The building has a radial floor plan

the building has a radial floor plan with 6 fingers spreading out from a central core that contains elevators and other services.

Each floor rotates 5 degrees from the one below

the circumference of the building increases as it rises before decreasing at the top.

This was due to the constraints of the space at ground level the desire to build less of a footprint on the ground to maximize public use.

Additionally, the building’s form allows for more transparency and allows more natural light to reach the outside streets.

Interestingly, during construction the grave of a Roman girl was found and then stored in the Museum of London during construction before being returned to the base of the building [1]. The Gherkin is situated near public transit and in the midst of restaurants and shops, as well as other corporate companies.

The building has quite a few sustainable features. The circular design of the building required up to 25% less surface area than a rectilinear building, which meant less area for heat loss in the winter or solar gain in the summer.

The entire building has a double-skinned façade with a double glazed outer layer and a single glazed inner layer with a

center space that allows for ventilation.

Ventilation is maximized by sets of six spiraling lightwells, or atriums, which also allow natural light into the building.

The ventilation system reduces conventional air conditioning use due to the aerodynamic shape of the building, which creates air pressure differentials in the double skin and moves air up the building and across offices.

The building’s glass facade and the column-less floor plan both reduce the need for artificial lighting due to the building’s ability to maximize natural light penetration.

Additionally, lights are on level and motion sensors, reducing unnecessary lighting. All of this helps to reduce the building’s heating and cooling loads and its total energy needs. Within the double skin façade are blinds that can intercept solar radiation, at a 15% solar transmission rate, and the building can then reclaim heat from the solar radiation or reject it depending on the cooling or heating needs of the building.

The glass panels in the atriums are also tinted to reduce glare and solar gain.

The building received a Grade A specification for including a duel power supply, low energy services and envelope design, design criteria of one person per 10 square meter, 4 pipe fan coil AC system with ability to naturally ventilate, 2.75m floor to ceiling height, 150mm raised floors, 16 high-speed, high-capacity passenger lights, and a 1.5m planning grid.

The main energy source that the building uses is gas. The mechanical heating and cooling system is de-centralized so that several zones on each floor can be individually temperature controlled.

The circular form of the building also reduces the amount of wind deflected to the ground compared to a rectilinear skyscraper of similar size and uses less structural material as the aerodynamic form also reduces wind load.

Its highly customized nature also meant that the structure was not cheap to fabricate and build.

Then there is the somewhat ironic aspect of having to build ways to reduce solar

gain to minimize cooling loads and be greener in an all glass skyscraper

Traduction

le bâtiment a un plan radial avec 6 doigts se répand à partir d'un noyau central qui contient les ascenseurs et les autres services.

Chaque étage tourne 5 degrés à partir de celui ci-dessous

la périphérie

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