London 2012 Aquatics Centre to reopen in March
by Tom Walker | 15 Jan 2014
The Zaha Hadid-designed Aquatics Centre, used during the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics, will open to the public on 1 March.
The London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC) – which operates the park – said the relaunch of the centre will be a major landmark as it prepares for the full opening of the southern section of the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, due to take place in early April.
The opening day of the Aquatics Centre will be marked by a number of special events and the first public swimming sessions. The centre has two 50m pools, a diving pool and a newly installed gym. Visitor ticket prices for the centre will start from £4.50 a session.
• Earlier this month, LLDC announced that it had appointed Balfour Beatty Group as lead contractor to carry out works to the QEII Park's Olympic Stadium.
The £154m contract will see Balfour Beatty lead the transformation of the Stadium into an all round multi-use venue, delivering a lasting sporting, cultural and commercial legacy in east London.
The stadium is set to host five matches during the 2015 Rugby World Cup and then reopen fully in 2016 when it becomes the new permanent home of West Ham United Football Club.
LLDC chief executive Dennis Hone said the opening of the south of the park will be "a huge moment in our vision to create a new heart of east London".
The Zaha Hadid-designed Aquatics Centre, used during the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics, will open to the public on 1 March. The London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC) – which operates the park – said the relaunch of the centre will be a major landmark as it prepares for the full opening of the southern section of the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, due to take place in early April. The opening day
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New venue The Lands by Capella includes a longevity centre to complement sister hotel Capella Sydney
by Helen Andrews | 20 Apr 2026
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by Magali Robathan | 16 Apr 2026
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by Helen Andrews | 13 Apr 2026
The Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group has revealed plans to expand its presence in Egypt with the renovation and operation of two historic hotel properties and the brand’s first-ever luxury river cruise. In 2022, Mandarin Oriental announced it would open its first Egyptian property, Mandarin Oriental Shepheard in Cairo. The hotel is undergoing a comprehensive renovation and is due to open in 2027. Ownership and development The river cruise, Old Cataract
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by Helen Andrews | 27 Mar 2026
Holistic design and architecture practice Mendil + Meyer, based in Arizona in the US, has introduced a new division called Lām Concepts to integrate and align wellness goals for projects before they reach the design stage. Ben Meyer, architect and co-founder of Mendil + Meyer, told Spa Business exclusively about the new division: “Lām comes from the word loam, meaning fertile ground – the place where conditions are right for
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by Helen Andrews | 05 Mar 2026
Wilderness, an operator of 60 safari camps across eight African countries, has unveiled the second spa under its new concept called The Sanctuary, at Wilderness Bisate in Rwanda. The Sanctuary is a concept that pairs design and wellness with raw, restorative landscapes. The offering at the Rwandan property follows the opening of a different interpretation of The Sanctuary’s concept at Wilderness Mombo in Botswana. Read more about that property here.
4a Architekten shares details of wellness extension at Salinarium Bad Dürkheim Thermal Spa
by Helen Andrews | 04 Mar 2026
Design firm 4a Architekten has shared details of the recently-completed extension to the wellness facilities at destination spa park Salinarium Bad Dürkheim Thermal Spa in Germany. The upgrades to the leisure pool facility, which has been in operation since 1984, included the addition of a thermal spa and sauna in a new building that integrated sensitively into the landscape. Commissioned by the facility’s operator, utility company Stadtwerke Bad Dürkheim, the
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by Helen Andrews | 04 Mar 2026
Andrew Barnard, CEO of BodyHoliday, has exclusively shared plans with Spa Business to be involved in the development of 10-15 BodyHoliday properties around the world over the next 15 years, with its upcoming Portuguese resort as its proof-of-concept “showroom”. In the latest edition of Spa Busines s, Barnard says he has his eye on locations in Europe, the Middle East, Costa Rica and Belize for future BodyHoliday developments. He and
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"Culture is the beating heart of this project"
Designed to restore neglected land and renew the identity of Iraq’s capital city, Baghdad Sustainable Forests promises a new way of living surrounded by nature. Gensler’s Ian Mulcahay tells us why he thinks the project could become a model for the repair and enhancement of urban centres
Designed to restore neglected land and renew the identity of Iraq’s capital city, Baghdad Sustainable Forests promises a new way of living surrounded by nature. Gensler’s Ian Mulcahay tells us why he thinks the project could become a model for the repair and enhancement of urban centres
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