by Tom Walker | 15 May 2008

Bar operator Eclectic, which owns the Po Na Na venues, will open its second Sakura-branded bar in Reading, Berkshire, on May 22. The Bar will replace the company’s former Fez club on the site and will have a capacity to hold 593 revellers over three levels. Sakura has spent £1m on redeveloping and rebranding the venue, which has been designed by Julian Taylor.

by Tom Walker | 08 May 2008

Trinity College has opened its new 30m euro (£24m) sports centre in Dublin. The centre features a 25m, six-lane swimming pool with a moveable fl oor, two sports halls and a 19m climbing wall. Open to students, staff and the local community, the facility also boasts a health and fitness area, an aerobic and dance studio, a sauna, steamroom and treatment rooms for physiotherapy. Funding for the centre came from

by Tom Walker | 07 May 2008

The Leighton House Museum in London's Holland Park is to undergo a £1.3m revamp. The work, which will include upgrading the 19th-century museum’s central heating and electrical services as well as restoring the original decorations, has been funded fully by the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. The museum will close to the public on 31 October for the duration of the work, and is scheduled to reopen in November

by Tom Walker | 02 May 2008

Guildford Borough Council has named Willmott Dixon as its preferred bidder to construct the proposed £24m Guildford Civic Hall. The new 1,700-capacity venue has been designed by architects Austin-Smith:Lord and the council will now work with the developers to agree final planning, design and costs. A main construction contract is expected to be finalised with Willmott Dixon later this year and the venue is scheduled to host its first events

by Caroline Wilkinson | 02 May 2008

Plans to transform the former 12.8-acre Chelsea Barracks in Westminster, London, into a mixed-use development with hotel and sports facilities have been revised. The development is being carried out by a consortium called Project Blue (Guernsey) Limited (PBGL), a joint venture between Qatari Diar Real Estate Investment Company and CPC Group, a development arm of Candy & Candy. The Candy Brothers, directors of Candy & Candy property design and development

by Caroline Wilkinson | 02 May 2008

Construction firm Sir Robert McAlpine is converting the dry slopes at Hemel Ski Centre in Bennetts End, Hertfordshire, into a £23m hub for indoor skiing and snowboarding. Called The Snow Centre, it will boast a 160m indoor ski slope – graded for all levels of experience, a100m nursery slope, large video screens that show winter sports, two drag lifts and a rope tow on the trainer slope. The centre will

by Tom Walker | 02 May 2008

A new visitor attraction, centred on the legend of Captain Cook, is to be built in Whitby, Yorkshire. The Captain James Cook R.N. Charitable Trust has appointed visitor attraction design group, Continuum, to design and build the £1m attraction, which will be housed in an historic engine shed and entry will be through Whitby’ main railway station. Alan Eyles, project manager for Continuum, said: “It’s a really interesting job to

by Caroline Wilkinson | 01 May 2008

Plans have been submitted for a joint venture between five Liverpool councils to fund a £8.2m sports centre --and library in Maghull, Merseyside. Contributions will come from Sefton Borough Council, Maghull Town Council, Lydiate Parish Council, Melling Parish Council and Sefton Parish Council. The new centre will be built adjoining to Maghull Town Hall. The planned facility would house a five lane 25m swimming pool, a learner pool and fitness

by Tom Walker | 01 May 2008

The Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE) has called for more unfettered designs to be used in development projects. According to CABE, the government’s advisor on architecture, making sure artists play a part in the design process could significantly enhance regenerations projects. The announcement follows the two-year PROJECT initiative, which aims to promote the role of artists in development schemes. An independent evaluation found that artists often raised

by Caroline Wilkinson | 22 Apr 2008

A consortium of investors has submitted plans to Waterford County Council for a £104m (€150m) resort on the coast of Cahir near Tramore, south-east Ireland. The as yet unnamed resort project will be located in Islandikane, and will have an 18-hole Jack Nicklaus signature golf course as its centrepiece, along with a period-style hotel with courtyard, health spa, bar, restaurant and function room. A clubhouse, leisure centre with various sports

by Caroline Wilkinson | 22 Apr 2008

Hotel Carlton, part of boutique hotel company Joie de Vivre Hospitality, is the first in San Francisco to have solar panels installed to offset its energy use. The hotel partnered with San Francisco-based Sunlight Electric, a commercial solar power supplier to undertake the installation and has had 105 solar panels fitted covering 1,332 sq ft (124sq m) of its roof. The panels will reduce the hotel’s electricity usage by 12

by Tom Walker | 18 Apr 2008

A £13m modern arts centre is to open in Aberdeen in 2010, after proposals were green lighted by the Scottish Government. The new centre recently received £4m in capital funding from the Scottish Arts Council and will be the first of its kind in northern Scotland. The development is the result of a partnership between Aberdeen City Council and Peacock Visual Arts, which hopes to attract 200,000 visitors a year

by Tom Walker | 18 Apr 2008

The Nottingham Tennis Centre is set to undergo a £735,000 refurbishment scheme as part of the Nottingham City Council’s Leisure Centre Transformation Programme. The council has launched a public consultation on the proposals, which would include replacing the ground floor catering with a new air cooled fitness suite with multi activity and spinning studios and re-locating the ground floor catering to the first floor. Councillor David Trimble said: "The proposals

by Caroline Wilkinson | 16 Apr 2008

The renovation of Edinburgh’s Meadowbank Stadium may result in its capacity being reduced from 16,000 to 5,000 seats so Edinburgh Council can sell excess land to fund further indoor sports facilities. Although it is at the outline planning stage, the decision has caused much controversy with the Meadowbank Community Council, which claims that it is completely at odds with what the public want. Giacomo Modica, community council chair explained: “It

by Caroline Wilkinson | 16 Apr 2008

Somerset County Cricket Club has submitted plans to build a £1.3m Club Hub at the County Ground in Taunton, located next door to and interlinked with the Ondaatje Pavilion. The hub is the second part of a two-phase development scheme involved in Project Taunton, a regeneration plan for the town. It will replace the original plans for an £8m club hub which was to be located in St James car

by Caroline Wilkinson | 16 Apr 2008

The Royal Highland Agricultural Society for Scotland (RHASS) is funding a delivery study, to be carried out by construction firm Mace Group, for the proposed £275m Norton Park project in Edinburgh. The project is part of the relocation of The Royal Highland Centre– Scotland’s National Showground for 150 events and the headquarters of the RHASS, which is being forced to move due the expansion of Edinburgh Airport, planned for 2013.

by Tom Walker | 16 Apr 2008

Harrow Council has unveiled plans to build one of the most environmentally friendly leisure centres in the country. The eco-friendly plans for the £37.2m centre include reclaiming 800 cubic metres of rainwater per year from the roof, enough to fill the 25m swimming pool twice over, and harnessing outgoing warm air from the swimming pool, reducing the cost of heating the building by 75 per cent. The council also plans

by Tom Walker | 15 Apr 2008

HKR Architects have been granted planning permission for their designs for the extension of the famed Groucho Club in Soho. Plans for the private social club include a four-storey extension which will include new bedrooms as well as a complete refurbishment of the existing accommodation. Gordon Pickering, chief executive of the London office of HKR said: “We’ve enjoyed working on this project for the past 12 months and steering it

by Caroline Wilkinson | 08 Apr 2008

After years of political wrangling, planning permission has been given for the refurbishment of Camden’s historic Victorian Prince of Wales Baths. The £25m refurbishment will start in May. The Baths, now known as Kentish Town Sports Centre, will retain three swimming pools while a dance studio, 125-station health suite and new changing facilities will also be added. The 33 1/3-yard Willes pool will be refurbished and the Grafton pool downsized

by Tom Walker | 07 Apr 2008

Work has begun on the £12.2m redevelopment of the People's History Museum in Manchester. The redevelopment of the site will see the museum double in size and consolidate its current two sites into one via an extension. The extension has been designed by architects Austin-Smith:Lord, with Headland Desing Associates responsible for the exhibition design. Funding for the project has come from the Heritage Lottery Fund (£7.18m), Manchester City Council (£2m),

by Luke Tuchscherer | 04 Apr 2008

A £40m hotel development is being planned in Edinburgh on a site ravaged by fire in 2002. Located in South Bridge/Cowgate, the site was previously host to the J&R Allan department store – home to the Gilded Balloon comedy venue, Bridge Jazz Bar and La Belle Angele nightclub – which was destroyed by a major blaze that attracted worldwide attention. The new scheme – called SoCo – is the brainchild

by Luke Tuchscherer | 03 Apr 2008

A £67m public service hub, featuring leisure and learning facilities, is being planned for Wigan. The complex – to be called the Joint Service Centre – will boast a 25m swimming pool, a fitness centre and a new library, with the aim of being a one-stop shop for public services. The centre is being funded by private finance initiative (PFI) credits, for which Wigan Council had to compete against 100

by Tom Walker | 02 Apr 2008

Heritage watchdog Historic Scotland has warned that the planned regeneration of Leith Docks could threaten Edinburgh’s historic skyline. In a letter to the city council, Historic Scotland voices its concerns over plans to include tall buildings within the mixed-use scheme. The plans – the biggest planning application ever to come before the local authority – were handed in last year and a decision is expected by the end of this

by Tom Walker | 31 Mar 2008

Aura Letterkenny Leisure Centre, which opened last summer in Ireland, was recently named Best Sporting Facility at the Local Authority Members Association (LAMA) Awards. The Letterkenny Leisure Centre, managed by Aura on behalf of Letterkenny Town Council, was designed by Holohan Architects who, like Aura, are part of the Holohan Group. The centre includes a 25-metre swimming pool, kiddies’ and learner pool, a water slide, gym, health suite, multi-purpose sports

by Tom Walker | 31 Mar 2008

London-based David Chipperfield Architects (DCA) has been appointed to create the masterplan for a new arts and technology quarter in Segovia, Spain. According to the brief, the new 120,000sq m area of town will comprise an art museum, a technology centre, a hotel and a congress centre. According to DCA, the early designs of the new quarter have been inspired by the historic city’s walls and narrow irregular streets. A

by Tom Walker | 19 Mar 2008

Urban regeneration company Hull Citybuild has announced plans to open a restaurant on a linking bridge it is constructing as part of The Boom development on the Hull waterfront. Citybuild says that the eatery, which has been given the working name ‘Bistro on the Bridge’, will offer diners a unique experience as they will be able to remain on the bridge as it opens and closes for boats passing on

by Tom Walker | 19 Mar 2008

The Olympic Delivery Authority has appointed LDA Design and US-based landscape architects Hargreaves Associates to design the Olympic Park for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The designers will be tasked with developing detailed proposals for the open spaces in the Olympic Park for the Games. A significant aspect of the design brief will be to incorporate usage for the legacy of the park. The 2.5sq km Olympic Park