A new addition at the Corning Museum of Glass by Thomas Phifer and Partners continues a tradition of invention at its upstate New York campus. Photo © Iwan Baan The addition's pristine exterior masks a series of inventive details that made it possible to sheathe the structure in a single layer of glass with few joints. To earn one AIA learning unit (LU), including one hour of health, safety, and welfare (HSW) credit, read each of the articles below, and complete the test online. Upon passing, you will receive a certificate of completion and your credit will automatically be reported

Two towers rising in Shenzhen, China, demonstrate SOM's approach to creating transparent and pristine facades. Image © SOM The two all-glass towers, part of a mixed-use complex, are to be completed by 2017. To earn one AIA learning unit (LU), including one hour of health, safety, and welfare (HSW) credit, read each of the articles below, and complete the test online. Upon passing, you will receive a certificate of completion and your credit will automatically be reported to the AIA. Find additional information regarding credit-reporting and continuing-education requirements at ce.construction.com, under “requirements.” Innovations In Glass Straight Story On Curves Reflections

Fabrication advances allow architects to make glass buildings that are not only transparent or translucent but sculptural. Photo © Thies Raetzke The Elbphilarmonie, a mixed-use complex designed by Herzog & de Meuron, is nearing completion on a riverfront site in Hamburg, Germany. To earn one AIA learning unit (LU), including one hour of health, safety, and welfare (HSW) credit, read each of the articles below and complete the test online. Upon passing, you will receive a certificate of completion and your credit will automatically be reported to the AIA. Find additional information regarding credit-reporting and continuing-education requirements at ce.construction.com, under

Architects, scientists, and manufacturers look toward emerging technologies and materials to develop the next generation of glass and glazing products. Image courtesy Ubiquitous Energy Ubiquitous Energy's ClearView Power is a clear photovoltaic coating that can be applied to glass. To earn one AIA learning unit (LU), including one hour of health, safety, and welfare (HSW) credit, read each of the articles below and complete the test online. Upon passing, you will receive a certificate of completion and your credit will automatically be reported to the AIA. Find additional information regarding credit-reporting and continuing-education requirements at ce.construction.com, under “requirements.” Innovations In

At 121 stories and 2,073 feet, the Shanghai Tower will be the world's second-tallest skyscraper when completed later this year.

Steirereck restaurant, located in Vienna's lush Stadtpark, is celebrated for its modern Austrian cuisine (think wiener schnitzel with a gluten disclaimer), but the main course is a new addition by local firm PPAG Architects.

The controversial restoration of the interiors of a sacrosanct cathedral elicits a call to action. Among modern architects, Chartres Cathedral, largely built in the first half of the 13th century, holds a special place. Philip Johnson famously said, “I would rather sleep in Chartres Cathedral, with the nearest toilet two blocks away, than in a Harvard house with back-to-back bathrooms.” (He first visited Chartres at age 13 with his mother, but the comparison came after he attended Harvard.) Much later, Johnson remarked, “I don't see how anybody can go into the nave of Chartres Cathedral and not burst into tears.”

The avant-garde's defense of the mountainous blob that Star Wars creator George Lucas wants to erect on Chicago's lakefront speaks volumes about all that's wrong with architecture today: a celebration of object-making at the expense of public space, plus a shameless coddling of the powerful, provided they serve one's aesthetic agenda.