Week's top news: legendary hotels revamped, IKEA opens museum and Bjarke Ingels designs a bouncy beer pavilion
Renovations of some of the world’s most famous hotels dominated the CLAD headlines this week.
The Ritz-Carlton in Philadelphia has unveiled a multi-million dollar renewal project designed by Wimberly Interiors; Chinese company Anbang is considering converting two-thirds of the rooms at New York’s Waldorf Astoria Hotel into private condos; and the Ritz Paris reopened its doors after a four year revamp.
Meanwhile, details have emerged about some exciting future hotels and resorts, including the boutique five-star Milaidhoo Island Maldives and a glass-fronted Conrad hotel Washington D.C. designed by Herzog and de Meuron and a new Canyon Ranch near the Turkish Riviera.
In the world of attractions, this week there was some huge news from Disney, which is considering building a second theme park development in mainland China. Meanwhile, developers in Oman have announced plans for a billion dollar leisure district with a theme park at its heart.
As ever, CLAD covered the week’s biggest museum design news. Malcolm Reading Consultants announced an anonymous architecture competition for a ‘Science Island’ complex in Lithuania; IKEA opened a museum dedicated to the brand; George Lucas finally decided to withdraw his planned legacy museum from Chicago in face of persistent protests; Barack Obama selected the architects to design a home for his presidential library;and a starry shortlist was revealed for an art museum expansion in Madrid.
It was also a busy week for developers working on some of the world’s biggest sporting infrastructure projects. Populous announced a potentially huge collaboration with Chinese trade platform Alibaba to improve sporting design and build thousands of venues in the country; the Hong Kong government invited architects to express interest in the territory's biggest planned sports park; and construction is nearing completion on a tennis stadium at Flushing Meadows which is part of a wider sports complex for New York.
Finally, CLAD covered a 1,000ft high glass slide, an inflatable beer pavilion designed by Bjarke Ingels Group and the launch of experiential hospitality brand SupaPop Space.
For a quick and comprehensive overview of all our recent stories, take a look at CLAD's new Grid View mode.
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Waldorf Astoria Ritz IKEA Bjarke Ingels Group Disney Populous Barack ObamaDavid 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





















