THE RAMSES. It must be exam week and I'm feeling terribly punchy when I contemplate the design for the Santiago Calatrava tower proposed for the Chicago lakefront.

In its various incarnations, it has been likened to a drill bit, a swirling ball gown, a soft-serve ice cream cone, a licorice Twizzler and a birthday candle. Whatever metaphor you choose, Santiago Calatrava's proposed Chicago Spire is a twisting, shimmering symbol of both the Windy City's downtown renaissance and its global aspirations.

I suppose the architecture critic for a family newspaper has to tone it down a bit.