One gherkin to rule them all

I watched the RIBA Stirling awards on tv earlier, the annual award ceremony for British architecture. I'm not an architecture wonk in any shape or form, save for the fact that I appreciate my environment and pay attention to the events that shape it. All entries were fascinating in their own right, although some clearly never stood a chance (the Spire in Dublin, for example), leading me to wonder how the short list was drawn up.

The most interesting entry, from my perspective, was the Bexely Business Academy, a new school designed by Lord Norman Foster (who was well represented in the short list - more on that in a moment). In shape and form the school is far from extraordinary - it bears close resemblance to many an office space, from the inside and out - but it still manages to be unique. Class rooms have been more or less wholly replaced by open plan areas and the interior makes excellent use of space, resulting in an interior that's bright and airy and a million miles removed from the dank 70's classrooms in which I was taught. It was heartening to see a building where such careful thought had gone towards it's usage rather than it's appearance, and the end result was a school in which I wish I had had the chance to be taught.

Perhaps a little surprisingly the eventual winner was Foster's 30 St Mary's Axe, more popularly, and perhaps even affectionately, known as "The Gherkin". I say "perhaps" because I still recall the considerable degree of animosity directed towards this project when it was initially announced. The tower is located on the site of the old Baltic Exchange, a lovely and much loved old building that was devastated by an IRA bomb some years back. Many wanted to see that building restored to it's former glory, so the decision to build a skyscraper instead was never going to be popular. Famously in London, it's impossible to discuss the erection of any buildings within the City of London (the borough, rather than London proper - there is a difference, although I'm quite certain there are some who would dispute it) without mention of how it will affect the views of St. Pauls Cathedral. Or, more accurately, how it will invariably ruin the aforementioned views and eventually bring about the untimely end of civilisation and humanity as we know it - they're a conservative bunch when it comes to architecture in the City. Of course, having witnessed some of the scars our cities bear, I can't necessarily disagree with such an approach (although I do wonder what views people complained about ruining when St. Pauls was being built).

Anyway, for these reasons it seemed that the Gherkin was always going to face an uphill struggle when it came to winning the hearts and minds of the public. But it did so, and I suspect that fact alone is reason enough for it to win. There's little doubt in my mind that It has improved the London skyline immeasurably - though this isn't hard to do when the competition consists of drab concrete monoliths like Tower 42 (even the name is dull).

The success of the Gherkin now seems set to spur architects to reach ever higher in London. It'll be interesting to see the results in the years to come, although, come to think of it, I'm not planning on being around to witness them...