30 St Mary Axe: 2003 Winner

The SKYDB Awards recognize high-rise buildings that unite architectural quality with practical performance, and 30 St Mary Axe in London was selected as the 2003 SKYDB Awards Winner.

The 180-meter office tower expands from a narrow base before tapering toward a rounded crown. Its circular floor plates and triangulated perimeter structure reduce the amount of street-level bulk on a constrained City of London site. Spiraling light wells divide each floor into six sectors and draw daylight deeper into the plan.

The aerodynamic form was refined through wind studies, reducing pressure at the base and limiting the need for a heavily braced conventional frame. Opening panels in the light wells allow natural ventilation during suitable weather, while the diagonal steel grid remains visible through the glass skin. The award recognizes a tower in which the structural system and environmental planning produce the outward form.

Architect: Foster + Partners