America`s Most Expensive Public Memorial/The Reflecting Absence

Reflecting Absence: The September 11 Memorial The tenth anniversary of the September 11 attacks is marked with the memorial Reflecting Absence that is opened to the public on the site where the twin towers formerly stood. Designed by architect Michael Arad and landscape architect Peter Walker, Reflecting Absence with a $500 million budget, is the most expensive public memorial ever created in US. New York authorities held a competition to design the memorial, which became the largest design...

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Live life like a lord in New Zealand's only castle

Dunedin's 19th-century Larnach Castle brings the Old World to the South Island Lanarch CastleLanarch Castle, built by a 19th-century businessman for his first wife, is now a family-run estate. Unless you’re a bona-fide British blue blood, Madonna or one of the Beckham soccerball clan, it's unlikely you can boast, "Hey plebs -- y’know, I stayed in a castle last night, huh?" Well, to that roll call of riches, go ahead and add yours truly if you would: I’ve just joined the crenellated club by...

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Louis Vuitton Island Maison opened At Marina Bay Sands Singapore

Louis Vuitton Island Maison At Marina Bay Sands Designed by internationally acclaimed architect Peter Marino,this  new luxury shopping paradise will sit directly on water, with floor to ceiling windows overlooking the bay. It will not be just a luxury house of fashion, but a space that also incorporate art and cultural elements, which allows visitors to make their own discoveries. The ground floor will feature a complete selection of men’s and women’s leather goods, ready to wear, shoes...

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Bosco Verticale: the world's first vertical forest

Bosco Verticale is a planned 10,000 square meter urban forest, which will grow upwards. (Images from Stefano Boeri) Italian architecture firm Stefano Boeri Architetti hopes to merge vegetation and urban architecture, with its Bosco Verticale (Vertical Forest) project. The Milan-based firm has designed a model that could see the "reforestation and naturalization" of metropolitan cities, by growing forests sky-ways. "Bosco Verticale [is a] device for the environmental survival of contemporary...

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Tourist Attraction/Kingdom Tower – Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia’s Prince Alwaleed bin Talal announced plans to build the Kingdom Tower, world’s tallest building in the Red Sea port city of Jeddah, less than two years after the Burj Khalifa opened in Dubai at a height that many thought wouldn’t be surpassed for years.The planned tower will be 1km tall (3,281 feet) when it is completed and consist of hotels, offices, luxury apartments and a shopping centre. Prince Alwaleed said his company, Kingdom Holding Co., had signed a $1.23 billion deal...

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Travel/Starwood to Open Naka Island Resort in Phuket

The Naka Island, Starwood Hotels & Resorts’ newest Luxury Collection property in Asia, will open to the public on November 1st, 2011. Situated in the southernmost province just off the coast of Phuket in Thailand, The Naka Island is a private boutique resort on Naka Yai Island, comprising 67 villas fitted with tropical gardens and private plunge pools, along with a world-class spa facility. Known as the Pearl of the Andaman, Phuket is Thailand’s largest island and one of Southeast Asia’s...

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Igloo village guarantees the best view for a northern lights spectacle

The Igloo Village, which is part of Hotel Kakslauttanen, is guaranteed to give guests a prime position for viewing the northern lights display during the winter months. Located in the Arctic Circle near Finland's Urho Kekkonen National Park, guests can stay in a glass-roofed igloo or brave the cold in a traditional snow igloo. Located in the Arctic Circle, Igloo Village features glass-roofed igloos from which guests can watch the northern lights (image from Hotel Kakslauttanen) The Igloo...

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A House Built in a Sand Dune

Turns out those smiley Lennon-style glasses on that glassy knoll are the legit windows of a legit house, and said house was carved into a dune in Atlantic Beach, Fla. Built in 1975, Dune House is the brainchild of architect William Morgan, who didn't want any interlopers messing with the character of his block — to this day, he lives next door. "I'm very particular about the buildings on either side of my own home." he says. "The property is original oceanfront dunes that are very beautiful,...

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Travel/Underwater hotel room has guests sleeping with the sharks

The resort has been known to transform the underwater dining room into a private bedroom suite for two on special occasions (Photos: Conrad Rangali) We were intrigued by the Amphibious 1000's proposed floating suites and private underwater lounges, however The Conrad Maldives Rangali Island Resort hosts the real deal! Situated in the tropical gardens on Rangalifinolhu Island, access to the resort is only by seaplane and while it may sound like any other exclusive get away, the Conrad Rangali...

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The $500 million Italian designed floating resort

Amphibious 1000, Qatar's Italian designed Floating Resort (Images by Giancarlo Zema Design) As envisioned by the Italian architectural firm Giancarlo Zema Design Group (GZDG), Amphibious 1000 is a US$500 million semi-submerged resort project planned for a protected marine area on the coast of Qatar. Reflecting its name, the resort is like a large aquatic creature stretching out into the sea. Divided into two sections of land and sea, the project includes residential buildings, offices, a central...

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Travel News/Maldives Plans World’s First Floating Golf Course

If you build it – they will come. At least that’s what developers must be thinking as they launch plans for the World’s First Floating Golf Course in the Maldives.  The extraordinary $500 million design boasts 27 holes, is set upon three linked islands and features around 200 villas, 45 private islands and a conservation center. An underwater tunnel leads golfers to different islands between shots, as well as to the clubhouse where a glass elevator goes to a main bar which doubles as...

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Special Hotels/ Bella Sky Comwell Hotel(10 photos)

The Bella Sky Comwell Hotel in Copenhagen has opened its doors. The 250 feet (76.5 m) tall, 814 room hotel is among of the largest in Scandinavia, but its not the size of the design from architecture firm 3XN that's striking - it's the shape. The building's tilting twin towers lean apart from each other at an impressive 15 degrees, an angle that provides guests with a better view of the surrounding parkland. The hotel features 23 floors, 814 designer rooms with 200 different room types, 30...

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Travel/Marques de Riscal Hotel(11pics)

For all those who like impressive nature, tradition and exquisite gastronomy associated with wine our recommendation is Hotel Marques de Riscal. Marques de Riscal, founded in 1860, is one of the oldest wineries in Rioja, Elciego and one of the first to introduce French winemaking techniques. Marques de Riscal, XXIst century hotel is located in the The City of Wine in the Rioja wine region and it is a true masterpiece of internationally architect Frank O. Gehry. This...

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