The BBC has sold its historic Television Centre premises in west London in a deal worth more than US$ 310 million. The historic doughnut-shaped building, which dates back to 1960, has been bought by property developer Stanhope plc, the corporation confirmed on Monday. BBC director general Mark Thompson said the deal was secured after the First Night of the Proms on Saturday. TV Centre - once the home of TV classics from Top of the Pops to Blue Peter and which once bore the blast from a car bomb - was put up for sale last year as part of the BBC's latest cost-cutting drive. Thompson said its sale "represents another milestone in the way the BBC is changing" from a number of broadcasting bases to key HQs in the capital and around the country, including the newly-refurbished Broadcasting House in central London and BBC North in Salford. The BBC's chief financial officer, Zarin Patel, said the corporation's property footprint had been reduced by a third, although in the short term spending on property has increased, by £37m to a total of £187m. Spending on technology was also up, according to the corporation's annual report published on Monday. Many programmers have already left TV Centre, including Blue Peter which was relocated along with its famous garden and the rest of the BBC's children's output to Salford. The sale did not go down well with everyone, however. Newsnight presenter Jeremy Paxman criticised the decision in February, saying: "What organisation - at a time when it has no money, allegedly - would move from cheap square footage in west London to Oxford Circus?" In a statement, the BBC said TV Centre had been sold to Stanhope plc "for a total price in the order of £200m. Full details of the sale will be available on completion." The sale of the site, parts of which were given Grade II listed status by English Heritage in 2009, prompted an outpouring of nostalgia on Twitter, including many who worked there and one who had slept under her desk. The 14-acre site will be empty by 2015 with staff moving to the newly-refurbished Broadcasting House in central London as well as the BBC North HQ in Salford. The BBC originally announced it wanted to sell the building, which opened in 1960, in 2007.

The Chinese government has recently launched a series of "eco-friendly" communities in a number of cities with the intention of promoting a more sustainable culture among the people. The communities feature green spaces, solar panels and other alternative energy sources and encourage inhabitants to develop sustainable habits. China is building more eco-cities designed to be low-carbon and energy-saving than any other country, according to a survey by the University of Westminster in London, USA Today reported. America came second in the study. One of the biggest ecologically friendly cities will be Tianjin Eco-City, a joint development between the Chinese and Singaporean governments that will cover almost 30 square kilometer of wasteland and salt pans near Tianjin, a major port city southeast of Beijing. More than thousand people will move in this year, joining 100 residents and it is expected to reach a population of 350 thousand people within the next ten years. According to Inhabitat, designed by Surbana Urban Planning Group, the city is being built just 10 minutes away from the business parks at the Tianjin Economic-Development Area, making for a commute that should be a breeze with the development's advanced light rail transit system. Eco-City will make use of the latest sustainable technologies such as solar power, wind power, rainwater recycling, and wastewater treatment/desalination of sea water. In order to reduce the city's carbon emissions, residents will be encouraged to use an advanced light rail system, and China has also pledged that 90 percent of traffic within the city will be public transport. The development also features some beautiful public green spaces. As reported USA Today, in recent years, more than 200 Chinese cities have announced they will build large housing developments that seek to reduce energy use and motor vehicle use and thus the amount of carbon put out by power plants and tailpipes. Some projects have stalled, while others appear to be promotional gimmicks by commercial developers. Some innovations fizzled, such as the roof gardens suggested by Singapore. They died in the district's polluted soil and windy, dry climate. Some partnerships are going nowhere. The Shanghai government and British design firm Arup have failed to complete a promised eco-city in Dongtan. The project near Shanghai appears stalled as does Wanzhuang, another Arup eco-city near Beijing.

Living big in 40 square meters of space takes some creative planning and ingenious space-saving design, and this small apartment in Tel Aviv is a great example. Israel-based SFARO turned a cramped space into one that feels like a never-ending roundabout. By moving all the main utilities, storage and programmatic units into a central cube, the apartment is now a one-bedroom space with excellent circulation and lots of light. Housing prices in Tel Aviv have soared in recent years and many people are unable to afford moving, but still want to upgrade or improve their space. As a result, many have resorted to remodeling their spaces, no matter how small. The owner of this small apartment decided to transform her cramped studio space into a more luxurious 1 bedroom that also included storage units, a large separate kitchen and a full size queen bedroom. SFARO completely transformed the long narrow 40 square meters apartment by gutting the space and creating a new circulation. They moved the utilities, kitchen, bathroom, storage and other programmatic areas into a central multi-functional cube. Now there are four distinct zones around the cube: hallway, living room, long galley kitchen, and bedroom. Sliding doors store away into the cube and allow the owner to open or close spaces depending on the time of day, guests or needs. Built-in storage keeps items neatly packed away and bright white finishes help bounce light around to make the space seem much larger.

Europe's tallest building has been officially unveiled in London. The Shard, a 95-story tower which stands at 310 meter, dwarfs almost everything around it, including nearby Tower Bridge and St Paul's Cathedral. It was officially named on July 5 as the highest tower in Europe, in a ceremony carried out by Britain's Prince Andrew, the Duke of York. In 2009 the building was officially launched by Qatari Prime Minister Hamad bin Jassem al-Thani, whose country funded the building, and Queen Elizabeth II's son Prince Andrew. The 95-floor building has a glass facade covering the equivalent of eight football pitches, while the volume of concrete used in its construction could fill 22 Olympic-sized swimming pools. It has capacity for 12 thousand people and will contain a five-star hotel, 600 thousand square meters of office space, luxury restaurants and shops. The jagged-tipped skyscraper will also house 10 apartments, reportedly costing up to US$ 78 million each, which on floors 53 to 65 will be the highest residential properties in Britain. The US$ 705.4 million project was 95 percent funded by Qatar. The Shard's inauguration marks the completion of the exterior of the building, located on the south bank of the River Thames at London Bridge, while work on the inside is expected to continue into 2013. The skyscraper, whose name was coined by its Italian architect Renzo Piano, is still significantly shorter than Dubai's 828-metre Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world. It takes over from Capital City Moscow Tower as the highest in Europe, but it is expected to be surpassed before the end of the year by Russia's planned 332 meter Mercury City Tower. Recently, France also unveiled plans to build Europe's tallest tower "Hermitage Plaza Towers" , but its construction hasn't started yet and its only 320 m tall. But the building's futuristic silhouette has angered traditionalists who say it has dwarfed older landmarks such as St Paul's Cathedral and the Houses of Parliament. English Heritage, the body responsible for protecting historic sites, says the skyscraper mars a view of St Paul's, which was London's tallest building for 250 years (1710-1962).

Suhail Mohammed Suleiman's proposal for a sustainable mosque to be built in Abu Dhabi has been given the green light, reported The inhabitat. While construction is not confirmed, the eco-mosque would be a symbol of the region's commitment to sustainable development. Powered with solar panels and planted with a green roof, the proposed structure would boast many green features, including a system that captures and recycles the run off from ritual washing in order to help irrigate the landscaped surroundings. The 23-year-old ALHOSN University graduate began working on the project while undertaking internships, and since completing the proposal it has been awarded a Five Pearl Rating from the Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council. This, says Alhosn University's website, is acknowledged under the Estidama sustainability framework. The structure is crowned with a set of two crescent-topped spires that point towards Mecca, and is accompanied by an adjacent Islamic Center. Suleiman hopes the mosque will be constructed on Saadiyat Island, where the green design would join the Abu Dhabi Guggenheim and Louvre museums that are set to open by 2017.