Throughout history, the human spirit has been uplifted by architectural wonders. The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World continue to fascinate us even today. These buildings and statues were both beautiful and massive, requiring impressive technology for their time— but what has made them immortal is the source of their inspiration.

The Colossus of Rhodes, a 110-foot high bronze statue, was a symbol of unity for the three city-states on this Greek Mediterranean isle. The Lighthouse at Alexandria was more than a guide for sailors—its architects created the tallest building of their age. It is said the Hanging Gardens of Babylon were built by King Nebuchadnezzar II out of love for his wife. The Egyptian pharaoh Khufu raised the Great Pyramid of Giza as a door to the next world, and it reigned as the tallest structure on earth for more than 43 centuries.

Now Maharishi has conceived an architectural marvel that surpasses the vision of both ancient and modern builders. Twelve Maharishi Towers of World Peace will be constructed around the globe, one in each Time Zone of Maharishi Global Administration through Natural Law.

The Maharishi Global Development Fund, an organization dedicated to economic development and urban renewal, is the leading investor for this project world-wide. Construction plans are already well under way for the tower in São Paulo, Brazil, the third largest city in the world. In São Paulo, Maharishi Global Development Fund has partnered with Brazilinvest, a well-known development firm headed by Mario Garnero.

At 1,622 feet, the tower will qualify as the tallest building in the world, surpassing by 139 feet the 1,483-foot-high Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The architect for the Maharishi Tower of World Peace is Mimoru Yamasaki Associates, an American firm that designed the World Trade Center in New York City. Henry Guthard, a senior vice-president at Mimoru Yamasaki, says, "When seen silhouetted against the sky, this building will be striking."

The tower’s dramatic shape, with a square base equal to half its height, is derived from the formulas of Vedic proportion. Structurally, the tower is four connected buildings, angled inward to support each other. Rigorous wind tunnel analysis has proven this form to be highly stable.

In addition to the tower’s architectural beauty, extensive gardens will surround the outside of the building, and hanging gardens will decorate its inner walls. The main atrium on the ground floor includes waterfalls, fountains and flower beds, with giant forty-foot-wide golden-glazed windows rising vertically in the center of each wall.

The Maharishi Tower of World Peace will house convention and exhibition centers, a shopping center, a theater, a university, apartments, hotels, and panoramic restaurants on the top. It is estimated that 50,000 people will circulate through the building each day.

Construction in São Paulo is intended to begin in January of 2000 and be completed in 2004. São Paulo has made 150 acres available for the project, with the goal of revitalizing the center of the city.

Brazilinvest president Mario Garnero, says "The project in this area will have a positive impact on urban renewal, comparable to the recovery of New York’s downtown with the construction of the Empire State Building in

1931." Garnero also hopes it will give greater visibility to São Paulo, helping insert Brazil into the global economy.

Brazilian architects wax eloquent about the vision of the project. Edison Musa says the tower will "catalyze popular hope." Jose Eduardo Tibirica, vice-president of the Brazilian Architects Association, feels it will bring "dream and audacity back" to Brazilian architecture.

This is a vision we can all support today, and which, through the unifying message this building radiates, will inspire peace in the world for thousands of years to come.