Diana's tiara inspires architect to design skyscraper

The US city known as Queen City may soon have a new skyscraper inspired by a tiara worn by a princess.

The US city known as Queen City may soon have a new skyscraper inspired by a tiara worn by a princess. Architect Gyo Obata was flipping through books in a bookstore when he was struck by a picture of Princess Diana wearing a tiara, said Joe Robertson, project manager for the St Louis-based architectural firm HOK. "Gyo thought 'That's perfect. Here we have the crown of the building, and the nickname for the city is Queen City," Robertson said.

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The city's advisory Urban Design Review Board is set to weigh in on the design for the proposed 40-story Great American Insurance Building. The four-member review board includes three local architects. Its opinions are only advisory but could influence officials and regulatory boards that must approve project plans or authorise city financial assistance. The new building will have about 74,322 square metres of space, with a glass and aluminum facade.