A Chinese firm state-owned giant China Railway Construction Corporation (CRCC) has signed a deal with Moroccan partners The General Construction Company of Casablanca (TGCC) to build the tallest skyscraper in Africa in the capital of Morocco Rabat, Xinhuanet reported on Sunday. CRCC will take responsibility for 60% of the project, which is budgeted at US$380 million, while their Moroccan partners, The General Construction Company of Casablanca (TGCC), handle the other 40%. The 55-storey tower will reach 250 meters high, with the adoption of ecological and sustainable design concepts. It will include offices, hotels and luxury apartments, according to the report. The tower will be the highlight of a large-scale project to develop the Bouregreg valley in Rabat, a key component of the 2014-2018 Integrated Development Program dubbed "Rabat, City of Light, and Moroccan Cultural Capital." The new project also involves the construction of several innovative facilities, including the Grand Theatre of Rabat, the Arts and Culture House, the National Archives of the Kingdom of Morocco and the Archaeological Museum. Currently, the tallest building in Africa is the Carlton Centre in Johannesburg at 223 meters in height. The tallest building in Morocco is the Casablanca Twin Center at a mere 115 meters.

AMBS Architects was commissioned with a highly confidential project - due to security reasons until recently - in Basra, Iraq. Home to a bulk of Iraq's oil reserves, the province is becoming one of the fastest-growing business centers in the world (and most precious per square meter). The new downtown master plan was assigned by the Basra governorate with an aim of maximizing the city's capacity by 2025. Avoiding urban sprawl was the top priority in order to protect the environment, thus posing the preference to build vertically, rather than outwards. The scheme for the downtown area will feature a one of a kind landmark to match its importance called The Bride tower. The brief developed into four conjoined towers creating a more logical and stable structure with multiple accesses and escape routes via horizontal and vertical circulations. Tower 1, located on the south side, is the tallest, and is shaded by a glazed canopy known as 'the veil'. The towers are connected at many levels creating "sky gardens" and "sky squares". The Bride will be the first vertical city in the world. It will also be the tallest structure there is and will break new ground in all disciplines of engineering: from structures to vertical transportation and services. It will keep a constant typical section from top to bottom, which gives maximum space efficiency and repetition, reducing the costs. Furthermore, it's designed to be a "round the clock" city, with offices, hotels, whole neighborhoods, commercial centers, sky-squares, parks, gardens and its own rail network. The design responds to the external environment strategically positioning the structures in a way that they can shade one another. The south facade of tower 1 will be almost completely cloaked by a canopy that extends over 600 thousand square meters, covering low-rise buildings, public areas and the first floors of the high-rise. Apart from shading and cooling for the south facade of tower 1, the "veil" will integrate hybrid solar cooling PVT panels (a photovoltaic-thermal combined system). The water heated within these panels will be used to increase the performance of the photovoltaics, and which will subsequently be fed to absorption chillers. the heat provided to the generator will drive a cycle that produces chilled water for cooling. The city of Basra and its surrounding lands have been historically fertile and capable of producing abundant vegetation and agricultural crops. This reputation earned it the name "the bride of the gulf" by local people. The "bride tower" project takes its name to reference this saying and aims to convey the idea at many levels.

In Melbourne, Australia, a new skyscraper will mimic the curves of a famous pop star Beyonce. Her moves have inspired fans at architecture firm Elenberg Fraser to design a 226-meter-high skyscraper that resembles her curvtastic form. Specifically, the building will be homage to the music video for Beyonce's 2013 hit "Ghost." The actual name of the building is the Premiere Tower, located at 134 Spencer Street in downtown Melbourne, which is the second most populated city in Australia after Sydney. Rather than flat or angular exterior walls, the new skyscraper will be composed of a series of waves, bulges, and curves. The designers say this makes the building highly efficient, while also serving as an artistic nod to the fabric-wrapped dancers in Bey's video. The curves really aren't just for show. The building's design it intended to respond to climate, wind changes, and the particular limitations of the site, according to the architecture firm. "This project is the culmination of our significant research," said the firm in a statement. "The complex form - a vertical cantilever - is actually the most effective way to redistribute the building's mass, giving the best results in terms of structural dispersion, frequency oscillation and wind requirements." The project has been financed by the Fragrance Group, a real estate company owned by Singaporean billionaire Koh Wee Meng Premiere. Tower will raise 68 stories over the west end of the city's business district. Inside, there will be 660 residential apartments and a 160-room hotel. Because the tower is tall and thin, most units on any upper floor will have a spectacular view of the cityscape below. In renderings of the interior, we can see that the undulating curves of the building have been brought inside, with ceilings and walls that hint at the building's overall shape.

Today approximately there are 41 Eiffel Tower replicas over the world, 3 of which are situated in China. Forth one, a half size replica of the Eiffel Tower also will be opened in 2016 in Macao, China. But this is not the end. Dozens of this brand tower, of course, will be built in the future. Last year Asia Sands China Ltd., a subsidiary of Las Vegas Sands, has received approval from the Macau government to build a US$ 2.7 billion Paris-themed resort in the Portuguese colony. Recently Edward Tracy, President and Chief Executive Officer of Sands China announced that the construction of the 3,000-room hotel The Parisian Macao is in full swing. The French-themed Parisian Macao will have more than 3,000 rooms, 45 thousand square meters of retail space, five-star public spaces, authentic French restaurants and a half-scale Eiffel Tower, with an observation deck and a restaurant on the third floor. Guests and visitors will be able to take an elevator to the top of the tower, which will have a panoramic view of the city and the Pearl River Delta. It will be a fully integrated resort with a variety of scenic locations. The Parisian Macao will have fashion-forward retail offerings and outlets focused on jewelry, watches, and fashion accessories. All of its facilities will be interconnected by climate-controlled, air-conditioned bridges with moving walkways, thus allowing tourists to experience offerings without exposing themselves to traffic or weather.

A mini castle has gone on sale but the price tag is not as steep as might be expected. Set in the picturesque village of Upper Arley in Worcestershire, the two-bed semi-detached property even comes complete with its own turret. And the cost to get your hands on your own piece of history? Arley Tower is on the market for just US$ 420 thousand. Admittedly, it is a little small for the average sized family - but it's unlikely that you'll ever find a castle in this price range again. As well as it's own turret, the Grade II listed building boasts an octagonal staircase and roof terrace with sweeping views over the River Severn. It was built in a Gothic Revival style in the 1800s by Lord Mountnorris, owner of the Arley Estate. On the ground floor, you'll find two bedrooms with French doors leading from the master bedroom into the rear courtyard. Currently being sold by up market estate agents Knight Frank, the first floor has a vaulted living room and balcony. Inside, the house is surprisingly light and spacious, with modern decor and a large kitchen that looks out onto the back garden.