Work has begun in India on what is billed as the "world's tallest statue" after Chief Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone in the western state of Gujarat. The statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, one of India's independence heroes, is being erected on a river island. At 182 meter, it would be twice as high as New York's Statue of Liberty. But critics say the statue's US$ 336 million price tag is much too expensive. The memorial would be called the "Statue of Unity". Officials say the statue is expected to be ready in 42 months. Sardar Patel, generally called the "Iron Man of India", played a major role in the country's fight for independence from British rule. Currently world's highest statue located in China. The 153 meters tall Buddha Vairocana statue was built in 2002. On the second place is 129 meters tall Sakyamuni Buddah statue in Myanmar and on the third place is 120 meters tall Amitabha Buddha statue in Japan.

More than 150 years since it was first dreamed up by an Ottoman sultan, Turkey on October 29 unveiled the world's first sea tunnel linking two continents. The tunnel, which has taken nine years to construct under the Bosporus straits, is part of Istanbul's metro service, and will connect the European and Asian sides of Turkey's biggest city. Known as the Marmaray metro link, it is slated to revolutionize the city, where public transport is limited and traffic jams are the stuff of legend. First suggested by Ottoman sultan Abdoul Medjid in 1860, it wasn't until 2004 that Erdogan - then Mayor of Istanbul - gave the final go-ahead for the tunnel, as part of a series of lavish construction projects for the city including a third airport, a parallel canal and a third bridge. Nine years after Erdogan gave it the green light, the US$ 4.6 billion first stage of the Marmaray project is now opened - four years behind schedule. Presenting something of a technical challenge, the 1.4 kilometer long undersea tunnel was constructed by lowering steel-lined pre-cast concrete sections into a trench excavated 60 meter down on the seabed of the Sea of Marmara, where they were then buried. A further 12.2 kilometer of on-land tunnels connect the three stations which make up the project's first phase. The rail tunnel is said to be earthquake-proof, an important consideration in an area plagued by strong seismic activity.

Israel is blessed with abundant sunshine and has long been a pioneer in solar energy. With construction starting in early 2014 on a 121 Megawatt solar power station, the country will be taking a big step in achieving its goal of producing 10 percent of its energy from renewable sources by 2020. The Ashalim power plant will be located in the Negev desert near Kibbutz Ashalim south of the city of Be'er Sheva, and when it's completed in 2016 it will be the biggest solar power station in Israel with enough capacity to power 40 thousand homes. The new solar station is being developed by Megalim Solar Power - a joint venture between U.S. based solar power company Brightsource Energy and French power and transport company Alstom. Brightsource originally started in Israel as a company called Luz, so the Ashalim power plant will be a homecoming of sorts. In addition to breaking ground on the US$ 1.1 billion solar thermal plant in Israel, Brightsource is developing the world's largest solar thermal plant - a 377 Megawatt solar farm in California's Mojave desert called Ivanpah. Brightsource solar thermal plants deploy heliostat mirrors that direct sunlight to solar power towers that create steam to drive turbines. The BrightSource-Alstom Megalim plant is one of three projects at the Ashalim site, which will generate 250 MW of electricity at full capacity - that's enough to cover 2.5 percent of Israeli energy consumption. When all three projects are online, Ashalim will become the fifth largest solar power station in the world.

London's Victorian era Crystal Palace will soon be resurrected, thanks to Chinese developer ZhongRong Group and architectural firm Arup. The light-filled glass structure will be rebuilt as a gift to the city of London, bringing back an important landmark that was destroyed by fire in 1936. Arup's design echoes the original Joseph Paxton-designed building and includes a large, lush park for South East Londoners to enjoy. The original Crystal Palace was designed for the 1851 Great Exhibition in Hyde Park, London, and moved to the south eastern neighborhood of Bromley shortly after. There it was used as a glittering public building until the fateful fire in 1936 that completely destroyed the landmark. Always regarded as an architectural masterpiece in China, the ZhongRong Group proposed the US$ 800 million project to Bromley officials as a gift to the city. Arup's design will restore not only the building, but the 73 hectares Crystal Palace landscaped park surrounding it, including a tree-lined boulevard, lushly planted grounds, and beautiful Italian style terraces. The complex will also include a cafe, visitor center and a restored concert bowl. According to the renders, the glassy light-filled structure emulates its original Victorian splendor, attracting locals and tourists alike as a contemporary cultural destination deeply rooted in history. The exciting Crystal Palace restoration project will be headed up by an advisory board led by the Mayor of London, to create a project that reflects the design's deep history while employing modern design practices.

Plans for Apple's new ring-shaped Headquarters in Cupertino have been approved by the city planning commission, although the final decision won't be made until May 2014. The extravagant office building was first envisioned by Steve Jobs, who personally sought approval for it prior to his death in 2011. Designed by Foster + Partners, the US$ 5 billion building, which Apple calls "the best office building in the world," is slated for completion in 2016. The "spaceship" will cover 260 thousand square meters and host up to 14 thousand employees. Roughly 260 thousand square meters of office space, corporate fitness facilities, auditoriums and cafeterias that will handle lunch for 3 thousand employees will be enveloped in pricey floor-to-ceiling panes of concave glass from Germany. A 600-seat restaurant surrounded by over 6 thousand trees will boast floor-to-ceiling glass sliding doors. Steve Jobs first introduced the new campus project to the city council in mid-2011. Since the first design was unveiled, the project's estimated price has shot up from an initial US$ 3 billion to US$ 5 billion. Apple will begin tearing down 26 buildings on the existing site in June. These excavations expected to last six months will require a 24-hour convoy of trucks, according a former Apple manager.