Week’s top news: Heatherwick hits back, De Niro gets green light and Fairmont build ‘a park in a hotel’
Here are some of the most popular stories that appeared on CLAD this week, from Elon Musk’s proposed solar roof to three new football stadium designs.
Monday
• A “smart” self-shading window has been developed that can switch from transparent to opaque in a matter of seconds. Read here.
• Two alternative designs have been proposed for Sir Peter Jackson’s Wellington Movie Museum. Read here.
• GOCO Hospitality is developing a spa and wellness retreat on the dramatic German island of Rügen. Read here.
• Dubai’s next planned stadium will be fully air-conditioned and the largest sports facility in the UAE. Read here.
Tuesday
• Developer Nakheel and hospitality giant RIU Hotels & Resorts have officially kickstarted development on a huge resort and waterpark on Dubai’s artificial Deira Islands. Read here.
• Billionaire inventor and entrepreneur Elon Musk has teased his latest innovation: a customisable roof with integrated solar panels. Read here.
• A new leisure centre in north London will be surrounded by an outdoor running track. Read here.
• OMA’s managing partner tells CLAD about the studio’s football stadium design for Dutch club Feyenoord. Read here.
Wednesday
• A 380m long elevated walkway is bringing leisure to the skies of Kolkata. Read here.
• Guests at a new resort in the Maldives can open their bedroom roof at the touch of a button. Read here.
• The design team revamping FC Barcelona's iconic Camp Nou stadium have given an exclusive snapshot of their competition-winning plans. Read here.
Thursday
• Fairmont’s hotel in Austin, Texas will be filled with trees and plants to become ‘a park in a hotel.’ Read here.
• Thomas Heatherwick has launched an impassioned defence of his Garden Bridge project in London, hitting back at critics “with an agenda.” Read here.
• The National Museum of Oman has opened its doors to the public in a modern-day palace. Read here.
Friday
• Miami’s culture-heavy Faena Forum by OMA is nearing completion. Read here.
• AECOM are exploring the possibility of expanding New York’s famous but congested Brooklyn Bridge. Read here.
• Robert De Niro’s boutique London hotel has won planning permission and will be built soon. 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.
Robert De Niro Elon Musk OMA Thomas Heatherwick FC Barcelona Feyenoord Tesla solar roof Fairmont GOCO
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OMA completes New Museum transformation with landmark expansion and Oberon restaurant
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London Museum reveals 2026 opening date for new Smithfield home
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Bob Rogers hands BRC to long-serving leadership team
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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
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