Aldgate, Bank or Liverpool Street

The tower is not open to the public. However, the bar and restaurant at the top of the tower, can be hired for private events.

020 7071 5009

The Swiss Re Tower, is the UK headquarters for Swiss Re, the worlds largest rein surer – providing insurance to insurance companies. The building is widely known by the nickname "The Gherkin", and at 590-feet (180-metres) tall it is the sixth-tallest building in London. The building was designed by Pritzker Prize-winner Lord Foster and was constructed by Skanska of Sweden, completed in 2004.

The building is on the former site of the Baltic Exchange, the headquarters of a global marketplace for ship sales and shipping information. In 1992 a bomb, detonated by the IRA, exploded close to the Exchange, severely damaging the historic Exchange building and neighbouring structures. English Heritage later discovered the damage was extensive and the building had to be demolished.

The building uses energy-saving methods which allow it to use half the power of a similar tower. Gaps in each floor provide a natural ventilation system for the entire building which creates a giant double glazing effect. Air is sandwiched between two layers of glazing and insulates the office space inside. The shafts pull warm air out of the building during the summer and warm the building in the winter using solar heating. The shafts also allow sunlight to pass through the building, making the work environment more pleasing, and keeping the lighting costs down.

The cap at the very top

On the top floor, the 40th floor, there is a bar featuring a 360° view of London. This bar caused the architects some design problems as it was not possible to house the usual extensive elevator equipment on the roof of the building. This was solved by having the main elevator only reach the 34th floor, and a push from below elevator to the higher floors.

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