Abraj Al Bait Towers

This skyscraper complex is being built in Mecca, the holiest place for Muslims. It is scheduled to be ready by 2010. Its existence is based on a foundation of developers' arrogance. Firstly, it was built after demolishing a 200+ years old fort. Secondly, this Manhattan-lookalike is being built bang opposite Masjid Al Haram, the mosque which dates from 7th century onwards. Thirdly, the height of the tallest building of this complex will be 595 m; the city till 1960s, had only low-lying medieval structures.

The complex will have a 4-storey shopping mall, a conference-center for business travellers and a seven-star hotel. A 7-star-hotel for pilgrims on the holiest journey of their lives, bang opposite a mosque site dating from medieval times !!! A shopping-mall and a conference-center opposite a site which is holiest to all Muslims !!! What a contrast of functions of a pair of neighbouring structures.

gaudy gold

it is the wash-basin installed in the private aircraft of sultan of brunei, hassanal bolkiah. the sultan is one of the richest men on earth, worth in 2009, as per wikipedia, US $ 20 billion (that is 13.5 billion euros or 1.8 trillion yen or 12 billion uk pounds or 135 billion chinese yuan or 21 billion austrailian $ or 94,000 crore indian rupees).

some say the sink is solid gold. some say the sink is gold-plated. in any case, it looks gaudy. it is sign of a disease called 'show-off' that affects many rich people. WEALTH IS NO GUARANTEE FOR GOOD TASTES.

a skyscraper (proposed) protuding out of a locality of low-rise buildings in shiraz, a city in iran. skyscraper.com's comment 'a design that wouldn't look out of place in Star Trek' is not inappropriate. as if the star trek ship Enterprise sank into earth and arose in shiraz.

supposedly re-development plans for mecca : the best example for a town-planner who wishes to convert his medieval city to manhattan. in this aerial view, the tall buildings look like a bunch of dominoes, waiting for a kid to be played with.