In Zurich, a 120-year-old, 6200 tons, The Machine Factory Oerlikon building relocated by 60 meters, reported The Telegraph. The building, which was built in 1889, was facing demolition in 2010 due to the expansion of nearby railway lines but it was saved when the Swiss real estate company, Swiss Prime Site, decided to buy it. The physical work freeing the foundations of the old factory and putting it on rolling tracks started last summer. The operation to translocate the 6200 tonne former factory began on may 22 with two hydraulic pressers, 500 rollers and six sections of railway line being utilized to help push the building roughly 60 meters to the west at speeds of around 3-5 meters per hour. The journey is expected to take two days. According to the company paying for the operation, the project to move the 80 meter long and 12 meter wide building is the largest Switzerland and Europe has ever seen. So far SPS have spent roughly US$ 12.7 million so far on the operation in order to preserve the Zurich landmark.

According to US publications, an unknown buyer has paid over US$ 90 million for an unfinished penthouse apartment, setting a new mark for the priciest home in New York City. He bought the 1015 square meters penthouse on the 89th and 90th floors of One57, the building currently under construction at 157 West 57th Street. The building, which features a Park Hyatt below the condominium units, will offer striking views of the southern end of Central Park and will be among New York's tallest residential structures when it is completed next year. Since One57 opened for sales in December, about half of its 92 apartments have been sold. This purchase breaks the previous New York City record of US$ 88 million paid by a Russian billionaire to buy a Central Park West apartment for his daughter last year. As we reported earlier, it is 10-room penthouse with total area of 626 square meters. On a per-square foot basis, however, this is a much better deal. The latest sale went for about US$ 8 thousand a square foot (US$ 88 600 for 1 square meter), while the Central Park West pad went for more than US$ 13 thousand (US$ 140 000 for 1 square meter). Foreign buyers, including Brazilians, Chinese and Russians, have been on a buying spree in New York and Miami in recent months, developers and brokers say. Russian and Ukrainian buyers have shown a particular willingness to pay top dollar for so-called trophy properties. Gary Barnett, president of Extell Development Company, was quick to dispel any notion that the One57 penthouse was sold to a Russian, saying the buyer was not Russian, Ukrainian or from "any other part of the former Soviet Union." He described the buyer as a "very nice family" who plans to use the penthouse as a residence, and as "someone that people would recognize." One57 is a 90-story skyscraper currently under-construction in New York City. Upon completion in 2013, it will stand at 306 meters tall, making it one of the tallest buildings in the city. The mixed use tower is developed by the Extell Development Company and the Pritzker Prize-winning architect Atelier Christian de Portzamparc designed One57 with SLCE Architects. The building will have 135 residential units on top of a Park Hyatt Hotel with 210 rooms. Foundation work started in January 2010.

Thierry Henry has lodged controversial plans to demolish his US$ 9.5 million north London house and replace it with a larger property - incorporating a 12 meters high fish tank that will cost US$ 400 thousand to build, reported The Daily Mail. Henry wants to rebuild his luxury home - which was completed only in 1999 and is described as one of the finest examples of modern architecture in the UK. Stretching 12 meters from the bottom of his house to the very top, it will take 5.5 thousand gallons of water to fill house 300 fish. The aquarium will actually be made up of four separate tanks, one for each storey of the house. Each will be made of Perspex-like material and will give the optical illusion of one giant aquarium - but will be cheaper to clean, run and maintain than a single tank. Each aquarium will require a filtration system to ensure the water stays clean and fresh. Experts say there are 2 thousand species of marine life suitable for the tanks, ranging from smaller breeds of shark to clown fish, yellow tangs, blue tangs and angel fish. Henry's new home will be taller than the existing one and include a bar, a cinema and a swimming pool. Despite spending at least US$ 3.2 million on rebuild costs, the finished house is likely to be worth at least US$ 16 million. The footballer is keen to highlight the eco-features of the new home, which includes extensive glass paneling to capture natural light and a so-called "biodiverse" roof, which will incorporate plants and trees. The French footballer is the latest in a long line of celebrities including Madonna, the Beckhams, Cher and Premier League footballers Stephen Ireland, Joe Hart and Micah Richards, to splash out on opulent fish tanks. Ireland has reportedly spent more than US$ 160 thousand on his 4 meters aquarium, and is now believed to be planning a shark tank under his kitchen floor. But Henry's super-size version will dwarf them all.

Polish firm Deep Ocean Technology has unveiled the latest of Dubai's outlandish architectural endeavors - the Water Discus Hotel - which is to be comprised of a series of sci-fi styled discs, one of which will be positioned 10 meters underwater with twenty-one hotel rooms. Offering guests a view directly into the Persian Gulf from the beds of their modest two-person rooms, the hotel is to be constructed by shipyard firm Drydocks World. In addition to the unusual accommodation, the proposed hotel is to include a diving center, underwater tourist vehicles, a spa, garden areas, an above-water terrace, and a helipad for guests. As reported The World Architecture News, ship repair, conversion and construction firm Drydocks World has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with BIG InvestConsult AG, a Swiss company representing Polish firm Deep Ocean Technology (DOT)0 which has developed highly innovative designs for an underwater hotel. The proposal still needs to be refined but currently suggests a Water Discus Hotel in Dubai. Dubai announced plan to construct another underwater hotel, Hydropolis, in 2006. The project cost was estimated US$ 480 million, and it was assumed to be as one of the world's most expensive hotels, home to an array of facilities including a cosmetic surgery clinic and a marine biological research laboratory. After a series of delays, the hotel remained only on the paper. This latest-intentionally-submerged project, looks to have the backing to become a reality. And, if not constructed in the planned location, Deep Ocean Technology have made design plans adaptable to varying sea levels. Formed of a 'stacked' structure of discs, DOT explains that "Each design will be tailor-made to suit its future users and local conditions, such as the shape of the coastal line and depth of water around the coral reef." And if that particular area of Dubai were to fall out of fashion for any reason, well, DOT has thought of that: "If any changes in environmental or economic conditions occur, the Water Discus modules can be transferred to a different place. This offers a unique opportunity to live underwater on a permanent basis with unlimited options to change locations." The discs which form the hotel are themselves surprisingly versatile. Mounted atop three legs and a vertical shaft containing an elevator and stairway, the discs themselves are interchangeable. From an interior design standpoint, this allows for renovations to be conducted offsite, with minimal disruption to business. Equipped with monitoring and warning systems for safety, the above water discs have "positive buoyancy, which means they can be used as lifesaving vessels after being detached from the main body of the upper disc."

The crazy, twisting ArcelorMittal Orbit observation tower in London is now complete and final preparations are underway for visitors. Set to open right before the games begin in July, the spiraling red steel tower will provide views of the Olympic Park. The tower was designed by Anish Kapoor, engineered by Cecil Balmond, and is sponsored by ArcelorMittal, a sponsor of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and a global leading steel company. The tower, which is both a structure and a work of art, has been constructed out of 60% recycled steel and reaches a height of 114.5 meters. The ArcelorMittal Orbit is an observation tower located in the heart of London's Olympic Park and stands at almost 4,500 feet tall. The sculpture was designed by Anish Kapoor, and structural engineering was done by Cecil Balmond. Visitors to the tower will ascend via an elevator in the core to enjoy the observation deck at the top. The platform will afford panoramic views of up to 20 miles, encompassing the entire Olympic Park and London's skyline beyond. After their visit is over, visitors will be encouraged to descend via the 455 steps that were designed to make the visitors feel as if they were orbiting around the structure. Or just get really dizzy. ArcelorMittal, the sponsor of the tower and the Olympics, is a leading steel manufacturer and provided the material for the sculpture. Construction of the ArcelorMittal Orbit took 18 months and required 560 meters of tubular red steel to form the lattice superstructure. Almost 60 percent of the 2,000 tonnes of steel used in the sculpture were drawn from recycled sources. Steel was chosen for its unique properties including strength, modular structure, advantages of weight and speed of construction and recyclability. The exterior of the structure is outfitted with 250 colored spotlights that can be controlled and programmed for special effects. Cecil Balmond: "Anish and I were conscious from the beginning that the ArcelorMittal Orbit would be a lasting legacy to the city and so we wanted to stretch the language of the icon as far we could go. The Orbit is a hybrid, a network of art and structure, and its dynamic is the non-linear. You read into it multiple narratives in space."