The year ahead promises much excitement in the world of leisure architecture and design. New designs will be unveiled, ongoing projects will take shape and we will have our first look at completed buildings from the likes of Snøhetta, Thomas Heatherwick, Renzo Piano, Bjarke Ingels Group and David Adjaye.

To celebrate the New Year, we have compiled a list of 12 projects scheduled for completion in 2016 that we are particularly excited about.

1. The Stavros Niarchos Cultural Centre, Athens, by Renzo Piano Building Workshop

Renzo Piano is back with a bang. The designer of London’s Shard tower has created this stunning new home in Athens for both the National Library of Greece and the Greek National Opera. The structure – which features a sloping grass roof with panoramic views of the sea – has already been described by acclaimed architect Mike Davies as “a work of pure genius.”

2. Grain Silo Complex, Cape Town, by Heatherwick Studio

Thomas Heatherwick and his studio have several high-profile projects on the go, and 2016 promises to be another busy year. We will soon see their reimagining of a disused grain silo in South Africa as a new culture and leisure space; transforming 42 concrete tubes into a home for the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (MOCAA) and a 28-bedroom hotel. Heatherwick has said the building will “transform the building into a glowing lantern or beacon in the harbour.”

3. The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) by Snøhetta

Norwegian studio Snøhetta have a host of exciting projects in the pipeline, and their 10-storey extension to San Francisco’s iconic art museum is particularly hotly-anticipated. Their eye-opening addition to the museum – featuring a rippled, polymer panelled facade and atrium – will officially open on May 14, 2016.

4. West 57th, New York, by Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG)

Located in midtown Manhattan, Bjarke Ingels 467ft (142m high ‘courtscraper’ will feature leisure, retail and commercial space alongside apartments. The structure – an asymmetric tetrahedron, the form of which changes depending on the viewer’s vantage point – will be like nothing else in the New York skyline.

5. Tate Modern extension, London, by Herzog & de Meuron

An 11-storey south wing addition to London’s iconic Tate Modern art museum will officially open on 17 June 2016. Architects Herzog & de Meuron, who designed the original museum, are increasing the size of the attraction by 60 per cent with a new angular brick tower punctured by slender horizontal windows. They are also adding two brand new public spaces – a piazza and a child-friendly garden.

6. il Sereno Lago di Como, by Sereno Properties and Patricia Urquiola

Hotel developer Sereno has spent years developing this enticing 34-bedroom boutique resort, which will feature a full-service spa, as well as a 60ft (18m) freshwater infinity pool suspended over the waters of Lake Como. Scheduled to open in Q2, il Sereno will be accessible to guests via a traditional Italian handmade water limousine.

7. Antakya Hilton Museum Hotel, by Emre Arolat Architects

Architecture and archaeology will combine as never before in this unique blend of hotel and museum. Guests at Turkey’s latest Hilton will be able to walk around archaeological ruins dating back more than 2,000 years and sleep above the relics – including one of the world's largest mosaic floors – and an ongoing archaeological dig.

8. House of Culture and Movement, Copenhagen, by ADEPT and MVRDV

One of Denmark's most innovative forthcoming museums aims to engage the local population in a healthy and active lifestyle. Three separate buildings, including a rectangular glass cube, will include a theatre, a health zone, a wellness centre, a food zone and a zen area, while an outdoor theatre space and gardens will be designed by SLA Landscape Architects.

9. Estadio La Peineta, Madrid, by Cruz y Ortiz Arquitectos

In Spain, football titans Real Madrid and Barcelona are both developing their stadiums. Eager not to be left behind, Atletico Madrid FC is busy building its own new ground. The curving 70,000-capacity stadium is scheduled to be completed in time for the start of the 2016/17 season.

10. Dubai Opera House by Atkins

A new multi-format cultural venue in Dubai, designed by global firm Atkins, is inspired by Dubai’s maritime history. Shaped like a ship, the ‘bow’ of the structure will contain Dubai Opera’s main stage, orchestra and seating areas, as well as a sky garden and rooftop restaurant. The elongated ‘hull’ area will feature the waiting areas for spectators, a taxi-drop off area, and parking amenities. The 2,000-seat venue will form the centrepiece of the emirate’s new downtown opera district.

11. The Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive by Diller Scofidio + Renfro

Two California institutions will move into a new shared home on 31 January 2016. Diller Scofidio + Renfro have integrated a pre-existing art deco former printing plant into a 35,000sq ft (2,251sq m) futuristic structure featuring eight galleries. When it opens, the centre will host an exhibition highlighting how architecture interacts with life, featuring more than 200 works of art, architecture and scientific illustration from around the world over the course of 2,000 years.

12. The National Museum of African American History and Culture, Washington DC, by Adjaye Associates, The Freelon Group and Davis Brody Bond

Opening on the National Mall in Washington DC as part of the Smithsonian Institute, the museum will look at growth and change in the United States and showcase how the struggle of African Americans has impacted freedom struggles around the world. The structure is designed as a classical tripartite column with more than half of the museum's exhibition space located below ground. The building's patterned bronze facade references the history of African American craftsmanship.

13. Latin American Art Museum, Miami, by FR-EE

Located at Miami Beach, this US$50m (€40.4m, £31.9m) museum will showcase emerging artists and provide space for a vast collection of contemporary Latin American art. Designed by the Mexican studio’s principal, Fernando Romero, the building is split over four levels and features overlapping terraces and sculptural gardens.

14. Louvre Abu Dhabi by Jean Nouvel

After years of development, Abu Dhabi’s most exciting new art and cultural gallery will open by the end of the year. The museum is a joint venture between the governments of Abu Dhabi and France, and is set to contain archaeological artefacts and works of art from a wide range of periods and cultures. The final stage of development will be the removal of the 14m (46ft) temporary hydraulic cutoff walls, allowing seawater to flow into the structure’s basin, giving the illusion of the museum floating in the sea.

15. Canyon Ranch Wellness Resort, Kaplankaya, by the Office of Architecture in Barcelona

Canyon Ranch will open its first international resort in July 2016 on the Turkish Riviera near Bodrum. The modern resort will use geometric sustainable materials to create environmentally conscious buildings that integrate with the landscape. The complex will feature the 107,500sq ft (10,000sq m) Canyon Ranch Spa, Fitness and Wellness Center, which will include 40 treatment rooms.

Louvre Abu Dhabi on course for mid-2016 handover

Take a flying tour of Bjarke Ingels' New York 'courtscraper'

Atletico Madrid stadium by Cruz y Ortiz Arquitectos is set for 2016/17 curtain raiser

'A work of genius': Renzo Piano's cultural centre takes shape in the heart of Athens

Opening date revealed for Snøhetta's spectacular San Francisco SFMOMA expansion

Herzog & de Meuron's Tate Modern addition to open June 2016

Diller Scofidio + Renfro create new home for Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive

Louvre Abu Dhabi opening delayed until end of 2016

Heatherwick-led Cape Town Grain Silo transformation to include 5-star hotel

Dubai Opera cultural hub by Atkins seeks to rival Sydney Opera House

See inside Bjarke Ingels' W57 building in New York City

San Francisco MOMA nears US$610m funding target

FR-EE to design US$50m Latin American Art Museum in Miami

Louvre Abu Dhabi project hits construction milestone

Denmark's House of Culture to open in 2016

Tate Modern's extension project comes under scrutiny

Oprah donates £7,6m to new African American museum

US$500m African American history museum to open in 2015

SFMOMA unveils detailed expansion plans

Designer appointed for SFMOMA expansion

FEATURE: Profile – Kjetil Trædal Thorsen