Revealed on 29 October 2026, the 71,500-seat Generali Stadium will be the fruit of a transatlantic partnership between British architecture studio Foster + Partners and US-based studio MANICA. The stadium takes its name from Italian insurance giant Generali, which has secured the naming rights.

The new arena will rise alongside San Siro, officially known as the Giuseppe Meazza Stadium, which celebrates its centenary this year. Home to AC Milan since 1926 and shared with Inter since 1947, the stadium has been the theatre of epic victories, crushing defeats and legendary performances.

A new symbol for Milano. A new home for future generations of fans. Generali Stadium @GENERALI https://t.co/c7D0827E7T

— AC Milan (@acmilan) October 29, 2026

Construction is expected to begin in 2028, with the new stadium scheduled to be ready ahead of the 2032 UEFA European Championship. San Siro will then be largely demolished to make way for a wider redevelopment of the district.

Brutalist with a twist, the new structure’s most striking feature is its monumental façade, with giant concrete supports resembling X-shaped chromosomes rising approximately 60 metres above the ground. Their intersecting forms draw on the city’s architectural heritage, referencing the intricate stonework of Milan’s Duomo, but could also symbolise the two rival teams coming together under one roof.

Norman Foster, founder of Foster + Partners, told Dezeen that, above all, the studio wanted to “create a new home for two-storied football clubs, which captures the unique energy of the city and its distinctive architectural and structural traditions”.

Foster further explained that the stadium celebrates the enduring connection between the football clubs and Milan, carrying their shared heritage into the future.

The structural façade, composed of interlocking low-carbon precast concrete segments, will support the stadium bowl and double-curved roof. Diamond-shaped entrances will lead visitors into naturally ventilated colonnades and panoramic concourses overlooking the city.

Inside, the architects have adopted something of an if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it approach. Inspired by San Siro’s famous seating configuration, the new stadium will feature a continuous, two-tier, 360-degree bowl, bringing spectators even closer to the pitch.

At either end, the steeply inclined stands, known as the curvas, will accommodate approximately 11,700 supporters each, with opposing fans facing each other across the field. With inclinations of up to 37 degrees, the stands are designed to bring the spectators even closer to the action.

Acoustics were another major consideration. The geometry of the bowl and roof is designed to capture and amplify the roar of the crowds inside the arena, while limiting noise spilling into the surrounding neighbourhood.

For MANICA founder David Manica, preserving San Siro’s unique atmosphere was essential. “The result is a stadium where the chanting and singing build on themselves, taking the atmosphere Milanese supporters love and making it even more powerful”, he told Dezeen.

But not at the expense of sustainability, which was another important consideration in the design. Approximately 27,500 square metres of photovoltaic panels will cover the roof, while the all-electric development will incorporate natural ventilation, rainwater harvesting and greywater recycling. The architects are targeting LEED Gold certification and carbon-neutral operations.

For Foster, the project is also a “celebration of Milanese and Italian engineering tradition, where architecture and structure become one”.

Beyond football, the stadium forms part of a wider 281,000-square-metre redevelopment bringing together green spaces, public areas, and leisure and retail facilities. It is also designed to host concerts and other major events.

L’article Milan unveils striking new Generali Stadium to replace iconic San Siro est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

Nearly a decade after Snøhetta won the design competition, the opera house has been completed and now stands on the shores of the Huangpu River within Shanghai’s Expo Culture Park. Its striking white curves echo the river’s flowing waters, while the roof structure is inspired by the geometry of an open Chinese fan or an opera dancer’s skirt.

Spanning 146,786 square metres, the opera house alternates white surfaces with expansive glass panels framed by slender vertical columns. It opens onto the surrounding park with its carefully laid-out pathways and terraces, becoming an extension of the public space.

Floor-to-ceiling windows bathe the interior in natural light and provide views of the park.

If the building feels like an open invitation to come inside, whether to attend a performance or lecture, or simply to explore, that is precisely what Snøhetta intended.

“A cultural building, any building for that matter, must respond to its surroundings, the people who use it, the performers it serves, and the city it becomes part of”, Snøhetta co-founder Kjetil Trædal Thorsen told Dezeen.

Undoubtedly the most spectacular element is the monumental spiral staircase that winds up to the roof. This transforms the space into an open-air stage and meeting point, as well as an observation deck offering panoramic views of the river and Shanghai’s skyline. Access to the rooftop is free of charge.

“People should be able to enjoy the building without attending a performance. It should become part of everyday life, a place to spend time, meet others, and experience the city,” Thorsen explained.

Inside, the predominantly white exterior gives way to a combination of red and white surfaces and warm wood. Vivid red sculptural volumes dominate the spacious lobby, their bold geometric lines contrasting with the fluidity of the exterior.

The three differently sized auditoriums, which can accommodate a total of 4,200 spectators, each have their own unique atmosphere and purpose. The largest of these is the 2,000-seat Harmony Hall, which is enveloped in deep burgundy red, from the seating to the balconies. The smaller 1,200-seat Soar Theatre has a lighter atmosphere, with pale wood panelling contrasting with the rich reds of the main hall. Both have been designed to accommodate a variety of performances, including opera, operetta, theatre and concerts.

The 1,000-seat Open Stage features flexible seating and stage configurations for experimental performances, opening directly onto the park.

Rehearsal and production facilities, exhibition and education spaces, restaurants and cafés are intended to keep the building active even when no performances are taking place.

As with any major building project these days, considerable thought has gone into sustainability. However, achieving this on such a large scale was no small challenge, as Thorsen acknowledged given the building’s “scale and complexity”. 

The vast white roof reflects sunlight and heat, while the lobby’s openings towards the river and park encourage natural cross-ventilation.

Durable materials were chosen to ensure longevity, and the building’s integration with the surrounding green spaces supports local biodiversity. Its proximity to public transport is also intended to reduce dependence on cars.

The inaugural season, which runs until 20 February 2027, will feature 82 performances across 47 productions, showcasing international opera, Chinese works, dance, concerts, and new commissions.

L’article Shanghai’s spectacular new Grand Opera House opens to the public est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

Since its opening in 1983, Imperial Hotel Plaza Tokyo has been a luxury shopping haven. Yet cityscapes change, consumer behaviour evolves, and the building is currently lying vacant while awaiting demolition before the reconstruction of the Imperial Hotel Tokyo tower.  While the demolition had initially been scheduled for 2024, the works have been postponed until 2031 due to rising costs.

Instead of leaving the building as is until then, the former commercial centre is now set to temporarily house a cultural centre known as Not a Museum. To make the project possible, hospitality brand Nota – known from initiatives such as Not a Hotel – and Tokyo creative collective SKWAT – which already runs SKWAT Kameari Art Centre – will be joining forces.

From the Summer of 2027 until 2031, the cultural space will be taking over the first, second, third, and fourth floors of the building. The two companies will be in charge of the entire project.

“Since 1983, Imperial Hotel Plaza Tokyo has been a source of cutting-edge fashion and culture. Not a Museum aims to keep on that storied legacy with a new project that highlights the best of contemporary Japanese culture. Art, music, books, cinema, and fashion: an experimental ground for the future where diverse forms of expression converge, allowing you to experience culture as it unfolds,” Not a Museum explains on its website.

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The core concept of Not a Museum will be ‘Culture in the making’, meaning the accent will be put on the process instead of the final product as would be the case in a normal museum. Nothing has been shared as of yet about the artists who will be participating in the project.

Not a Museum is the second project that is part of Not a City, part of the wider Nota brand. The aim of the company is to make the most of unused spaces in Tokyo, especially those which are awaiting deconstruction and are thus temporarily standing vacant.

Another Not a City project is Japa Valley Tokyo, a “visionary art, retail, and hospitality precinct” designed by Nota creative advisors producer Pharrell Williams and fashion designer Nigo. The project will be set on a plot of land left empty since the demolition of two buildings from the 1960s.

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“Inspired by California’s Napa Valley, Japa Valley Tokyo will be a new tourist hub that combines the best of Japanese food, fashion, and culture. The setting for the project is Yurakucho Park, which Mitsubishi Estate is currently developing in front of Yurakucho Station as a temporary space before it commences construction on a new major building complex,” Not a City explains.

Japa Valley Tokyo will be open for a limited period beginning in 2027, covering one hectare of ground and featuring artwork from KAWS, event spaces, and pop-up stores.

L’article Tokyo’s former Imperial Hotel Plaza set to become a cultural complex in 2027 est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) has been chosen as the winner of the  international competition for Tirana Fountain Plaza. The Danish architecture firm was selected by a jury from a shortlist featuring Cobe, Barozzi Veiga, l’AUC, and JDSA. The project is part of Tirana 2030, the official local master plan for Albania’s capital organised around 100 main themes including biodiversity, polycentrism, mobility, water, and tourism.

Tirana Fountain Plaza will replace the existing building of the Tajvani complex in Tirana. Instead of simply positioning the new project on the previous footprint, BIG’s proposal expands the landscape of the nearby Rinia Park beneath and around a new mixed-use development. 

“We have reimagined urban living in three dimensions – not as a vertical extrusion or a tower competing for attention on the skyline, but as a cloud of homes hovering above the park. Rather than diminishing the park or displacing public life, the building enhances and accommodates both. Like a cloud, it casts a cooling shadow over the public space below. By freeing up the ground, it also creates more park and public space than exists today,” BIG founder Bjarke Ingels told architecture magazine Dezeen.

The permeability of the project is made possible by the fact that the building is perched above the ground, with just two curved glass columns connecting the upper stories with the park below. Visually, however, the massive columns disappear and the complex seems to be held up by a forest of slender pillars.

The building will combine offices, residences, hotel spaces, and cultural amenities such as an open-access library and a covered auditorium. The privately operated site is thus transformed into a new cultural and mixed-use destination, introducing gardens, plazas, water features, and gathering spaces that connect the park to the Lana River while preserving the historic fountain. 

Particular importance was paid to the on-site water management. A closed-loop system captures, stores, and reuses rainwater to support irrigation, mitigate flooding, and create a cooler microclimate throughout the park. The existing Taiwan Pool will be preserved and become a part of the water management system. 

“The project’s most striking expression of this inversion is an upside-down fountain. Instead of water rising from the ground, it falls from above, as a summer shower or a gentle autumn drizzle,” Ingels told Dezeen.

At the moment of writing, BIG is also working on a couple of other projects in and around Tirana. The bow-tie-shaped National Theatre of Albania is under construction and will, upon completion, offer 9,300 square metres of cultural space. Moreover, the firm is working on a project called Faith Park, a 200,000-square-metre interfaith complex in the hills outside Tirana featuring nine distinct architectural pavilions representing different religions as well as a Museum of Remembrance. 

L’article Tirana unveils plans for a cloud-like building above a public park est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

The stadium’s diamond-patterned facade, or outer surface, takes inspiration from nipa palms growing along the region’s waterways. These riverside plants influenced both the building’s shape and the approach to sheltering visitors. According to Populous, the architects studied how the palms protect riverbanks while providing space beneath their leaves for community activities and trade. The design applies that idea through sheltered circulation areas, where spectators can move around the venue. These spaces are intended to offer protection from the weather while maintaining a connection with the surrounding city.

A fully retractable roof, which can open and close, is another central feature of the design. It is intended to give organisers greater control over conditions inside the stadium during sporting events and performances. Sound insulation is also planned to reduce noise reaching nearby residential areas during concerts and other large gatherings. The proposed air-conditioning system would allow temperatures to be adjusted in different seating zones. Together, these features are designed to support the stadium’s use for both sport and entertainment, including its conversion into a stage for large concerts.

Football will be among the stadium’s uses, but the wider development is planned to support a much broader sporting programme. Populous says the complex’s masterplan can accommodate around 90% of Olympic sports. This claim applies to the entire site, rather than the stadium alone. Its facilities are being designed with competitions such as the Southeast Asian Games and the Asian Football Confederation Asian Cup in mind. The firm also links the project to longer-term ambitions for an Olympic and Paralympic Games. These are hosting ambitions, rather than announcements that such events have been awarded to the development.

Beyond the two main venues, the plans include an aquatic centre, training facilities, halls for different sports and sports medicine services. A central park and waterfront spaces would connect the facilities and provide areas for recreation. Public parks and plazas are intended to make the development useful to residents between major events. “We are focusing on making the venues accessible, well connected and flexible to provide a variety of experiences for all demographics,” said Andrew Tulen, senior principal at Populous. The approach gives everyday community activities a place alongside international competitions and performances.

For tourism, the opportunity extends beyond spectators arriving for a football match or concert. Visiting teams, event staff and conference delegates could also generate demand for accommodation, restaurants and other services. Plans for the waterfront include dining, shopping, outdoor events and festivals, giving visitors reasons to spend time around the complex. A conference centre is also proposed, with spaces for exhibitions, meetings and international gatherings. These facilities could broaden the development’s visitor appeal, although their effect on tourism will depend on the events it attracts once operating.

The project’s groundbreaking ceremony took place on 15 January 2026, several months before the latest design announcement. According to Sun Group, the approved project timetable allows eight years from the signing of its development contract. However, the city and investor aim to accelerate land clearance and construction, targeting completion in around five years. That ambition concerns the wider complex and should not be treated as a confirmed stadium opening date. Populous currently lists the project’s completion year as to be confirmed.

L’article Ho Chi Minh City reveals plans for 70,000-seat stadium inspired by riverside palms est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

Since 2015, the Prix Versailles has celebrated architecture, design, and sustainability in a series of different competitions announced at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris. Different lists feature a yearly selection of airports, university campuses, passenger stations, sports venues, museums, shops, hotels, and restaurants.

The laureates of the World’s Most Beautiful Stations List 2026 have been announced on 28 September. The list features stations from across the globe, including Italy and Saudi Arabia. 

“In the realm of transport stations, the stakes are high when it comes to creating cultural expressions that are simultaneously beautiful, fashionable and sustainable, that reinforce passenger mobility whilst revitalising local neighbourhoods and that support modernisation whilst showing respect for existing architecture. These strategies, with their ability to stimulate exchanges and assert a project’s local roots, remain all too rare on today’s global scene,” said Jérôme Gouadain, Prix Versailles Secretary General.

The World’s Most Beautiful Stations of 2026

Town Hall Station – Melbourne, Australia

“Town Hall Station enjoys a fantastic location in the heart of Melbourne’s historic centre. Designed by Hassell, RSHP and WW+P, it stands out for the sheer size of its underground volumes. Its concourse, built under City Square, is punctuated by eight imposing columns like trees whose branches hold up the canopy above and endow the whole hallway with a cathedral-like feel. Coppery vaulted ceilings tower 10 metres above the particularly wide platforms, accentuating the impression of openness and space,” Prix Versailles writes.

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Lyon Part-Dieu Station – Lyon, France

“In Lyon, walking through a building to get from one street to another is a way of life and, although it wasn’t originally designed that way, Part-Dieu Station had become a shortcut between different neighbourhoods. This regional, national, and international train station, one of Europe’s top stations in terms of the number of connecting passengers transiting through it, has doubled in size thanks to the architectural teams at AREP and L’AUC, with additional access points and pass-throughs to boot. Inspired by the hidden passageways (traboules) of the Vieux-Lyon and Croix-Rousse districts, Lyon Part-Dieu has devised its own, eminently contemporary, railway version.”

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Colosseo – Fori Imperiali Station – Rome, Italy

“For the chic Rome Metro, digging is always a trip back in time. And now, the Colosseo–Fori Imperiali Station has transformed this hurdle into an incredible contemporary project. Spanning four levels at a maximum depth of more than 30 metres, it has created a vast underground cavity where archaeological finds unearthed during construction now accompany passengers in transit. Ancient wells are the common thread running through the architecture, which plays with shadow and light to reveal the different strata that form the bedrock of Rome.”

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Monte Sant’Angelo Station – Naples, Italy

“Designed by artist Anish Kapoor, working with the architectural firms Future Systems and AL_A, Monte Sant’Angelo Station – a project that began more than twenty years ago – has turned crossing the threshold to the underground world into its own complete experience. Two monumental openings made of corten steel and aluminium provide access to a whole subterranean world that at once calls to mind Mount Vesuvius, a cave and the legend of the Cumaean Sibyl. The station itself is a sculpture that the public can enter all the way down to the bowels of the earth. A mythological, contemporary projection that brings past, present and future together.”

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National Museum Station – Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

“This Metro station was designed to be the gateway for visitors to the National Museum and the city’s historic centre. Created by the teams at Arup architecture practice, it stands out for its lattice façade, an impressive concrete shell modelled after the topography of Tuwaiq Mountain, with Najdi-inspired triangular openings through which the radiant blue of the interior can be seen.  The site delivers an experience that is as surprising as it is precious: the sense of stepping inside the crystal of a geode… a real treat for the eyes!”

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Western Station – Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

“Located on the site of an old open-air marketplace, Western Station was designed by Omrania to transform the spot without taking away from its public utility. Like a little slice of the city, a local ecosystem is evolving, with shops and a mosque, as well as many pedestrian areas that are great for a stroll or a get-together, set up all around the station’s tracks. Its silhouette is made up of two long spaces topped with undulating roofs. Inspired by desert dunes, their curved lines provide shady thresholds where light and air flow through the buildings freely. The structures are connected by a passageway like the seasonal riverbed of a wadi.”

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LAX/Metro Transit Center – Los Angeles, United States

“In the heart of a Californian metropolis that has historically been heavily car-centric, the new station is radically reinventing airport transit, for a more ecological, more equitable experience. The multimodal platform, created by Grimshaw Architects in collaboration with Gruen Associates, connects Metro’s C and K Lines, 16 bus lines, a regional bike hub, and forthcoming automated people movers. Capped with sweeping sculptural canopies and glass ceilings, this infrastructure is unobtrusive, placing the focus instead on a smooth journey for travellers. Designed with the local climate in mind, the site uses limited air conditioning thanks to its natural ventilation and awnings. Solar panels cover about half of the building’s interior energy demand.”

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According to Jérôme Gouadain, by overcoming the many challenges they are faced with in terms of design, architecture, and sustainability, the winning buildings are proof that 21^st-century passenger stations can be bridges to a more desirable future. 

On 10 December, three of the passenger stations from the 2026 list will receive further distinction in the form of a World Title. The Prix Versailles, Interior, and Exterior titles will be awarded at UNESCO Headquarters.

L’article Prix Versailles celebrates the most beautiful stations of 2026 est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

Travellers planning on travelling to Valencia in Spain in the future will be able to benefit from a unique high-speed rail station. The new Valencia Central Station will run underground and will be connected to the historic Estación del Norte, meaning trains will be able to travel through Valencia from north to south, overcoming the current terminus arrangement and making train travel within the city more fluent.

To make the station become a reality, the Adif-Alta Velocidad Evaluation Committee has selected a team consisting of three separate companies. Technology group Sener will be collaborating with the UK-based practice RSHP and the Valencia-based architecture studio ERRE.

“The new station will enable further progress in the city’s railway transformation, improving connectivity and efficiency through the integration of different transport modes within an infrastructure designed to respond to both current and future mobility needs,” said Jesús Planchuelo, Railway Director at Sener.

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In order to blend the new station with its existing surroundings, high-speed and commuter trains as well as metro services will be located underground. However, a series of sweeping roofs that pay homage to the historic Estación del Norte will provide an airy and light-flooded environment, thus preventing the station from feeling too crowded or cave-like. Travellers will be met with natural light, fresh air, and views while journeying underground. 

“The conceptualisation of the project arises from respect for the architectural beauty of Estación del Norte, declared an Asset of Cultural Interest. Our strategy is to intervene in the urban space without altering any of its façades, preserving its integrity while enhancing its heritage value,” shared Jose Martí, Amparo Roig, and M. Ángeles Ros, Architect Partners at ERRE, in a statement. 

The space gained aboveground by burying the station will be reserved for walking, cycling, greenery, and public life in general. The green axis will also act as a way to connect the station to the existing Estación del Norte, which is scheduled to undergo a refurbishment, and Valencia’s future Central Park.

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“Given the complexity of integrating multiple railway transport modes within a single space in a clear and people-centred way, we have designed a 21^st-century station for Valencia that will be truly unique. It will be bold, yet also sensitive and welcoming. It will offer an inspiring and generous experience, both for the city and its citizens, whether they are daily commuters or visitors arriving for the first time at the heart of this great city,” stated Ivan Harbour, Senior Design Director at RSHP.

At the moment of writing, a timeline has not been shared yet regarding the building works. However, RSHP will be using a lightweight modular canopy in order to make the process more sustainable and less time-consuming.

L’article Valencia plans new high-speed rail station topped by major urban park est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

The façade overlooking the square named after the architect was officially unveiled last week, following three years of restoration work. The ceremony was attended by Federal Justice Minister Annelies Verlinden, Minister of Public Action and Modernisation Vanessa Matz (Les Engagés), architects, and several of the hundred or so people involved in the project.

Verlinden (CD&V) described the completion of the first phase as a “success”, offering “hope and perspective for the future of the building, and, by extension, for the justice department”. She added that “the public should have access to the justice system in a building whose appearance reflects the dignity of the system itself”.

@mydayinbrussels The main façade of Brussels' Palace of Justice is finally visible again. The building has been hidden behind scaffolding since the early 1980s, making the scaffolding almost as famous as the monument itself. Now, in 2026, the front façade facing Place Poelaert is finally being uncovered after a major restoration. The Palace of Justice was inaugurated in 1883 and remains one of the largest courthouses ever built. The crazy part? The entire restoration project still isn't finished. Current estimates put the final completion around 2035. Palace of Justice, Brussels #bruxelles #architecture #palace #classical #facade ♬ original sound – MyDayinBrussels

Built between 1866 and 1883, the Palais de Justice remains one of Brussels’ defining landmarks. Sitting high above the city on the royal axis, it symbolically links the country’s executive, legislative and judicial branches in a straight line.

With a total surface area of 80,000 square metres and an imposing dome, it remains one of the world’s largest courthouses.

This iconic building, had, however, become better known in recent decades for the metal tubes holding it together than for its architecture.

The first scaffolding was erected in 1984, and a section covering the main façade was added twenty years later to protect against falling stones. The situation went from bad to worse, as restoration plans were repeatedly delayed due to disagreements between the various bodies involved, primarily concerning funding and who should pay the substantial costs.

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At one point, the scaffolding itself even needed reinforcing before restoration work on the building could begin.

The newly completed phase covered 22,750 square metres of the façade and the Cour d’Honneur, taking three years and €31.7 million.

Each section of natural stone and decorative element was inspected, cleaned and, where necessary, repaired or replaced, with the aim of preserving as much of the original material as possible.

Replacement stones were sourced from the same regions as the originals, including Comblanchien limestones from Burgundy and Belgium’s famous pierre bleue (blue limestone) from Soignies.

Two corner stones weighing four tonnes each were also replaced 28 metres above ground, requiring some acrobatics.

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Around 140 windows and 60 doors were restored, along with the monumental bronze door and four marble statues representing notable figures from Greek and Roman legal and political history: Lycurgus, Demosthenes, Cicero and Ulpian.

The peristyle, zinc roofs and 3,500 square metres of natural stone flooring were also restored, ready once again to bear the footsteps of robed judges and the general public.

“The restoration combined cutting-edge techniques with centuries-old craftsmanship,” said Isolde Verhulst, architect at PERSPECTIV architecten.

The main entrance from Place Poelaert is set to open in September, with a new entrance for people with reduced mobility.

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Nevertheless, the Palais’s trials and tribulations are far from over. Scaffolding remains on other parts of the building and a second restoration phase focusing on the dome is scheduled to begin in 2027. The remaining façades will follow, with the exterior restoration currently scheduled for completion by 2035.

If all goes according to plan – and that is a big “if”, given the building’s history – it could all be completed by 2040.

As the saying goes, good things come to those who wait, and for now, the first battle has finally been won. Locals can once again point with pride to one of the capital’s most extraordinary monuments without having to explain the tragicomic story of the ageing scaffolding that has hidden it from view for so long.

L’article Iconic Brussels Palais de Justice façade unveiled after more than 40 years est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

Hailed as “the most epic chip-building effort in the world,” the facility will be built in Grimes County, Texas. Vast in ambition and size, the “vertically integrated factory” will provide over nine million square metres of manufacturing space and host manufacturing, packaging, and testing processes.

Bringing these aspects together in one location will, the press release claimed, allow rapid improvements and deployment of chips optimized for products such as Tesla’s Optimus robots and “self-driving” Cybercabs, alongside those headed for SpaceX’s data centres in space.

The facility is required because, combined, SpaceX and Tesla are projected to require in excess of one terawatt (TW) of processing capacity or “compute,” which outstrips current global supply. At the same time as announcing the move, Musk explained “this looming gulf between supply and demand is at the core of Terafab’s necessity” and expressed appreciation for his current chip suppliers, encouraging them “to expand production whenever possible.”

Advanced chips are argued to be more and more essential to today’s economy, as AI systems, satellites, secure communications, and advanced manufacturing all rely on them. Musk’s press release notes that “much of the world’s semiconductor production remains concentrated overseas, and the United States has recognized the importance of rebuilding advanced manufacturing capacity domestically. Terafab aligns with that broader national effort by expanding high-end manufacturing capacity in Texas.”

Grimes is located in southeastern Texas, a place where historically, slave ownership was high, lynchings were common, and the population declined during the 20th century, when the county remained rural and agricultural. The facility will be built in the Gibbons Creek Reservoir area, on the former site of a steam electricity station. AI-produced renderings reveal two symmetrical U-shaped buildings ending in wing-like roofs, with a service road through the middle.

The confirmation of the plans on 6 August 2026 came two months after Grimes County lawmakers agreed a full property tax abatement package and €30 million state grant to secure trillionaire Musk’s investment. That is reported to represent an estimated $55 billion (over €47.6 billion) initially,  and could reach more than twice that. Some predict the factory will employ between 1,800 and 3,000 people.

But critics say those jobs are unlikely to be filled by local hires, and the project, and its wider sector, bring major sustainability challenges. There are growing environmental concerns about how resource-intensive semi-conductor chip manufacturing is, relying on massive amounts of ultrapure water, fossil-fuel-generated energy to power tools and climate and humidity control, as well as processes that involve fluorinated greenhouse gases, like nitrogen trifluoride (NF3), which has a global warming potential 17,000 times greater than CO₂.

Terafab approximate size comparison between Giga Texas, the Pentagon, Apple Park, and the Mall of America.

There has never been a building this large. Elon Musk says it will be the most valuable building by far. pic.twitter.com/GCmpfeduJn

— Nic Cruz Patane (@niccruzpatane) August 6, 2026

According to a paper published at 2021’s IEEE International Symposium on High-Performance Computer Architecture, the semiconductor manufacturing sector alone is responsible for around 50 megatons of CO₂ emissions annually.

On top of that, Musk’s controversial personal brand is already making itself felt locally. Business owners in Anderson, 10 minutes from the Gibbons Creek site, expressed fear about telling news station ABC13 Houston their true feelings about the project, saying their opinions would drive customers away. Patty Schroeder, who moved in from Houston, told ABC she appreciates the location’s “peace and quiet” and “wide open spaces” and said: “change is coming.”

L’article Elon Musk to build world’s largest building in rural Texas est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

Its official name is the Sultan Ahmed Mosque, after the young Ottoman ruler who commissioned it, but its popular nickname comes from the dazzling blue Iznik tiles that decorate its vast interior. More than 20,000 handcrafted tiles, combined with hundreds of windows that fill the prayer hall with natural light, create the tranquil blue glow that has become synonymous with the mosque.

Standing on Istanbul’s historic peninsula opposite Hagia Sophia, the mosque occupies one of the city’s most significant locations. The surrounding area was once the political and ceremonial heart of both the Byzantine and Ottoman empires, home to the ancient Hippodrome and close to Topkapi Palace. Sultan Ahmed designed the mosque as the centrepiece of a much larger complex that included a theological school, charitable kitchens, shops, a hospital, and his own mausoleum.

What truly sets the Blue Mosque apart, however, are its six slender minarets.

When construction began in 1609, Sultan Ahmed I was 19 years old. The Ottoman Empire was still one of the world’s great powers, but the young ruler had not achieved the military victories that traditionally justified the construction of an imperial mosque on such a grand scale. Even before the building was completed in 1616, its ambitious design was attracting attention.

The greatest controversy was about the number of minarets. Ottoman imperial mosques typically featured up to four, but Sultan Ahmed ordered six, giving his new mosque a silhouette unlike any other in the empire.

The decision caused widespread criticism because the Great Mosque of Mecca, Islam’s holiest sanctuary, also had six minarets at the time. Many believed the new mosque appeared to place itself on the same level as the sacred site, and critics accused the young sultan of excessive ambition.

According to long-standing Ottoman tradition, the controversy was resolved when Sultan Ahmed financed the construction of a seventh minaret at the mosque in Mecca, restoring its unique status while allowing Istanbul’s new imperial mosque to retain its six distinctive towers.

Beyond the debate, the Blue Mosque represented the height of classical Ottoman architecture. Designed by Sedefkâr Mehmed Ağa, a pupil of the legendary architect Mimar Sinan, it blended Byzantine engineering influences with Ottoman design, taking inspiration from nearby Hagia Sophia while creating an identity all its own. Its cascading domes, spacious courtyard, and harmonious proportions have defined Istanbul’s skyline for more than four centuries.

Following an extensive six-year restoration completed in 2023, the Blue Mosque continues to welcome worshippers and visitors alike, and is open to guests from 8am to 7pm, completely free. Tourist entry pauses five times daily though, for about 90 minutes for prayers. Silence should be maintained and men must cover shoulders and knees, while women, also require a head covering (scarves are supplied if needed).

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Inside, visitors can admire intricate floral motifs, stained-glass windows, and enormous chandeliers that were once illuminated by oil lamps. Some still display ostrich eggs, traditionally believed to discourage spiders from weaving webs around the lights.

Sultan Ahmed I died in 1617 at just 27 years of age, only a year after his great mosque was completed. Although his reign was brief, the monument he left behind has endured as one of the world’s finest examples of Ottoman architecture. The mosque’s six minarets, once the subject of fierce debate, are now among Istanbul’s most recognizable landmarks and a lasting symbol of the city’s rich religious, cultural and architectural heritage.

L’article Istanbul’s Blue Mosque: the story behind the six minarets that changed the city skyline est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.