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
Baltic Exchange (building) pediment. Due to planning conflicts, the components are still stored in their shipping containers for a decade Prior to its bombing in 1992, the Baltic Exchange building was used as one of the film locations for "Howards End", released in 1992. The film was an adaptation of E. M. Forster's novel by the same name. Baltic Exchange (building) The Baltic Exchange was a building located at 24–28 St Mary Axe in London and occupied by Baltic Exchange Ltd, a provider of information on maritime transportation markets. A historic landmark, the Baltic Exchange building was architecturally known for its cathedral-like trading