Today I would like to refer you to an interesting website about architecture, called The Top 100 Most Viewed Projects. I’ve recently developed an interest in architecture and I’m wondering if you can become an architect even if you have no skills (yet) in drawing or sculpturing or any of that. It must be an interesting job.

I like architecture that is “pretty”, simply put, and I think it’s boring if somebody just tries to build something that is supposed to impress people because it’s very tall, like this:

I do have to admit, though, that I think the Etihad Towers (scheduled to be completed in 2010) look pretty cool, although they cast a lot of shadows. But maybe that’s not even bad for Abu Dhabi - I assume it’s a very warm country.

And isn’t this fascinatingly unusual? It’s the Apeiron, which has an underwater restaurant and a helipad and will generate two thirds of its own energy.

Also, the OPUS project by Zaha Hadid looks quite spectacular, but my appreciation of her decreased when I read that her design for the Aquatic Center now costs three times as much as had been planned in the original budget - £210 million GBP instead of £75 million GBP. The roof alone will cost about £60 million GBP. I think that’s pretty outrageous. There certainly would’ve been a cheaper way to do it… Either way, here’s the OPUS:

For more interesting building projects, once again, check out WorldArchitectureNews.com.