This technical report presents the designs and the structure of 30 St Mary Axe which was awarded the 2004 RIBA Stirling Prize and how the designs save 50% more energy than a traditional office building.
1.0 Introduction
30 St Mary Axe is an environmental protective building. It was designed by world famous architects Norman Foster, his partner Skanska and Arup Group. The owners of the building are Swiss reinsurance company Headquarters in London, so it also called "Swiss reinsurance Tower". Also, because of the unique appearance, it is also named "The Gherkin". 30 St Mary Axe was built in December 2003, and opened in April 28, 2004. It is located in the central area of the City of London Corporation with 180 meters high, a total of 40 storeys and it is an emblem of a new wave of tall buildings in London. The building was awarded the 2004 Royal Institute of British Architects Stirling Prize, and undoubtedly it is one of the best building in London in the 21st century. According to the LEED Green Building Rating System, the building was assessed five aspects: sustainability, protection of water quality and water saving, energy efficiency and renewable energy, managing material and resource and finally indoor environmental quality, "30 St Mary Axe" earns a “gold” grade with 39 points score. A gold-rated building is estimated to have 50% less environmental influence than an equivalent traditional building.
2.0…show more content… It is a attractive place, not because of its appearance and funny name, but its extraordinary energy saving