With many names, 30 St Mary Axe, the Swiss Re Tower, or the Gherkin, this building is an easily recognizable aspect of the London skyline. The circular shape of the building is not only adds to the intrigue of the building, but also increases its functionality. The building has radial geometry and each “radiating finger” links vertically to the surrounding floors. This creates spaces that are often used as social gathering or meeting places, but these open spaces also distribute air that is brought in through openings in the façade. The building’s “lungs” reduces the use of air conditioning and as a result the Gherkin only uses half of the energy as an office building solely cooled by air conditioning units. The circular shape also makes the building more aerodynamic and reduces wind deflection. Completed in 2004, it is 41 stories (180) meters tall and has 46,400 square meters of office space. As with many other buildings designed by Norman Foster and Foster + Partners, the Gherkin was created with both functionality, beauty, and the environment in mind.