The Plaza Hotel—the century-old Manhattan landmark renowned for white-gloved service and the prestigious guests—reopened its doors last March following a $400 million, two-and-a-half-year-long refurbishment. The property’s owner, the El-Ad Group, renovated 130 suites and 152 pied-a-terres and converted the remainder of the Beaux-Arts building into 178 private condominiums. Photos ' James Steinkamp Photography/courtesy Related Midwest At 340 On the Park (above), a Chicago tower designed by Solomon Cordwell Buenz Architects, condo owners are encouraged to follow remodeling guidelines that promote sustainability. Long after the reopening celebrations ended, the sounds of construction could still be heard, as condo owners not content

As public opposition mounts against the Penang Global City Complex (PGCC), a massive redevelopment scheme in Malaysia, chief minister Dr. Koh Tsu Koon, head of the state of Penang, has requested revisions from the developer, Equine Capital subsidiary Abad Naluri. Image courtesy Anti-PGCC Campaign (top); Seraji Architects & Associates (middle); Asymptote'Hani Rashid + Lise Anne Couture (above). The Anti-PGCC campaign, a coalition of groups that opposes the Penang Global City Complex, has created a model that it claims depicts the excessive density of developer Equine Capital’s proposed 36 towers (top). Renderings by the PGCC’s master planner, Seraji Architects & Associates,

During the 18th century, spice attracted both traders and pirates to Penang, an island harbor for ships on the Strait of Malacca in Malaysia. Now, government officials are hoping that 21st-century vanguard architecture and luxurious beachfront resorts will once again draw international visitors to the island—this time, investors and tourists. To aid in the effort, municipal authorities have tapped Asymptote Architecture to design a $7 billion, 256-acre mixed-use complex called Penang Global City Center (PGCC). Images: Courtesy Asymptote'Hani Rashid + Lise Anne Couture The sinuous towers of Penang Global City Center, designed by Asymptote, will rise from a stage-like plinth.