30 St Mary Axe
the Swiss Re Building (colloquially referred to as the Gherkin), is a skyscraper in London's main financial district, the City of London, completed in December 2003 and opened at the end of May 2004. With 40 floors, the tower is 180 metres (591 ft) tall, and stands on the former site of the Baltic Exchange building, which was severely damaged on 10 April 1992 by the explosion of a bomb placed by the Provisional IRA.
The building is on the former site of the Baltic Exchange building, the headquarters
of a global marketplace for ship sales and shipping information. On 10 April 1992
the Provisional IRA detonated a bomb close to the Exchange, severely damaging the
historic Exchange building and neighbouring structures. The UK government's statutory
adviser on the historic environment, English Heritage, and the City of London governing
body, the City of London Corporation, were keen that any redevelopment must restore
the building's old façade onto St Mary Axe. The Exchange Hall was a celebrated fixture
of the ship trading company.