BUILDING PETRONAS TOWERS

The Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, now the tallest buildings on earth, are surely one of the architectural wonders of the world. Their design by Cesar Pelli reflects a melding of East and West: the spirit of buildings that reach to the heavens and the decorative arts of Malaysia. In the fascinating saga of the building's construction, one of the most dramatic feats was the placement of the two-story skybridge. Next week, ArchitectureWeek contributing editor Michael J. Crosbie will describe this feat of high-tech construction.

ARTISTS' STUDIOS IN PARIS

Paris has a long relationship with the life and work of its artists, giving home and inspiration to both the famous and the thousands of unknowns trying to break through. But most artists still spend a lot of time searching for affordable working and living spaces. One new building, sponsored by the cultural department of Paris and designed by architects Pascal Quéré and Guy Vaughan, provides four studios and six apartments specially designed for artists. Next week Christian Horn will describe the new habitat for art.

TWENTY-FIVE YEARS A LANDMARK

Pulitzer Prize-winning author and architect Robert Campbell, FAIA, described it as "a glass vitrine at the scale of architecture, a display case for the contents inside." The Design Research Headquarters Building in Cambridge, Massachusetts has just been awarded the prestigious Twenty-five Year Award by the American Institute of Architects. Next week we'll see how the influential building by Benjamin Thompson & Associates has been offering passers-by a crystal-clear view of modern architecture since 1969.