wasn't elaida's tower "almost" done and meant to be a bit higher than the wt? im thinkin they'll just match it up for the gents 

It's not almost done, it's barely begun. They had a big scale model made, and maybe they've started digging up the foundations. Not much more than that. The Ogier refused to help, and Elaida had problems finding masons (and of course, no sister would have helped with the construction, Elaida didn't even think about that solution...).
At the technological level of the WOT world (without OP), finishing a building like Elaida's palace takes many, many years - often decades. For e.g., the Ogier haven't finished repairing the towers in Cairhien, 20 years after the Aiel war.
The building as planned would most likely be totally impractical to house the Asha'man. People tend to forget this isn't a second White Tower Elaida was building. It's a palace of only a few levels, built over what used to be the Warder's practice grounds. Elaida wanted a giant spire, higher than the Tower itself. Elaida certainly intended it to be more lavish than any national palace, but it wouldn't be a building to house several thousand people.
It's possible a building for men ends up being built in its place now (is there enough room on tower grounds to have a second building as huge and wide as the Tower itself, though? It doesn't seem too likely), though the Tower itself was already built to house male and female channelers together (2 wings of everything). Obviously, the original builders had not yet given up all hope of cleansing saidin.
This message last edited by DomA on 08/06/2010 at 03:56:26 AM
Building Materials for the Amyrlin's Tower
07/06/2010 12:00:04 PM
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use it to rebuild the chain towers that will have to be ripped out to replace the cuindar chain? *NM*
07/06/2010 12:07:06 PM
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There is still the theory the Tower will be built after all
07/06/2010 12:28:00 PM
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Possible that they may just use it to house all the new Novices coming in too
07/06/2010 12:47:43 PM
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WT probably has rooms for a few thousand more novices
07/06/2010 02:42:02 PM
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According to Egwene they would have to open up the second kitchen
07/06/2010 04:21:52 PM
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I don't entirely trust your logic here
07/06/2010 07:29:27 PM
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true, it's not unheard of for there to be shifts in the kitchens
08/06/2010 12:19:18 AM
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Re: true, it's not unheard of for there to be shifts in the kitchens
08/06/2010 02:52:19 AM
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Are you implying there's only 13 million people in the Westlands?
09/06/2010 12:48:40 PM
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Do you REALLY think the world will have a surplus of building material after Tarmon Gaidon?
07/06/2010 07:07:36 PM
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move the black tower to tar valon post TG.
08/06/2010 02:40:39 AM
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Re: move the black tower to tar valon post TG.
08/06/2010 03:39:17 AM
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