30 St Mary Axe, London (2004)
Norman Foster & Partners
Inevitably known as the Erotic Gherkin, Norman Foster's London landmark raised the bar for sustainable skyscrapers around the world. Its distinctive tapering profile is the key to its energy efficiency because it creates a pressure differential between inside and outside, driving fresh air into the building. The diagrid structure—repeated, in a different form, in Foster's Hearst Tower in New York—allows for floor-to-ceiling windows, ensuring the maximum amount of daylight. A system of atria acts as the building's "lungs," circulating fresh air drawn through the facade's double-skin. Combined, the features reduce the building's energy consumption by half, compared to a typical air conditioned office tower.
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