LONDON’S NEW CITY HALL

Looking more like a moon base landing unit than a city hall, the new home to London’s mayor, designed by Foster and Partners is surrounded by the old stalwarts of London’s historic past. The glazed facade is gray, but that is a reflection of England’s rainy skies rather than of this visionary feat of design and engineering. Next week ArchitectureWeek contributing editor Don Barker will explain why the Greater London Authority building is expected to become a city landmark.

NATO'S NEW HEADQUARTERS

Things are heating up at NATO. Besides war talk, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization is abuzz with news about their new headquarters to be built in Brussels "to meet the requirements of the Alliance in the 21st century." NATO has announced SOM+ Assar as the winner of an international competition. Designed for future expansion, the structure will include conference facilities, offices, communications and IT facilities, and support services.

DIGITAL DESIGN FOR RESIDENTIAL TOWER

When the 90-story Eureka Tower is completed in Melbourne, Australia in late 2003, it will be the tallest residential building in the world, rising 985 feet (300 meters) above ground. The builder, Grocon Pty Limited, takes pride that this large-scale venture is on schedule. The construction firm attributes their efficient communications with Fender Katsalidis Architects to the use of object-oriented "virtual building" software from Graphisoft. Next week Elizabeth Bollinger will describe the digital processes applied in designing and building the highrise.