The Gherkin
The Gherkin is a 180 m Postmodern skyscraper in the City of London, located at 30 St. Mary Axe. Designed by Norman Foster, Foster and Partners, and Ken Shuttleworth using steel, glass, and concrete, the building was opened in 2004 and is named after Swiss Re and a pickled cucumber. It is the 38th most looked-up sight in the United Kingdom on English Wikipedia and is one of 124 sights in the country on this website.
Planning a visit
July is a good month for warmth, with daily highs of 22 °C and lows of 13 °C. February is the driest month with 43 mm of rain, whereas October is the wettest with 71 mm. January and December are the coldest months, with daily highs of 7 °C and lows between 2 °C and 3 °C.
The skyscraper is 3 km from London. London City Airport is 9 km away, and London Heathrow Airport is 27 km away. The building is wheelchair accessible. Nearby sights include the Tower of London, 0.7 km away, HMS Belfast and London Bridge, both 0.9 km away, Tower Bridge at 1 km, and The Shard at 1.2 km.
Weather by month
The warmest month is July, with an average high of 22 °C. Rain is spread fairly evenly through the year.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average high, °C | 7 | 8 | 10 | 13 | 16 | 19 | 22 | 21 | 18 | 15 | 10 | 7 |
| Average low, °C | 2 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 11 | 13 | 13 | 11 | 8 | 5 | 3 |
| Rainfall, mm | 58 | 43 | 46 | 46 | 52 | 47 | 45 | 53 | 56 | 71 | 66 | 60 |
| Rainy days | 14 | 12 | 13 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 13 | 13 | 15 |
Temperatures and rainfall: 1981–2010 averages for this spot (4 km grid), from CHELSA. Rainy days: 2015–2024, NASA POWER.
