The Grand Egyptian Museum, Giza, Egypt

Like many new extreme forms of architecture, Giza’s planned Grand Egyptian Museum was the outcome of a competition. The $550 million museum is slated to open in 2013, despite Egypt’s political turmoil. The 210-acre project, a mile from the Giza Pyramids, will include a main structure made with translucent alabaster and a large atrium for ancient Egyptian artefacts and statues like the 3,200-year-old Ramesses II. (Heneghan Peng Architects)