The Ribbon of Light is another building from Tom Wright, and is located in Tehran, Iran. The building has a retail area, with the first four floors to be built like a mall consisting of stores and restaurants. There will also be office space, which will consist of the next five floors. The tenth and final floor will be used as a grand ballroom for weddings. A flowing silver ribbon of light will section the three areas. Although it is still under construction, the building has already become an icon in Tehran. It is a beautiful design and cool concept that I think will work wonderfully in Tehran, it has a modern look which I believe will do great.

The millennium residence is one of Bangkok’s newest towers, and is located on a 2.3-hectare site within the Sukhumvit section of Bangkok. This is a 53-story tower, which was constructed along a central curved axis, giving the building a unique look. The building holds 604 apartments, which range from luxurious duplex penthouse apartments with Jacuzzi decks, to an intelligently designed compact unit. The views from the building are spectacular; you can see the lake, which has been, settles in front of the Queen Sirikit International Convention Center. Every room has views from three different sides. This building is beautiful and anyone who appreciates a good view would be lucky to live here

The Jumeirah Beach Hotel, which is located in Dubai, United State of Emirates, was designed in 1993. The hotel has won multiple awards for designs, and features a dynamic wave of formation that sweeps around the landscaped pools as well as one of the top beaches in Dubai. The building is 26 stories high and has 598 rooms, which face the Arabian Gulf and the Bur Al Arab. The hotel has over 15 restaurants, a sports club and spa, a conference center, auditorium and marina. The hotel is built in the shape of a wave, and spans 65,000 square meters. The building is gorgeous, and I love how be designed the building like a wave while it has a beautiful view of the ocean.

Tom Wright teamed up with the Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines to create a brand new cruise ship line. The Quantum of the Sea is a famous cruise ship, which includes things such as an indoor basketball court, which can be converted to an ice rink or bumper car arena, and the North Star viewing pod. The viewing pod is connected to a crane, which takes guests up and over the water so that they can view the ocean from an entirely new perspective. This pod has given the Quantum of the seas a signature attraction. This boat would be great to ride on, and has so many features that make it a unique attraction, which I would love to experience

The South Quarter is another one of Tom Wright’s buildings, which is located in Jakarta Indonesia. The buildings have been inspired by the nature of Indonesia with the landscape and structures trying to foster a harmonious and natural environment to promote a healthier lifestyle. The way they constructed the building was also very environmentally friendly, for example, they used a grey water recovery system that lead to a 25% reduction in fresh water demand for the project. There weren’t very many natural shapes, but he focused on earthy color shades set within a green park. The buildings are used for offices and restaurants along with living quarters.

The Burj Al Arab (Tower of the Arabs), which is located in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, was designed by Tom Wright in October 1993, and completed in November 1999. It is the 4^th tallest hotel in the world standing at 321 meters, and is located on an artificial island 280 meters from the Jumeirah beach. The hotels shape is designed to look like the sail of a ship. The Burj Al Arab has received the reputation of being one of the best and most luxurious hotels in the world. The building was built on sand instead of rock, and gives a beautiful view of the Arabian Gulf. The Burj Al Arab has come to be a symbol for Dubai, and has been compared to the Empire State Building in New York or the London eye in London

The Harkins movie theatre is special to me for many reasons. I love to see movies, and at the time it was built, this was the nicest movie theatre in Oklahoma City. Before going there, I had never sat in a reclining chair at a movie theatre or been exposed to such an array of food options. While all that may not sound that cool, I thought it was such an awesome experience when I was a kid. It was also one of the newest and most vital additions to our up and coming brick town, which has grown to be a vibrant downtown area. I also am family friends with an individual by the name of Randy Hogan who played a vital role designing and constructing the theatre, so I was able to hear about some of the behind the scene details that made the experience more memorable. The building is on Reno Avenue in downtown Oklahoma City, with a beautiful fountain right in front of it, and just a short walk to the Chesapeake Energy Arena.

When I visited Chicago, I had the opportunity to go on an architecture boat tour, which exposed me to multiple beautiful pieces of architecture. One that stood out to me was the Tribune Tower. This building is a neo-Gothic structure, whose architects consisted of Raymond Hood, John Mead Howells, and John Vinci. Construction started in 1923 and was finished in 1925. The building also reaches a height of 462 feet. I found it very interesting that the building had originally been built in 1868 but was burned down in the great Chicago fire of 1871. My favorite part about the building was when I got to see it close up after the tour, and see the different sculpture and carved images such as Robin Hood.

I studied in Australia two semesters ago, and had the opportunity to visit Sydney, which is home to one of the most famous opera houses in the world. The Sydney Opera House is located on Bennelong Point in the Sydney Harbor subsequently giving it some of the greatest views in Australia. I got to take a tour of the opera house and learn about the history of how it was made, and also got to sit in on a few practice shows. The buildings architect was a man by the name of Jørn Utzon, who later was kicked off the project although he was the mastermind behind the whole building. They started construction on the building March 1^st, 1959 and completed it in 1973. The construction time was much longer than expected, but the end result did not disappoint. The building was a modern expressionist design, and my favorite part about it was the large concrete shells that formed the roof of the structure. It was also amazing to see how they built each theatre room for specific purposes; for example, in one theatre room they have devices over the orchestra so that the musicians can hear their music faster than the audience can.

The Notre Dame de Paris was my favorite piece of architecture in Paris. It was truly incredible to see a building that started their construction in 1163. This was my favorite French Gothic building in Europe, and was one of the most incredible churches that I have been to. The gargoyles that were built for water run-off and chimeras were amazing as well. Unfortunately I didn’t get to walk of the spiral steps because the line was outrageously long, but the famous bell is supposed to be spectacular along with the views. Because I’m Roman Catholic, the church was an incredibly humbling and eye opening experience. To be able to see how much time and effort people in the past had to put forth in order to accomplish this amazing building is a truly incredible learning experience. The church started construction in 1163 and was completed in 1345.