The Guggenheim Museum has established a tradition of building structures to house and display art that are themselves works of art. Following the lead of the original Guggenheim in New York designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and the stunning Bilbao, Spain building by Frank Gehry, this latest design is no exception. Created by 2004 Pritzker prize-winning architect Zaha Hadid, this gorgeous metallic aircraft-like structure with crazy-shaped windows will be the new Guggenheim Hermitage Museum in Vilnius, Lithuania.

If that exterior isn’t mind-bending enough, the inside promises to be equally innovative. The architect says the interior is a “canyon-like air space,” with areas designed for people to congregate, with the structure allowing for “architecturally refined communication and circulation spaces.” This is what Hadid calls a “future architectural language,” and his her words are speaking to us with profound fluency.

So this is the kind of mind-boggling work it takes to win a Pritzker. This new museum and cultural center might open as soon as 2011.

The three 29m-diameter turbine blades on Bahrain’s iconic landmark are the first in the world to be integrated on such a scale into a commercial development and are forecast to provide the equivalent of 11-15% of the power for the two towers when fully operational. The successful rotation of the blades involved collaboration between Atkins architects and engineers and turbine specialists Norwin, who were in Bahrain for the milestone event. “Having all three turbines spinning simultaneously represents an historic achievement for this landmark project and Atkins is excited to have been a major player in turning the original idea into reality” says Simha LytheRao Senior Project Manager for Atkins in Bahrain.” The use of established technologies, including type-tested turbines with minimal modifications, ensured that the additional cost incurred by incorporating turbines into the project was reduced to around 3.5% of the overall project value, making it not only an environmentally responsible but also a financially viable venture.” The BWTC design blends maritime aesthetics with the functionality of traditional wind-towers. The visually striking sail-shaped towers form a commanding silhouette on the skyline of Manama, and serve to channel the strong on-shore winds directly onto the three spinning blades. .,….

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