London cucumber

[AndrewP]

Does anyone know if that giant cucumber shaped building in London is finished? I can't remember what it's called, but it seemed to be well progressed last time I was there...

[Andrew Duffy]

Swiss Reinsurance Building, more formally known as 7 St Mary Axe (the reinsurance buisness got hurt by flooding in Germany and terrorism in the USA so Swiss Re are only going to use some of it).
I think it is actually due to get capped out tomorrow. The cladding is about halfway up, and looking very nice indeed.

[ro_G]

the erotic gerkin as they are calling it:
http://www.fosterandpartners.com/internetsite/html/Project.asp?JobNo=1004

[AndrewP]

Thanks. Wow. Why can't we build stuff like that in Dublin?

[RSJ]

This is Foster back on form after some dodgy buildings. Not that it's quite all he intended. Early models show a pattern of lushly-planted atria spiralling round the building. A bit Ken Yeang-ish.

Then someone got out the net floorspace calculator and those big atria became little light slots. It's still good, though.