Week's top news: A flying monk theatre, Patricia Urquiola's Lake Como hotel and Daniel Libeskind's latest tower
Here are some of the stories that appeared on CLAD this week, from a planned anime theme park to an ice rink frozen using solar power.
Monday
• The soon-to-be-built 60,000-capacity Perth Stadium could be the centre point for a Commonwealth Games bid after the Western Australian city threw its hat into the ring to host the 2022 edition. Read here.
• A new scientific and cultural complex exploring the world of polar bears, penguins, icebergs and expeditions has opened in Prémanon, eastern France. Read here.
• Boutique hospitality group Sereno Hotels has announced the opening of Il Sereno Lago di Como – an “intimate, design-driven” hotel designed by Patricia Urquiola on the banks of Italy’s Lake Como. Read here.
• A museum complex designed by Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) partly on the site of a former German WWII bunker is nearing completion in Blåvand, western Denmark. Read here.
Tuesday
• London practice Serie Architects have revealed new images of their design for the Jameel Arts Centre (JAC) in Dubai and confirmed the facility will open next year. Read here.
• Rwandan fashion entrepreneur Teta Isibo has been appointed to bring “a vibrant Rwandan design flair” to the interior design of the forthcoming Bisate Lodge Read here.
Wednesday
• A British heritage charity has warned that council planning committees are too easily seduced by glitzy computer-generated images of buildings they’re tasked with approving or rejecting. Read here.
• Architect Margot Krasojevic has designed an ice rink facility on a Russian lake that will use the power of the sun and geothermal energy to keep the surface frozen all year round. Read here.
• Studio Libeskind have revealed new design details for their dramatic mixed-use tower on the banks of the River Neris in Vilnius, Lithuania; pledging to create “a sustainable 24/7 public space for the Baltic states.” Read here.
Thursday
• German fitness operator McFit has launched a new gym concept centred around design and music. Read here.
• Latvian practice Mailitis Architects have designed an amphitheatre with a unique wind tunnel for a band of levitating monks. Read here.
• Plans have been announced to open an anime and manga theme park on an island in Japan’s Hyogo Prefecture, with the attraction to be based on popular titles Hi no Tori (Phoenix) and Crayon Shin-chan. Read here.
• Everton FC has moved a step closer to realising its ambition to build a new stadium after agreeing a financial package with the local authority. Read here.
Friday
• A technology-focused real estate development company creating a new model for self-sustaining wellness communities has launched a pilot 'ReGen Village' in the Netherlands. Read here.
• A new leisure-filled Four Seasons hotel designed by architects WATG has opened in China’s fourth largest metropolis, Tianjin. Read here.
• New York architecture studio Oiio have unveiled an eccentric design concept to counter the city’s strict building height restrictions: a looping skyscraper called The Big Bend. Read here.
For a quick and comprehensive overview of all our recent stories, take a look at CLAD's Grid View mode.
For more leisure design and architecture news you can check the CLAD website every day and follow us on Twitter @CLADglobal
Patricia Urquiola Daniel Libeskind Bjarke Ingels wellness communities Shaolin monks architecture design
OMA completes New Museum transformation with landmark expansion and Oberon restaurant
OMA has completed a major transformation of New York's New Museum, creating a larger cultural campus that combines expanded exhibition spaces with learning, performance, hospitality and public programming. The latest addition, Oberon, extends the visitor experience beyond the gallery, reflecting a growing trend for museums to become all-day destinations.
The New Museum in New York has entered a new chapter with the completion of a major
David Rockwell creates immersive magic destination, The Hand and The Eye
Montana Heritage Center by Cushing Terrell opens after US$107 million investment
Universal launches new theme park model with Kids Resort
'Minor wellness hotels' recorded the strongest growth across top KPIs in 2025, finds RLA Global
Great Barrier Reef attraction set for AU$180 million reinvention
Fairmont Cheshire, The Mere, has architecture by Leach Rhodes Walker and interiors by Bergman Design House.
Marriott International partners with Fitwel for wellness solutions across its residential portfolio
Preidlhof Luxury DolceVita Resort to unveil new spa in February 2027
Places Leisure is working with Roberts Limbrick to build £60m wellness flagship in Basingstoke
Hoshino Resorts opens Kai Kusatsu as it expands the Kai onsen ryokan brand
Qiddiya and Populous share details of Saudi Arabia’s National Tennis Centre
Disney confirms US$30 billion investment programme as it highlights its economic impact
Until combines multiple disciplines at new Canary Wharf club
Sea Lanes opens following a partnership between The Eden Project and Canary Wharf Group
Bas Smets brings water and wilderness to Vitra
Expo 2030 Riyadh will create a permanent global destination
Luxury resort coming to Hunter Valley will have longevity spa
'Data chocolate', dreams made real and artworks shaped by visitors’ emotions: Refik Anadol’s AI art museum launches in Los Angeles
London Museum reveals 2026 opening date for new Smithfield home
BIG unveils Eve Music Hall as Croatia venue nears completion
Bob Rogers hands BRC to long-serving leadership team
Palazzo di Varignana launches family wellbeing and longevity retreat in Emilia Romagna
Anasa Wellness and Spa debuts at Patmos Aktis as it joins Marriott
Design-led Koru Health Club combines high-performance training with recovery
Wellness care hospital opens in Vilnius with innovative spa and hospitality concept
Universal and Puy du Fou projects point to rise of Oxford–Cambridge corridor
A proposed Puy du Fou development near Bicester and Universal Destinations and Experiences’ planned resort in Bedford are emerging as part of a wider transformation of the Oxford–Cambridge Growth Corridor into a major centre for UK leisure and tourism investment.
For years, the corridor has been associated primarily with science, technology, housing and university-led economic growth. However, the clustering of large-scale visitor attraction projects along the
All-inclusive eco-wellness development Auko to open near Vietnam’s Son Doong caves
Shedd Aquarium upgrades its visitor experience with new Immersion Theater
Shedd Aquarium has opened the Immersion Theater developed in partnership with SimEx-Iwerks, as part of a wider strategy to enhance the guest experience and create additional revenue opportunities.
The attraction has transformed the aquarium’s Phelps Auditorium into a multi-sensory venue combining panoramic projection, environmental effects and interactive technology.
A new pre-show area allows visitors to engage with augmented reality marine animals before entering the
Mandarin Oriental announces standalone Mansions-branded residences for Abu Dhabi
