Budget hotel chain Travelodge has opened Europe's first hotel to be constructed from modified shipping containers. The 120-room property in Uxbridge, London, opened last week and has been built using 86 steel containers which were constructed and fitted in China. Two different sizes of container were used in the hotel's construction, which offers double rooms measuring 5m x 3m, as well as 3.5m x 6m family rooms. Disabled rooms will

A date has been announced for the public inquiry into plans put forward by Everton Football Club for a new stadium in Kirkby, Liverpool. The £120m, 50,000-seat stadium is part of a wider £400m joint regeneration venture with supermarket company, Tesco. Communities secretary Hazel Blears called in the project two weeks ago, and the government has announced a date of 18 November for the inquiry to start. Leader of Knowsley

The 19th century Clifton Victoria Baths in Bristol, one of the oldest Grade II-listed swimming pools in the UK, is due to reopen this October following an extensive £2m restoration project, which began October 2006. The lido will be operated by, Bristol-based restaurant group the Glass Boat Company, which has been working in collaboration with architects Marshall Kendon and English Heritage to upgrade the 885sq m facility. When complete, the

The Millennium Knickerbocker Hotel in Chicago, US, has unveiled the first phase of its US$27m (£14.2m, 18m euro) refurbishment. Boston-based Jinnie Kim Design was responsible for the plans, which included transforming all 306 guest rooms, in a "contemporary style that highlights details hearkening back to the hotel's 1920s origination". General manager, Anthony Kinnear, said: "The redesign of our guest accommodation brings our hotel to a level of luxury befitting its

Norway-based firm Various Architects (VA) has designed a collapsible venue that will tour worldwide next year with an Arts Alliance Productions performance called ID - Identity of the Soul. The 3,900sq m (42,000sq ft) Mobile Performance Venue (MPV) ranges from 11m (36ft) to 17m (56ft) in height, and holds a standing audience of 3,500. The foyer contains front-of-house functions such as ticketing, security, cloak room, refreshments and toilets. A mezzanine

A new four-star Novotel hotel will open on 29 September in Paddington, London, as part of the second phase of a three-part mixed-use development called PaddingtonCentral. The development is part of an 80-acre regeneration project for the area, which began in 1998 and is being led by Paddington Waterside Partnership. The second phase of PaddingtonCentral, being built on Kingdom Street, is a joint venture between Development Securities, Morley Fund Management

Tate Modern and architects Herzog & de Meuron have revealed their revised plans for the £215m development of the museum. The original design – which resembled a stack of bricks – has been scrapped, making way for a new three-dimensional trapezoid-shaped structure. The 11-storey building will be 65m (213ft) tall and will add 21,500sq m (230,400sq ft) to the Tate Modern's existing 35,000sq m (377,000sq ft). Three oil tanks from the

The design for a new six-hectare (14.83 acre) park alongside the Royal Canal in the centre of Dublin has been unveiled. The Royal Canal Linear Park has been designed by Paris-based architect Agence Ter following an international competition organised by Dublin Docklands Development Agency (DDDA) and the Royal Institute of Architects of Ireland (RIAI). The one-kilometre long public space will include playgrounds, a kayak centre and multi-sport platforms, as well

Developer Stanhope and its partner, asset management company Schroders, have been given the green light for their plans to redevelop Croydon Gateway in south London. The communities secretary, Hazel Blears, rejected Croydon Council's compulsory purchase order (CPO) on the site next to East Croydon railway station. The proposals for the 8.5-acre Ruskin Square site, which is already jointly owned by Schroders and Stanhope, will see a new 200-seat Warehouse theatre

Three architecture firms are to work together to design the new US$140m (£72.5m, 92m euro) Omaha Baseball Stadium in Nebraska, US. Selected by Omaha mayor Mike Fahey in June, the three firms – Omaha-based HDR as architects and engineers, HOK Sport as design architect and DLR Group as associate architect – will collaborate on the stadium, which will become the home of the College World Series. HDR project principal, Bruce Carpenter,

The YES! project in Rotherham, billed as the largest covered leisure, entertainment and sports destination in Europe, has received the approval of the Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council. In a cabinet meeting, the council approved the development agreement between the council and developer Oak Holdings, which will see Oak take over a 250-year lease for a 327-acre (132-hectare) site in the town. The £350m YES! scheme is being created as the

A new leisure development in Louth, Lincolnshire, is set to be powered by renewable energy sources. East Lindsey District Council has confirmed that a number of cost-effective energy-saving measures are being incorporated into the new Wood Lane Leisure Centre. Work on the new £11m facility has already begun, and will include measures such as rainwater harvesting and automatic pool hall lighting control. A report, prepared for the council by the

Cornwall may become home to a new ecologically sustainable five-star hotel complex if the developer, Roseland Peninsula Homes, is successful in its planning application. The 130-bedroom hotel, to be called The Coast, will feature a public cinema, a restaurant and cafe, retail units, a conference centre and a Sky Bar. It will also include a health spa and a gym. The complex is designed by architect Richard Hywel Evans in

Sir Robert McAlpine has started building the £30m Cornwall Hotel Spa and Estate in Tregorrick, near St Austell, Cornwall. The resort is in close proximity to both the Eden Project and the Lost Gardens of Heligan. The project, designed by bristol-based AWW architects, is a joint venture between developer CMR Leisure and the operator Bespoke Hotels. McAlpine, the firm that built the Eden Project and O2 Arena, is constructing the

The Museum of Liverpool, the £65m project currently under construction in this year's European Capital of Culture, has received an £11m cash boost from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF). National Museums Liverpool, which is behind the scheme, will put the money towards the fit out of the museum, which is located on a UNESCO World Heritage Site between the Albert Dock and the Pier Head. Carole Souter, chief executive of

Arora International Hotels has opened its £180m five-star Sofitel London Heathrow – the first hotel to open at the airport's Terminal 5 (T5). The 605-bedroom property, designed by architect Stephen Williams – who also created Hilton's Conrad Hotel in Chelsea Harbour – features an Imperial Suite, a brasserie and tea room, two bars and a spa with a health suite and gym. The spa is operated by Sofitel London Heathrow

Dublin's €750m (£590n) Northern Quarter mixed-use development has been granted planning permission by Ireland's planning board. The 5.5-acre development is designed by HKR Architects and is led by Dublin retailer Arnotts and developers Centros urban regeneration company, with the aim of rejuvenating the northern part of the city. When complete, the project will feature a 149-bedroom hotel with luxury spa and sky restaurant and 13 cafes, bars and restaurants. It

Revised plans for the proposed Croydon Arena, part of the Croydon Gateway redevelopment in London, have been rejected by the communities secretary, Hazel Blears. The project, a partnership between developer Arrowcroft and the London Borough of Croydon, is one of two proposed regenerative developments for the 12.36 acre (5-hectare) site. The rejected plans, designed by Michael Aukett Architects, involved the construction of a new 12,500-seat indoor arena for sports, business

Plans for a new £30m main stand at Edgbaston cricket ground in Birmingham have taken a step forward with the appointment of an engineering company. Mott MacDonald will provide all engineering services for Warwickshire County Cricket Club (WCCC), including structural and mechanical services on a new 9,000-seat stand. It is part of redevelopment plans for the ground which will include the upgrade of catering, media and press facilities. The new

Londoners have been given their chance to redesign the Olympic Park after the 2012 Olympics. A month-long consultation held by the London Development Agency (LDA) toured locations across the city in June and July. Visitors to the consultation were given the chance to physically place houses, parks and other features on a large scale map of the East London site. Activities also included an interactive panel to prioritise the importance

Whitstable Castle Park is in line for a major transformation following a major funding boost. The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) and Big Lottery Fund 'Parks for People' programme have awarded a £2m grant to the project, which will see the restoration of the town's only public park. Together with a contribution of nearly £500,000 from Canterbury City Council, the scheme is set to restore the castle and its grounds, as

The Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) has published its annual report and accounts for the year 2007-8. In the report, the ODA reveals that it has made strong progress in meeting targets for delivering the 2012 games. Over the past twelve months, the ODA says it has delivered "virtually all" of its Dig, Demolish, Design: Milestones to Beijing strategy, with construction on the Olympic Stadium, Olympic Village and Aquatics Centre, starting

Lancaster City Council has given the go ahead for a new £20m sports centre to be built at the Lancaster University. To be built on the university's pavilion near to the rugby pitches, the new centre will be accessible to staff, students, schools, and the local community. Construction work is to begin in September 2008 with an opening date planned for spring 2010. Facilities at the centre include a 25m,

Aylesbury Vale District Council has appointed Willmott Dixon to construct the £35m Aylesbury Waterside Theatre. The new theatre, designed by architects RHWL, is due to open in 2010 and will replace Aylesbury Civic Centre. Facilities will include a 1,200-seat main auditorium which converts into a 1,800-capacity hall and a 220-seat suite for smaller events Funded by the district council, the theatre will be operated by a commercial operator, to be

BRC Imagination Arts has been chosen to design a new sports experience centre in Heerenveen, Friesland, the Netherlands. BRC will work together with the client Sportstad Heerenveen BV, to design the centre, with the intention of engaging visitors through interactive and multi-media experiences. Called Sport Experience Heerenveen (SEH), the attraction will illustrate the history of sport with a particular emphasis on Friesland's sporting culture. When complete, SEH will feature themed

Australia-based theme park operator Village Roadshow has secured the long-term management rights to Phoenix Waterworld Safari water park in Maricopa County, Arizona, US. The company will operate the property, a 14.5-hectare site located within the 600-hectare Adobe Dam Regional Park, on behalf of Maricopa County Parks & Recreation Department. Village Roadshow will take control of the park on 1 October this year and plans to invest in the region of

Merlin Entertainments Group is to unveil a US$55m (£27.6m, AUD$56.4m, 37.4m euro) Madame Tussauds wax museum in Hollywood, USA, next spring. The three-storey, 40,000sq ft property has been designed by Michael Rotondi of JAG/RoTo Architects and will be the ninth museum in the Madame Tussauds worldwide portfolio. It will be located on Hollywood Boulevard and Orange Drive and is the first time a new-build property has been specifically created for