30 St Mary Axe nearly oblivious to the tower's existence until directly underneath it. The building was constructed by Skanska, completed in December 2003 and opened on 28 April 2004. The primary occupant of the building is Swiss Re, a global reinsurance company, which had the building commissioned as the head office for its UK operation. The tower is thus sometimes known as the Swiss Re Building, although this name has never been official and has more recently fallen out of favour, since the company's main headquarters is in Zurich and the Gherkin name has become more popular. The building uses energy-saving methods which
Mary Two-Axe Earley Mary Two-Axe Earley Mary Two-Axe Earley was a Mohawk woman from the reserve of Kahnawake, Quebec. She worked as an indigenous women's rights activist against the gender discrimination that lost indigenous women "status" under the Indian Act. Her work eventually lead to the passing of Bill C-31 in 1985, an amendment to the Indian Act to correct gender discrimination. Mary was a powerful speaker at several conferences, commissions and hearings worldwide in her pursuit of justice, basic human rights, and the equality of women before the law. Mary was a Clan Mother who valued the traditions and welfare of Aboriginal