Its height was planned at 386 m (1,266 ft), with 92 floors, which means it would have been 48th-tallest in the world as of 2023, and would be overtaken in Europe by the Federation Tower.

The scheme featured a highly unorthodox floor layout, essentially two asymmetrical ellipses joined at one end.

When the plans were first unveiled in 1996, The Guardian newspaper coined the term "erotic gherkin",[2] a name that other outlets quickly adopted which stuck even after the plan was superseded, eventually becoming 30 St Mary Axe, the name of a different skyscraper that stands on the site today.

[3] English Heritage had been one of the largest backers of the project until they withdrew their support due to Heathrow Airport objecting to the disruption that such a tall building would have on their flight paths.

The project was eventually cancelled and the site was sold to Swiss Re, which created its headquarters, also designed by Foster + Partners.