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Coming Soon: The 'Can Of Ham' Tower

The Can of Ham. Inset: an actual can of ham, yesterday.

The 'Can of Ham', a long-stalled building for the City of London, now looks likely to go ahead. According to Construction News, Mace has been appointed to build the arching tower, properly called 60-70 St Mary Axe.

The 24-floor office building was proposed as long ago as 2008, but stalled during the recent economic downturn. The appointment of a construction company should now see the distinctive tower, designed by Foggo Associates, take shape soon. It seems to be an unwritten rule of London that all towers must have a nickname. The likeness to a can of ham is rather persuasive, though perhaps less palatable to those using the oldest British synagogue in continuous use, across the street in Bevis Marks.

The Can of Ham joins the neighbouring Cheesegrater and Gherkin in an east City skyline increasingly based on a Famous Five picnic. All that’s missing is The Ginger Beer tower.

See the Skyscrapercities forum conversation about this building.