Walk out of Liverpool Street Station and look up. You can't miss it. Officially, it’s 30 St Mary Axe, but literally nobody calls it that. To everyone from black cab drivers to high-end architects, it's just the Gherkin. It’s been sitting there since 2004, and honestly, even with the Shard and the Walkie Talkie crowding the skyline, pictures of the gherkin remain the gold standard for anyone trying to capture the "vibe" of modern London. It’s weird, right? A building shaped like a pickle shouldn't be this iconic, yet it changed how we look at cities forever.
It was a total gamble. When Norman Foster and Ken Shuttleworth first pitched the design, the planning committees weren’t exactly thrilled. There were concerns it would ruin the view of St Paul’s Cathedral. People worried it looked too "alien." But once those 7,429 glass panels went up, the narrative flipped. It became a symbol of a New London—sleek, transparent, and slightly eccentric.
Capturing the Curve: Why This Building Is a Photographer’s Dream
Most skyscrapers are boring boxes. They’re vertical rectangles that don't give a lens much to work with. The Gherkin is different because it has no straight edges. None. When you're trying to take high-quality pictures of the gherkin, you’re basically playing with light and geometry. The building uses a diagrid structure, which is that diamond-shaped steel skin you see on the outside. This isn't just for show; it’s structural, meaning the inside doesn't need those chunky internal pillars that ruin office floor plans.
From a photography perspective, this creates a rhythm. If you stand right at the base and shoot straight up, the lines converge in a way that feels almost hypnotic. The glass reflects the sky in shifting gradients. On a cloudy London afternoon, it looks like polished pewter. During a sunset, it catches orange and pink hues that make the building look like it's glowing from the inside.
One thing people often miss is the "spirals." You’ll notice darker bands of glass wrapping around the structure. These aren't just aesthetic stripes. They are actually part of the building's ventilation system. The Gherkin "breathes." It uses shafts between floors to pull in fresh air, which is why those dark bands look different in photos—they have a different depth and transparency than the office windows.
💡 You might also like: Hotels Near University of Texas Arlington: What Most People Get Wrong
The Best Spots for Pictures of the Gherkin (That Aren't Cliche)
If you want the standard shot, you go to the corner of St Mary Axe and Leadenhall Street. It’s fine. It’s classic. But it’s also what everyone else has on their Instagram. If you want something that actually looks professional, you have to get creative with your angles and locations.
The Heron Tower View
Go across the street to the Salesforce Tower (formerly Heron Tower). If you can snag a reservation at Duck & Waffle or SUSHISAMBA, you’re golden. You get an eye-level perspective of the Gherkin’s "cap." The top of the building is actually the only piece of curved glass on the whole structure—the rest are flat panes angled to look curved. Seeing that dome from 40 floors up is a game-changer for your portfolio.
Leadenhall Market Contrast
This is a personal favorite. Walk into the Victorian splendor of Leadenhall Market. It’s all ornate red paint and cobblestones. If you position yourself near one of the entrances and look out, you can frame the ultra-modern Gherkin through a 19th-century archway. It’s the perfect visual metaphor for London: the ancient sitting right next to the futuristic.
The South Bank Long Shot
Cross the river. Stand near the HMS Belfast or City Hall (the "Glass Egg"). From here, the Gherkin peeks out from behind the older buildings of the City. It looks smaller, more like a piece of jewelry in the skyline. Use a telephoto lens here to compress the image—it makes the Gherkin look like it’s looming right over the historic Tower of London.
📖 Related: 10 day forecast myrtle beach south carolina: Why Winter Beach Trips Hit Different
The Technical Reality: Dealing With Security and Light
Let's talk shop for a second. Taking pictures of the gherkin isn't always as easy as "point and shoot." The City of London is private property in many places, and the Gherkin has its own security detail. Usually, if you’re just using a phone or a small mirrorless camera, they won’t bug you. But the second you pull out a tripod, you might get a tap on the shoulder.
Security guards in the Square Mile are notoriously twitchy about tripods because they signal "commercial shoot." If you want that long-exposure shot of car lights streaking past the base, try using a "bean bag" or just resting your camera on a trash can or a bollard. It’s less conspicuous.
Then there’s the light. Because the building is a giant mirror, mid-day sun is your enemy. It creates harsh glares that blow out the details of the glass. The "Blue Hour"—that 20-minute window right after the sun goes down but before the sky turns black—is the sweet spot. The internal lights of the offices turn on, creating a honeycomb effect, while the sky remains a deep, velvety blue. This is when the building looks most three-dimensional.
Architecture That Actually Works
It’s easy to dismiss the Gherkin as just a pretty face, but the engineering is what makes it a masterpiece. It was one of the first truly "green" skyscrapers in London. Those shafts I mentioned earlier? They allow the building to use about 50% less energy than a traditional office block of the same size.
👉 See also: Rock Creek Lake CA: Why This Eastern Sierra High Spot Actually Lives Up to the Hype
The shape also helps with wind. Ever walked past a tall building and got hit by a sudden, violent gust? That’s called the "downdraught effect." Flat-faced buildings push wind straight down to the street. The Gherkin’s aerodynamic curves allow wind to flow around it, making the plaza at the bottom a much more pleasant place to stand than, say, the base of the Shard.
Why We Are Still Obsessed
Maybe it’s because it doesn't try to be "serious." London’s skyline is full of glass shards, walkie-talkies, and cheesegraters, but the Gherkin was the first to give the city a sense of humor. It’s tactile. You kind of want to reach out and touch it.
When you look at pictures of the gherkin from 2004 compared to 2026, the building hasn't aged. It still feels like it landed from the future. It’s survived ownership changes—it was originally the Swiss Re building, then it was sold to the Safra Group—and it has survived a literal explosion of surrounding construction. Even as taller buildings go up, the Gherkin remains the anchor of the financial district’s visual identity.
Actionable Tips for Your Next Visit
If you’re heading out to capture this icon, keep these points in mind:
- Check the reflection: Look at the puddles after a London rain. The Gherkin’s reflection in a dirty street puddle is often more interesting than the building itself.
- Go to the Garden at 120: This is a free public roof garden nearby. It offers one of the best unobstructed views of the Gherkin without having to pay for an expensive cocktail.
- Focus on the apex: The very top of the building is a bar called Iris. The glass work there is intricate. Use a zoom lens to capture the way the steel beams meet at the pinnacle.
- Watch the weather: Don't be afraid of the fog. A "pea-souper" London fog makes the Gherkin look like a ghost ship. It’s moody and incredibly cinematic.
The Gherkin isn't just a building; it's a personality. Whether you're a professional photographer or just someone with a smartphone and a curiosity, it offers something new every time the light shifts. It’s the anchor of the London skyline for a reason.
Next Steps for Enthusiasts:
To truly appreciate the architecture, visit during Open House London (usually in September). It’s one of the few times the general public can get inside the lobby and see the inner workings of the diagrid system without an office badge. For the best street-level shots, arrive at the St Mary Axe plaza before 8:00 AM on a Sunday; the City is a ghost town, and you’ll have the entire architecture to yourself without thousands of commuters blurring your frame.