May 18, Seoul

New York-based Rex Architecture has released preliminary plans for its Dreamhub 'Project R6,' a residential project in the Yongsan International Business District in Seoul. The building will join notable projects such as BIG's Cross Towers and AS + GG's Dancing Dragons. Read more.

May 18, New York

A mystery buyer has purchased the penthouse of One57 in New York for more than USD90 million, according to the building's developer. The price tops the USD88 million for an apartment in 15 Central Park West that Russian billionaire Dmitry Rybolovlev bought for his daughter last year. Read more.

May 17, Lehigh University

The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) has bestowed the 2012 Arthur M. Wellington Prize on Dan M. Frangopol, professor of civil engineering at Lehigh University, and his former graduate student, Nader M. Okasha, for their paper published in the Journal of Structural Engineering. The award recognizes the most significant contribution to the field of transportation from all of ASCE’s 30-plus journals. Read more.

May 17, Tokyo

The world's tallest telecom tower, Tokyo Skytree, is set to open May 22 as the main attraction of a 34-story entertainment complex in Tokyo. The tower is expected to boost developer Tobu Railway Co.'s revenue by 28.3 billion yen (USD352 million), according to Bloomberg. Read more.

May 17, Chicago

The city of Chicago will pay USD29.5 million toward the long-discussed River Point office tower, Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced Wednesday. He said it will be the largest new real estate project to break ground in the city since the 2008 economic downturn. Read more.

May 16, Beijing

OMA-designed CCTV Headquarters finally opened its doors Wednesday after more than eight years of work. The much-photographed building houses the studios, offices, broadcasting and production of the most powerful Chinese state broadcasting company. Read more.

May 16, China

Excavation work started on Skidmore, Owings and Merrill (SOM) skyscrapers in Beijing and Tianjin in the last week. The Beijing project, the China World Trade Center, will reach 918 feet (280 meters), while the  CTF Tianjin Tower is projected to hit 1,740 feet (530 meters). Read more.

May 16, New York

The flashing light at the tip of One World Trade Center's much-disputed mast will no longer spell out “N” in Morse code. Instead, it will simply blink. The “architectural beacon” was changed to project more light, the owners told the New York Post. Read more.

May 15, Seoul

In celebration of LEGO's eightieth birthday, 4,000 South Korean children completed the world's tallest LEGO tower Sunday outside the Olympic City Stadium. The Crown Prince of Denmark placed the last of more than 50,000 LEGO bricks completing the 31.9-meter tower (104.6 feet). Read more.

May 15, San Diego

UCSD's Jacob's School of Engineering completed a series of tests Monday showing “clear evidence that shock absorbers can greatly limit the amount of shaking that occurs inside such structures," UT San Diego reports. Researchers simulated the effects of earthquakes on a building outfitted with shock absorbers. Read more.

May 15, New York

Work on the foundation of 432 Park has officially commenced, a major milestone for a project planned as the tallest residential tower in the United States. The building is projected to rise to 426.1 meters tall (1,398 feet), surpassing Frank Gehry's Eight Spruce Street by 161 meters (528 feet). Read more.

May 15, Hunan Province

In China's central Hunan Province, a Chinese company recently completed a prefabricated office building in nine days, which was eights day longer than expected. The company originally planned to build the three-story building in 24-hours as a model for future high-rise projects. Read more.

May 14, Seoul

Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture, designer of several of the tallest buildings in the world, has revealed the final design of their Dancing Dragons Towers in Seoul.  The towers feature green design elements, including “breathing” scaled skin, which imitates reptilian methods of discarding excess heat. Read more.

May 14, Seattle

NBBJ has released new details of its design for Amazon’s new headquarter complex, which will occupy three city blocks in downtown Seattle. It will be the "the largest urban headquarters proposed for a modern tech company,” according to the Seattle Times. Read more.

May 14, New york

Crown Acquisitions Inc. took a 49.9 percent stake in the Olympic Tower complex, a group of four adjacent buildings on Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue, including a skyscraper commissioned by the late Aristotle Onassis, Bloomberg reports. The building is across the street from New York’s famed St. Patrick Cathedral. Read more.

May 14, Addis Ababa

A Chinese developer is planning to build a 264-meter hotel in Ethiopia, which would be the tallest building in Africa. The Chuan Hui International Hotel will be part of a larger project planned by the Chinese developer Guangdong Chuan Hui Group in Addis Ababa, according to a release from the company. Read more.

May 11, New York

The owners of the tallest residential building in New York, Eight Spruce Street are selling a minority stake in the building, a move which could value the Frank Gehry-designed tower at more than $1 billion. Now is a great time to sell an interest in the building, real estate experts say. Read more.

May 11, Chicago

The famous Kennedy family is seeking to develop their prime piece of Chicago riverfront property with a series of Cesar Pelli-designed towers, including a 900-foot tall tower which would be the eighth tallest in the city. Local residents have already voiced opposition to the plan. Read more.

May 10, London

Developers of the Shard, soon to be Europe’s tallest building, have released images of a secretive penthouse, priced at GBP50 million. The apartment, which will be the highest home in Europe, boasts a 360-degree view of the city, according to media reports. Read more.

May 10, Basel

Swiss pharmaceutical company Roche is moving forward with its new Herzog & de Meuron-designed headquarters in Basel, Switzerland. The building will reach 178 meters, making it the country’s tallest building upon completion in 2015. It is the fourth project the famed architects have designed for the company. Read more.

May 9, New York City

Changes to the spire in the design of One World Trade Center may affect the tower’s ability to claim the title of tallest building in the U.S., the New York Times reports. The sculptural enclosure at the top of the tower has been removed, which may change the CTBUH’s height measurement. Read more.

May 9, Dubai

Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building, will soon have a new neighbor. Damac Properties has topped out construction at its Burjside Boulevard serviced hotel apartment development, opposite the iconic tower. The 50-story tower was designed by German architect Koschany & Zimmer. Read more.

May 9, Shenzhen

The government of Turkey has recently approved plans to build the new Istanbul Financial Center in Atasehir, Istanbul. The lot covers 2.5 million square meters, and will include financial, regulatory and banking institutions, as well as schools, mosques, malls, hotels and community facilities. Read more.

May 9, Istanbul

The government of Turkey has recently approved plans to build the new Istanbul Financial Center in Atasehir, Istanbul. The lot covers 2.5 million square meters, and will include financial, regulatory and banking institutions, as well as schools, mosques, malls, hotels and community facilities. Read more.

May 8, Bangkok

Three Thai workers died Monday in Bangkok, when the cable supporting their suspended platform broke.  The three workers fell while hanging advertisements from the 68th floor of Baiyoke Tower II, Thailand's tallest building. Read more.

May 8, New York

A week after the One World Trade Center construction milestone generated international media coverage, the Empire State Building emerged from the shadows with a new lighting system. The 81-year-old icon has been spruced up with a computer-driven LED system. Read more.

May 7, Abu Dhabi

Burooj Properties says it has completed construction on a 45-story residential tower on Reem Island, the master-planned project that is expected to house 200,000 people when it is completed. Burooj Views is part of Marina Square, a 14-tower project which has faced delays receiving final approvals from the government. Read more.

May 7, Detroit

One of Detroit’s most iconic skyscrapers has a new owner. Canadian real estate firm Triple Properties, the same group that bought the Pontiac Silverdome in 2010, has reportedly purchased the Penobscot Building out of foreclosure for US$5 million. The 47-story office building is half-empty, according to news reports. Read more.

May 7, Arkhangelsk, Russia

The Sutyagin House, once the world’s tallest wooden house, was destroyed by fire in Arkhangelsk in Russia’s far northwest on Saturday night. The fire started at a nearby bath house and spread to the wooden skyscraper, completely destroying the log cabin within several hours, authorities said. Read more.

May 4, Seoul

BIG continues its move into tower projects with a dramatic design for two connected towers in Dreamhub, the Yongsan master plan in Seoul designed by Studio Libeskind. BIG was challenged to develop a project within the height restrictions, while addressing the need for square footage. Read more.

May 4, Shanghai

The Architect’s Journal offers the first images of Thomas Heatherwick and Foster + Partners’ huge 420,000 square meter Shanghai Bund International Financial Centre. The British team reportedly beat MVRDV and OMA in a hush-hush contest last year to redevelop the key plot in the historic area. Read more.

May 3, Dallas

The pension fund that developed the 42-story Museum Tower in Dallas is dealing with complaints from the neighboring museum about the light and heat reflected off the tower’s glass-skin façade. Costly changes may be in the works after the Nasher Sculpture Center said the tower’s façade may cause damage to art works. Read more.

May 2, Lazika, Georgia

The Georgian government’s plan to build a new city on marshlands on the Black Sea has raised questions and controversy, World Architecture News reports. The visualizations that have been released show a large urban metropolis full of high rise skyscrapers with impressive infrastructures aiding the city. Read more

May 2, Kakaako, USA

The Hawaii Community Development Authority has given approval for a 400-foot tall condominium tower in Kakaako. Some local residents complained that the Symphony Tower may block views. But the board agreed to allow the developers to place the tower as planned. Read more

May 2, Chicago

The CTBUH’s two-month-old The Skyscraper Center generated record traffic on Monday, in the wake of international coverage of the One World Trade Center construction milestone. Read more

May 2, Lusail, Qatar

A Qatar-based hotel developer wants to build a crescent-shaped building inspired by the two curved swords in the emblem of Qatar. The project, the Lusail Marina Iconic Development, was unveiled by Katara Hospitality at this year's Arabian Travel Market in Dubai. Read more

May 2, Ottawa

A 42-story tower proposed for Ottawa’s Little Italy district would be the tallest building in the city. Although the developer has not announced a height, the Claridge Icon would be 42 stories tall and surpass the current tallest building in the city, the 112-meter Place de Ville. Read more

May 1

Since 2000, 70 buildings with at least 50 stories broke ground in the U.S., according to a new report by McGraw-Hill Dodge Analytics. But three of the five tallest towers started since 2000 – the World Trade Center Towers – are currently under construction, the research firm notes. Read more

May 1, New York

With media around the world covering this week’s construction milestone for One World Trade Center, CNN conducted an interview with David Childs, the lead designer on the project for Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. In the interview Mr. Childs discusses the design team’s emotions on the historic day. Read more

May 1, Singapore

An artificial forest of man-made 50-meter-tall trees in Singapore is almost ready for its public debut. Singapore officials hope Gardens by The Bay will become the city’s newest tourist attraction. Visitors will be able to enjoy views of the towers from an aerial walkway. Read more

April 30, New York

One World Trade Center surpassed the height of the Empire State Building on Monday, generating international media attention. Using film from a panoramic camera scanned into a digital file, photographer Mario Tama takes a wider look at the building of the tower and the life surrounding the process. Read more

April 30, New York

The latest milestone in the One World Trade Center construction has generated international coverage and resurrected the old debate about whether antennas should be included in measurements for tall buildings. MSNBC, taking it a step further, asked readers to respond to poll. Read more

April 30, London

London’s Shard Tower, which was 95 percent funded by Qatar and is the tallest building in Western Europe, will be officially inaugurated on July 5 by the Qatari prime minister and the U.K.’s Prince Andrew. The 310-meter tall Shard will consist of London’s highest public viewing gallery, offering 360-degree views of the English capital. Read more

April 30, New York

Food trucks, a staple of New York fine dining, are going vertical. Every weekday recently, fancy-food trucks have been rumbling into the gigantic freight elevator of the Starrett-Lehigh Building in West Chelsea, offering meals to workers too busy to hit the street, the New York Times reports. Read more

April 30, Sharjah

A fire broke out early on Saturday morning in the 42-story Al Tayer Tower in Sharjah, damaging 102 out of the 408 flats and displacing hundreds of families, according to Construction Week. The flammable cladding of the building is thought to have contributed to the speed and ferocity of the blaze. Read more

April 30, Winston-Salem

The former R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. headquarters in downtown Winston-Salem, which some say provided the model for the Empire State Building, is scheduled to be converted into an upscale hotel. The 1929 art deco building that has sat empty since 2009. Read more

April 27, Abu Dhabi

Cityscape Abu Dhabi was a subdued affair this year, but developer Nakheel made headlines with a proposal for a striking 400-meter tower in Abu Dhabi, in honor of the late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan. A “knowledge souk” with education and research facilities will surround the base. Read more

April 27, Chicago

The AIA announced that Helmut Jahn will be the 2012 recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award of the Chicago Chapter. The award recognizes "individuals who have made significant contributions to the architecture and design community over the course of their life and career," according to the chapter's director. Read more

April 27, New York

Time-lapse video from ABC News illustrates development of One World Trade Center, which began six years ago on the northwest corner of the World Trade Center site. The building will sit where the original eight-story 6 World Trade Center building stood before the 9/11 attacks. One World Trade Center will top out at 1,776 feet next month. Read more

April 27, Tokyo

The high-rise Shibuya Hikarie shopping and entertainment complex next to Shibuya Station opens Thursday, kicking off projects to revitalize the area known as a teen fashion mecca. The 34-floor glass tower with three basement floors boasts nearly 200 shops, 26 eateries, design and art galleries, office floors and a musical theater. Read more

April 26, Paris

Paris is to get a pair of new leaning skyscrapers – one 175 meters high, the other 115 meters – on the Rive Gauche. The new "leaning towers of Paris" are designed by star architect Jean Nouvel and will be the first in the new high-rise quartier Bruneseau at the border of the city and Ivry-sur-Seine in the 13th arrondissement. Read more

April 26, San Francisco

After four years of development a Richard Meier-designed tower still hasn’t gone through the public forum phase in San Francisco. San Francisco Chronicle critic John King looks at the process and design. “While the concept is intriguing, there's no telling whether the actual building would seduce or simply stick out,” he writes. Read more

April 25, London

The Shard, which will be the tallest tower in Europe when it is completed, is changing the London skyline. Now that it has topped off, the tower is a glass sliver shooting out of the streets of The City. Now we have aerial video of the tower, which is, if nothing else, very cool. Read more

April 25, Chicago

Chicago Tribune critic Blair Kamin writes there is reason to believe Roosevelt University’s new tower will amount to something more than an eye-grabbing envelope. ”The new tower serves as a “vertical campus, stacking everything from a student union to lecture halls to dorm suites within a single, all-encompassing structure,” he writes. Read more

April 25, Abu Dhabi

Al Maryah Island, which was known as Sowwah Island until last week when the government changed the name, is designed as the new financial district for Abu Dhabi. But the government-backed developer sees it as an "integrated community" that will eventually house 70,000 people. Read more

April 25, New York

With a four-story retail complex ready to open along Brooklyn’s Fulton Street Mall, City Point’s second phase, designed by Cook+Fox with Lee Weintraub Landscape Architecture, is ready to move forward. Phase two consists of two residential towers – standing 19 and 30 stories – sitting atop a 500,000-square foot retail podium. Read more

April 25, Seoul

Perkins Eastman, in collaboration with the Korean architectural firm Hanwon Forum Design Group, was commissioned by Kumkang Housing Company to create a landmark mixed-use office complex in Anyang City in an industrial neighborhood 16 kilometers south of Seoul’s city center. Read more

April 25, Charlotte, USA

The Vue’s new owner has started foreclosure proceedings on the luxury residential high-rise in uptown, according to court documents filed in late April. New York-based Northwood Investors paid about US$100 million to take control of the complex in early April, according to Real Estate Alert, a trade publication. Read more

April 25, Dubai

Dubai's sluggish commercial real estate market is getting international attention of sorts as Emaar Properties, the emirate's largest developer, prepares to launch an online auction for its two-year-old, 3.3 million-square foot Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest tower at 163 stories. Read more

April 25, Melbourne

In 1876, the Yorkshire Brewery Tower in Collingwood was a jewel in the city's crown. For a decade it was the city's tallest building, a symbol of the ''marvelous'' boom-town era. Today Melbourne's skyline is increasingly punctuated with slender skyscrapers vying for new heights. Read more

April 24, Fresno, USA

The owner of what is probably Fresno's most prominent skyscraper now owns the city's first skyscraper as well. Beverly Hills-based developer Sevak Khatchadourian announced that he and his brother bought the 10-story Helm building in the center of Fulton Mall. Read more

April 23, Chicago

A joint venture of locally based GlenStar Properties LLC and USAA Real Estate Co. has purchased the Chicago Board of Trade buildings downtown, totaling 1.3 million square feet, from CME Group for US$151.5 million. The seller had hoped to get up to US$210 million for the building at 141 W. Jackson, which has a north and south tower. Read more

April 23, Reem Island, Abu Dhabi

Tamouh has completed the handover of 3,000 residential units at its Marina Square development on Reem Island, Abu Dhabi. Marina Square is currently home to around 500 families. All facilities will be open by 2013, while basic amenities such as a supermarket and bank are due to open in the next few months. Read more

April 23, New York

Nearly a half century after much of Park Avenue's high-end corridor of office buildings were built, developer L&L Holding is advancing plans for a new tower. The developer is aiming to create an iconic, eye-catching building in the place of a 1950s boxy tower at 425 Park Ave. Read more

April 23, Turkey

Areas that feature historical structures are the main focus of many of Turkey’s current urban transformation projects. Often, these projects are criticized on the grounds that they deface the historic atmosphere of the city. City officials argue that the urban transformation projects are sensitive to the historical environment. Read more

April 23, Cambridge, USA

The ad that describes Sullivan Courthouse says the building is “an exciting and rare opportunity for private investment.” It’s a state-owned high-rise building for sale in East Cambridge, boasting “unimpeded views” of the Charles River, an easy walk to Kendall Square, and “notable” proximity to historic Bulfinch Square. Read more

April 21, London

Plans to turn the vacant King's Reach Tower into one of the biggest advertisement hoardings London has ever seen have been rejected by Southwark Council. The former IPC Media building is currently unoccupied with work due to start this year to convert much of the tower into luxury flats. Read more

April 20, Panama City

A second gas explosion in a new high-rise building on Avenida Balboa has injured four people, Newsroom Panama reports. A previous gas explosion after the installation of a water heater in January killed a technician. The resident of the apartment was also injured, and the building was evacuated for more than two weeks. Read more

April 20,Seattle

Seattle’s Space Needle is celebrating its 50th anniversary on April 21. Created as the centerpiece of the 1962 space-themed Worlds Fair, the 605-foot-tall Space Needle has been described as looking like “a UFO on stilts” and was for many years the tallest tower west of the Mississippi River. Read more

April 20, Chongqing, China

Skyscrapers around China are competing in height despite a gloomy picture for property markets across the country, China Daily reports. Chongqing, one of China's four municipalities, launched the Commercial Cluster of Chongqing Tiandi on Wednesday, with the tallest building in the compound reaching 468 meters. Read more

April 19, Manchester, UK

The construction of the Stephen Hodder-designed skyscraper Student Castle in Manchester reached a milestone on Wednesday with a “topping out” ceremony. The ceremony marks completion of the concrete frame on the 106-meter high building that will become the fourth tallest in the city when it completes in August. Read more

April 19, Jakarta

The Jakarta Disaster Mitigation Agency will hold earthquake response training sessions for 700 building owners or operators. Most of the skyscrapers in Jakarta do not have sufficient standards for handling as earthquake disaster, according to this report. Read more

April 19, Melbourne

A 71-story tower with 592 apartments and 566 car parking spaces at the site of the Queensbridge Hotel, Southbank has been approved by the regional planning minister. It’s a AU$275 million Bates Smart-designed high-rise tower that at 276 meters high will be Melbourne's second-tallest building. Read more

April 18, Moscow

Ten people were injured and one killed when a multi-story building being built in the south of Moscow collapsed Tuesday. The six-floor building collapsed as workers were carrying out construction at about 1:30 a.m. All that remains of the building is a tangle of concrete, rebar, and finger-like columns that protrude from the rubble. Read more

April 18, Austin, USA

More high-rises could be headed to downtown Austin's southeastern edge, with two towers envisioned in the Rainey Street area that each could reach as tall as 50 stories. The development would continue the transformation of the area where a new nightlife scene has emerged with the addition of numerous bars and restaurants. Read more

April 18, Tokyo

The operator of the world's tallest communications tower in Tokyo will survive the strong earthquakes that regularly shake Japan. "When an earthquake hits, the central concrete pillar and the outer structure of steel pipes sway in opposite directions because of the difference in weights," said spokesman Sho Toyoshima. Read more

April 18, Vancouver

For 100 years the seven-story Lee building at the corner of Main and Broadway has been the tallest building in Mount Pleasant. But recently the Vancouver council approved a 19-story tower development across the street that will include 241 condominiums and street-level commercial space. Read more

April 18, San Diego

UC San Diego researchers simulated the magnitude 6.7 Northridge earthquake on Tuesday, shaking a custom-designed five-story structure. The test was part of an ambitious effort to understand how seismic shaking affects non-structural objects inside buildings, The San Diego Union-Tribune reports. Read more

April 18, Shanghai

Exclusive: New photos from the Shanghai Tower construction site show the form of the tower starting to take shape, with the floor slabs reaching 200 meters. Construction on the core has reached 250 meters, according to representatives of Gensler, the design architect. Read more

April 16, Jeddah

Jeddah's Kingdom Tower, set to become the world’s tallest building, will be completed midway through 2017, according to the chairman of the developer. In a statement today, Kingdom Holding's HRH Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal said that the one-kilometer high skyscraper would be finished “in 63 months.” Read more

April 16, Edmonton

Local architect Gene Dub is proposing a 26-story tower with curved, individualized blocks for a triangular piece of land in Edmonton’s river valley. Dub has yet to go before City Council with his unique design, but he's hoping to start building by the summer of 2013. Read more

April 16, Brussels

The European Commission’s plans to build several new skyscrapers in the area known as the EU Quarter have drawn protests from local residents. The towers will cast long shadows that will block the sun from reaching area parks and green areas, they say. Read more

April 13, Yiwu, China

Swanke Hayden Connell Architects has unveiled their scheme designs for the World Trade Centre paid competition project in Yiwu City, Central Eastern China, World Architecture News reports. The 462,750-square meter project consists of four towers, with the tallest reaching 62-stories. Read more

April 12, Hong Kong

For someone who describes himself as “a lefty do-gooder” who has avoided “doing rich guys’ houses” all his life, Frank Gehry sure has changed his spots, Bloomberg News suggests. He has lent his name to Opus Hong Kong, the most expensive piece of residential real estate ever built in the city. Read more

April 12, Vancouver

Bjarke Ingels Group is moving into North America in a big way (excuse the pun). In addition to a 600-unit residential project in New York, BIG has designed a 49-story, cantilevering tower on a difficult site in Vancouver, which could develop as a new icon for the fast-growing city. Read more

April 12, Doha

“Spiderman” Alain Robert reportedly set a Guinness World Record for climbing the 300-meter high Aspire Tower in Doha in the fastest time, unassisted. The Frenchman completed the impressive feat in 1 hour, 33 minutes and 47 seconds, as thousands of spectators watched. Read more

April 12, Liverpool

Liverpool’s tallest building is up for sale for GBP12.5 million--just 40 percent of what it was worth when it was built, the Liverpool Echo reports. West Tower was developed by Beetham, the Liverpool firm that changed the face of many British cities, but was hit hard by the property crash. Read more

April 12, Baku

There are still few signs of activity, but Azerbaijan officials continue to promote the idea of building the world’s tallest tower. Tentatively named Azerbaijan Tower, the planned 1,050 meter structure will dwarf Dubai's Burj Khalifa, and surpass the planned one-kilometer tall Kingdom Tower in Jeddah. Read more

April 12, Houston

Trammel Crow is planning to build a 20-story office development in Houston’s Energy Corridor, potentially adding 1.5 million square feet of space to this part of west Houston. The first phase, designed by the Kirksey architecture firm, is expected to break ground this fall. Read more

April 12

Jonathan Miller, president of appraisal firm Miller Samuel, offers New York Magazine a detailed look at exactly how height affects pricing. He chose 301 West 57th Street as an example and started with a pair of recent sales to see how the market values floor differentials. Read more

April 12, New York City

A CBS reporter bravely took a tour of the top of the One World Trade Center construction site, 100 stories above Manhattan. The video provides a glimpse in to the life of iron workers constructing what will be the tallest building in North America. Read more

April 11, Charlotte, USA

The developer of a high-rise condo-hotel-restaurant project is celebrating the topping off of the 22-story building. Small Brothers Charlotte LLC, developer of the tower now known as the Skye, also announced a new completion timeline, targeting the second quarter of 2013. Read more

April 11, London

The London Borough of Paddington will offer its own addition to London’s expanding skyline with One Merchant Square, which is commonly known as “the Cucumber.” The gourd-shaped building is the tallest and only tower included in Westminster Council Borough's plan. Read more

April 11

Place is more than just a location on a map, the Urban Land Institute’s Edward T. McMahon argues. Community distinctiveness is a “critical but often neglected asset,” as important as any other economic asset for a neighborhood’s long term success, he writes in a recent column. Read more

April 9, Lexington, USA

Lexington’s first skyscraper, built in 1914, will be transformed into a boutique hotel, a local TV station reports. Lexington Mayor Jim Gray calls it a “game changer” for downtown. The old First National Bank building will now be known as the fourth 21c Museum Hotel. Read more

April 9, Bahrain

The owner of Bahrain's delayed USD650 million Villamar project has signed a deal with Mace to restart construction work, the company said Sunday. The U.K.-based consultancy will manage the construction and delivery of the Villamar project and is expected to resume construction soon. Read more

April 9, Melbourne

A sculpted glass skyscraper planned for the corner of Queen and Bourke Streets will be Melbourne's second tallest residential tower once it is built, the Sydney Morning Herald reports. The proposed 65-level, 207-meter, sheer-glass building will contain retail space, offices and 555 apartments. Read more

April 9, Hyderabad, India

Government officials have earmarked “Skyscraper Zones” in different circles of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation. The minimum height of buildings permissible in the Skyscraper Zones is 36 meters and above, and the minimum width of approach road should be 24 meters. Read more

April 9, Auckland

A plan to build a high-rise apartment, office, shopping and public car park complex in Takapuna has shrunk from a 30-story to a 20-story building, the New Zealand Herald reports. The market could not support the bigger project, according to the developer. Read more

April 6, Caracas

The 17-story-tall, white-tiled mausoleum being built to hold the remains of the national hero Simón Bolívar looks to many people like the world’s biggest skateboard ramp, the New York Times reports. To others, it evokes a parking garage, a shopping mall, a bridal veil, a sailing ship or a drive-in movie screen. Read more