Saturday, November 14, 2009
 The ancient Roman architect Vitruvius wrote that a building should have "firmness, commodity, and delight." In other words, it should stand up, fulfill a purpose, and look good. It's a rare structure, however, that meets all of these demands. The buildings that do might be said to qualify as modern-day wonders of the world--the subject of an on-going series at BusinessWeek.com. Our latest report, on amazing hotels, includes the world's highest, perched 53 floors above Shanghai, and largest, the 6,118-room First World Hotel in Malaysia. Inspired by the holiday season, we also have assembled a collection of innovative houses of worship. The Vatican still inspires awe, but these buildings are unmatched in their use of new materials to bridge the physical and the spiritual. In other slide shows, we present the wonders of green architecture, breathtaking bridges, unique retail spaces, and world-class sports stadiums. And in the coming weeks, we'll unveil the Wonders of 2006--a look at this year's amazing architectural feats. Will the Googleplex beat out Apple's dramatic glass cube? Or will a smog-eating museum in Rome make the list? For all this and more, go to www.businessweek.com/go/06wonders.
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