The Gherkin is also the nickname of the building at 30 st Mary Axe in London.
After opening in 2004 it has become prime real estate for evil overlords and good Samaritans alike, as almost any movie set in London has some scenes within the Gherk. Apparently its architecture just needs the right lighting scheme to be either a Bastion of Evil or a Palace of the heavens
The building is very modern, coneshaped and has an outside pattern of blue and green diamonds, making it really quite pretty when seen in full sunlight. It was designed by Lord Foster and Ken Shuttleworth and the construction was done by Skanska. It is a remarkable building not just from a viewing perspective, but it also houses some relatively advanced energy saving measures, ensuring it uses a lot less resources than buildings of comparable size.
All in all, no visit to London is complete without standing on the Thames' dock, looking at the skyline, and voicing an opinion on the Gherkin.