Work underway on Kenya's KES2.3tn mega mixed-use development
Lamu Island on the north coast of Kenya is about to undergo a drastic transformation with a KES2.3tn (US$25bn, €19.9bn, £15.6bn) mixed-use development planned to include the largest container port on the East African seaboard, complete with a “Las Vegas-style city” and an international airport.
The development – the largest infrastructure project in the history of East Africa – will include roads, railways, and oil pipelines from Lamu across northern Kenya to Ethiopia, South Sudan, and Uganda. The purpose of the development is to keep up with the population and economic boom in the region, while supporting a predicted tourist influx. The government is predicting more than one million people – the majority being Kenyan – will migrate to the new area over the next 20 years.
The planned Lamu Convention Centre
The proposed port city in Lamu will be one of three resort cities – along with others in Isiolo and Turkana – with a view to creating a new “tourism corridor” for international visitors. The KES86.9bn (US$970m, €776m, £690.8m) Lamu resort city development will include core facilities and activities such as watersports, a country club, convention centre, cultural centre and other leisure facilities. Nearby “eco-villages” are in the works, while a fisherman’s wharf and casino are also planned.
To be established under a public private partnership at a cost of KES18.9bn (US$210m, €168m, £132m), Isiolo will operate as the “culture core of Kenya”, with nature safari lands, archaeological sites and eco-villages planned over 10.1sq m (26.3sq km). The site is located at Kipsing Gap, 20 kilometres west of the nearby Isiolo town.
The KES3.7bn (US$42m, €33.6m, £26.4m) Lake Turkana development will see a wellness city rise up, with core facilities including various health offerings centred around a hot springs with alkaline waters said to aid skin problems, while archeology tours and trekking will also be on offer.
Lake Turkana will be centred around a wellness-themed offering
The Lamu development has come up against opposition though, as part of the plans call for the destruction of coral reefs and mangrove forests to allow development of the port and city. As a result, tourism related to those fragile ecosystems will see a sharp decline, while UNESCO has recently warned that Lamu could lose its current World Heritage status if developers are not careful.
GoCo Health Innovation City in Sweden plans to lead the world in delivering wellness and new science
Aman sister brand Janu debuts in Tokyo with four-floor urban wellness retreat
€38m geothermal spa and leisure centre to revitalise Croatian city of Bjelovar
Two Santani eco-friendly wellness resorts coming to Oman, partnered with Omran Group
Kerzner shows confidence in its Siro wellness hotel concept, revealing plans to open 100
Ritz-Carlton, Portland unveils skyline spa inspired by unfolding petals of a rose
Rogers Stirk Harbour & Partners are just one of the names behind The Emory hotel London and Surrenne private members club
Peninsula Hot Springs unveils AUS$11.7m sister site in Australian outback
IWBI creates WELL for residential programme to inspire healthy living environments
Conrad Orlando unveils water-inspired spa oasis amid billion-dollar Evermore Resort complex
Studio A+ realises striking urban hot springs retreat in China's Shanxi Province
Populous reveals plans for major e-sports arena in Saudi Arabia
Wake The Tiger launches new 1,000sq m expansion
Othership CEO envisions its urban bathhouses in every city in North America
Merlin teams up with Hasbro and Lego to create Peppa Pig experiences
SHA Wellness unveils highly-anticipated Mexico outpost
One&Only One Za’abeel opens in Dubai featuring striking design by Nikken Sekkei
Luxury spa hotel, Calcot Manor, creates new Grain Store health club
'World's largest' indoor ski centre by 10 Design slated to open in 2025
Murrayshall Country Estate awarded planning permission for multi-million-pound spa and leisure centre
Aman's Janu hotel by Pelli Clarke & Partners will have 4,000sq m of wellness space
Therme Group confirms Incheon Golden Harbor location for South Korean wellbeing resort
Universal Studios eyes the UK for first European resort
King of Bhutan unveils masterplan for Mindfulness City, designed by BIG, Arup and Cistri
Rural locations are the next frontier for expansion for the health club sector
Tonik Associates designs new suburban model for high-end Third Space health and wellness club
Aman sister brand Janu launching in Tokyo in 2024 with design by Denniston's Jean-Michel Gathy
The Peninsula London unveils Peter Marino-designed spa inspired by London’s famous parks
First glimpses revealed of Mandarin Oriental, Mayfair's subterranean spa retreat
"Architecture is alive" says Ma Yansong, as Shenzhen art museum opens exhibition showcasing work of MAD Architects
Tom Walker exploresthe storybehind TottenhamHotspur’sgroundbreakingnew footballstadium
From parks designed to mitigate the effects of flooding to warming huts for one of the world’s coldest cities, these projects have been designed for increasingly extreme climates