Mega wings for Beijing

Completed in just four years, one of the largest buildings in the world was inaugurated in Beijing today without much pomp and circumstance. Terminal 3 at Beijing Capital International Airport is a state-of-the art building designed by British architectural firm Foster + Partners, which seems to be involved in most of the new constructions opening worldwide. The massive terminal, 1.3 million square meters, mostly under one roof, is supremely important for China's 2008 Olympics, and is one of many buildings in the capital signed by Western architects.

By 2020 it is estimated that the terminal will accommodate a frightening 50 million passengers per year. Environmentalists concerned about the increase in pollution in a city where athletes competing in the 2008 Olympics will be gasping for clean air, are not impressed by the engineering firm Arup's claims that Terminal 3 is the one of the world's most environmentally sustainable airports...

photograph courtesy of Fosters + Partners

Christmas in Ipanema

Planted in the middle of the lagoon behind Ipanema, in Rio de Janeiro, this 82-metre high Christmas extravaganza arouses both delight and frustration each year. Traffic jams are inevitable as people stop to admire this tree of trees...


Photo courtesy of marginalrevolution.com 2006

Banksy goes to Bethlehem

The city of Bethlehem in the West Bank has commissioned Banksy, the elusive British graffiti artist, to paint over a dozen images on the 8m-high (26ft) concrete wall that surrounds the town.
The city's economy is highly dependent on tourists, especially during the Christmas season, but few visitors are now willing to take the time to cross the Israeli checkpoint at the security barrier.
Read about it in the Timesonline by clickinghere
photo courtesy of the Timesonline

What have politicians done for the Paris suburbs since 2005?

That's the title of an in-depth article provided by Rue89, a newish and very dynamic Parisian blog created by a group of Libération old timers among others. Clickhere for the article in French.
La Courneuve in all its glory, photo courtesy of Rue89

a picture from Delhi that speaks louder than words

London-Paris in 135 minutes

Beginning tomorrow the Eurostar should glide out of the magnificently restored St Pancras railway station in London and arrive in Paris 2 hours and 15 minutes later. Brussels can now be reached in 1 hour and 51 minutes. Too bad the SNCF has decided it has other fish to fry and is going on strike tomorrow...

Leave Tuvalu for London? Me?

This post is to point out a blog that is just the thing for procrastinators on deadline. Owen Powell, a writer, performer and director, and Alex Horne, writer and comedian, set out to prove that London is the most cosmopolitan city in the world. They began in October 2006 and finished one year later, having interviewed and recorded comments from people from 189 countries living and working in London. According to the United Nations there are 192 countries in the world so they're only missing people from these three countries: Tuvalu, Palau and the Marshall Islands.
To access the blog click here