Regardless, however, of how a building is branded, the public will always have its say. In Glasgow there’s the Armadillo, AKA The Clyde Auditorium and in Prague, Frank Gehry’s Nationale-Nederlanden building is referred to as Fred and Ginger.

But nowhere are nicknames more apparent than in the City of London where the Gherkin, Walkie Talkie, and Cheesegrater have become terms of endearment. Not only are they humorous, they’re also descriptive and so probably initially were used to help tell the buildings apart in a city unaccustomed to skyscrapers.

On rare occasions nicknames grow into official titles. A London Thames-side building, developed initially as a power station previously known in as Stamford Wharf, is now legitimately called the OXO Tower, taking its name from the letters on the tower’s window design incorporated in an Art Deco refurbishment to advertise the product of the company who acquired the property in the 1920s .

But while the British are happy to nickname their buildings, other cultures are less keen. As John Brash, the founder and chief executive of Brash Brands,  tells the National: “Why doesn’t it happen in the UAE? Maybe because that particular brand of humour is less common here, and because we’re more comfortable with using the names our buildings are given. The Burj Al Arab will always be the Burj Al Arab to us, whereas if it was in London it might end up being known as ‘the big sail’.”

Such frivolity can also jar with architects, however, who are concerned about their reputations and potential occupants, who fear for their corporate identities. And nicknames have proven unpopular with City of London planners, who are keen to promote a more sober international business center in these post-recession times.

But things could be worse: in Barcelona, architect Jean Nouvel says his 38-storey Torre Agbar is meant to represent a geyser rising into the air. Locals, however, know it as ‘el supositori,’ the suppository, among other, blunter names.