than most of what followed it.

It is not open to the public in the conventional tourist-attraction sense. The building is occupied by insurance and financial-sector tenants. Public access is limited to the ground-floor lobby and the exterior. The upper-floor restaurant and bar, operated by Searcys for many years, closed in early 2026 after a 20-year run. There is no longer a way to eat or drink here at the top with city views – this is a genuine loss for casual visitors who wanted that experience.

What Visitors Actually Do

Most people visit the Gherkin to photograph it from outside, which is entirely reasonable. The best exterior perspectives:

From the north, looking south along St Mary Axe itself: the street is named after one of the three medieval churches that stood here, and the building’s address is a direct continuation of that history. The entry plaza at the building’s base has a reflecting pool that gives good dawn shots before the business district fills up.

From the south, from the Leadenhall Market area: the 1881 Leadenhall Market (cast iron and glass arcade, used as the model for Diagon Alley in the Harry Potter films) sits alongside Lloyd’s of London (Richard Rogers, 1986) and has the Gherkin visible above it. This juxtaposition of Victorian commercial architecture and 21st-century financial infrastructure is uniquely City of London and makes for better photographs than the tower in isolation.

From the viewing platforms at Sky Garden (20 Fenchurch Street, free, book in advance at skygarden.london) you get an elevated view looking roughly north that places the Gherkin in the context of the broader City skyline including the Heron Tower and the Cheesegrater.

The City of London

The Gherkin is in the City of London, the historic square mile that is London’s financial core. The concentration of architectural interest here is exceptional and almost entirely free to walk around.

Lloyd’s of London at 1 Lime Street (Richard Rogers, 1986): the inside-out building with its service ducts, lifts, and staircases on the exterior. One of the most significant postmodern buildings in the world. The exterior is openly viewable; internal access is not available to the public.

Leadenhall Market: the Victorian arcade beneath the City. A working market (deli, restaurants, pubs) rather than a tourist attraction, though it is both. Free to walk through at any time and genuinely atmospheric, particularly on a quiet weekend morning when the traders are absent.

The Monument (1677): Christopher Wren’s column commemorating the Great Fire of London, 62 metres tall, standing exactly 62 metres from the bakery on Pudding Lane where the fire began. The column height was chosen to function as a horizontal sundial by casting its shadow at noon. It can be climbed (311 steps) for a view over the Thames bridges; entry around £6. The precise mathematics of its construction – a scientific instrument built as a monument – is worth a moment of appreciation.

St Paul’s Cathedral: about 15 minutes’ walk west from the Gherkin. Wren’s masterpiece, completed 1710, with a dome that was the highest point in London until the 20th century. The Whispering Gallery inside the dome is remarkable acoustically; the Stone Gallery and Golden Gallery above it give external city views. Entry around £22; free for religious services.

Museum of London: relocated in 2026 from its Barbican site to West Smithfield in a newly converted historic building. Check the current opening situation before visiting; the new location makes it more useful for a City walk itinerary than the old one.

Practical Notes

The City of London is a working business district that is essentially empty on weekends and public holidays. If you want to see it with people in it – queues at Leadenhall, workers with coffee, the financial district operating – come on a Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday, lunchtime. The cafes and restaurants around Leadenhall are open weekdays; many close at weekends.

Nearest Tube stops to the Gherkin: Liverpool Street (Hammersmith & City, Central, Metropolitan, Elizabeth Lines), Aldgate (Circle, District Lines), Bank (Central, Northern, Elizabeth Lines, DLR).