I happened to be in London, and saw at several shops great toys and fluffy animals in the shape of monsters and robots. Might be the newest trend? The fashion monsters you see underneath are made by Christian Lacroix, on sale for instance by Habitat.
Inspirered by the waves that surround it, the breathtaking glass stucture will be the new Elbe Philharmonic Hall. The project will be due for 2010. It will then house one of the world’s finest concert halls and will put Hamburg on the map, according to the swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron. Today, three years before the Hall is due to open, great animations give you an idea of just what it will look like. It will contain a 2150 seat concert hall, a 550 seat chamber music hall, a 200-room luxury hotel, a wellness area, a nightclub and 21 luxury apartments.
Spectacular projects are changing the London skyline, like the Difa tower at Bishopsgate. Extraordinary new architecture will rapidly change the city.
Shard London Bridge 
Difa tower
“We need to make a building that doesn’t shut people out, one that responds to local as well as city-wide needs” says Renzo Piano, architect of the London Bridge Tower.
Six floors of public space at the mid levels will provide a wide range of facilities. These floors will boast views on a par with those from the top of the London Eye. Visitors, along with residents, office staff and hotel guests, will all benefit from The Shard’s strong mix of boutiques, restaurants, bars, health spa, exhibition space and conference facilities. More news at www.skyscrapernews.com
