FOSTER AND PARTNERS' GREAT COURT

Virginia Woolf once wrote: "If the truth is not to be found on the shelves of the British Museum, where, I asked myself,…is truth?" Now, the 19th-century neo-Grecian building Woolf was referring to has added a new truth to its collection. British architect Norman Foster has merged conservation and innovation, the old with the new, to finally reopen the British Museum to a new and admiring public. And he has turned the surrounding quadrangle into an inviting public space. Next week, London writer Don Barker shows us around.

MODULAR POD FOR MANY USES

The architecture firm, ZLG Sdn.Bhd. of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia has introduced a modular, lightweight prototype building called the "tecnopod." The steel frame bolts together from three parts; multiple pods can be arranged to create a continuous expanse of space. Durable and fast to assemble, the invention is now stretching its developers' imaginations to discover the range of potential applications: a search and rescue base for natural disasters, temporary polling booths, perhaps even low-cost housing.

INDIA'S ARCHITECTURAL WONDERS A CLICK AWAY

The Taj Mahal in India is arguably one of the world's most beautiful architectural treasures. Now anyone can visit there without leaving their armchair (as long as their armchair has Internet access). Armchair Travel, Ltd. has now made it possible for tourists, historians, researchers, and students to take an interactive, "virtual walk" around this building and its gardens. Through QuickTime animation technologies, visitors can both see and hear everything about the site and its history by simply connecting to the company's Web site.