M. Eiffel’s Eyesore
In 1887 Gustave Eiffel got the nod from the Paris authorities to begin construction of his tower. It was intended as no more than...
The Louisiana Superdome
No building came to make us so aware of the human misery caused by Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath than did the Louisiana Superdome....
They’re changing guards at Buckingham Palace . . .
This month HRH Queen Elizabeth II celebrates 60 years of marriage to HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Dr Kerry Rodgers thought it appropriate...
The world’s largest greenhouse
The world’s largest greenhouse is the brainchild of Tim Smit. He wanted a way of showing the connection between plants and people. The upshot...
Auckland’s aging coathanger
When I first came to Auckland some 50 years back, the only way to take a vehicle to the North Shore was to trundle...
The pyramid that Imhotep built
Some 4600 years ago, Imhotep designed and supervised construction of the world’s first large-scale, cut-stone tomb. It was Egypt’s first pyramid. Today it still...
Hadrian’s defining wall
The recent celebrations marking the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall recall that using physical barriers to mark political borders ain’t...
Christchurch’s Cardboard Cathedral
Japanese-born Shigeru Ban is a remarkable designer. In the media he is sometimes known as The Emergency Architect. He studied in the early...
Istanbul’s glorious Hagia Sophia
When the votes were in for the New Seven Wonders of the World, Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia failed to figure among the magnificent seven, although...
The bridges of Møre og Romsdal County
Tourists come from across the globe just to drive it. Popularly, it has been dubbed “The Road to Nowhere”.
It is Norway’s Atlantic Ocean Road....