Week's top news: Kengo Kuma's latest, a spa inspired by Aristotle and a look at the eSports stadiums of the future
by Kim Megson | 01 Apr 2017
Here are some of the stories that appeared on CLAD this week, from BIG’s panda enclosure at Copenhagen Zoo to a new Vegas stadium for NFL’s Oakland Raiders.
Monday
• A new 900sq m (9,688sq ft) Eagles Spa by Elemis is set to open near the birthplace of Aristotle, in time to celebrate the great philosopher’s 2,400th birthday. Read here.
• Denmark's first newly built theatre in over a century has opened outside the capital Copenhagen as “a cultural dynamo for the entire region.” Read here.
• The architecture studio of Kengo Kuma have revealed their design plans for a textured tourist centre on the banks of Yangcheng Lake in Suzhou, China. Read here.
• Copenhagen Zoo has revealed it is working with BIG architects on a brand new panda enclosure that will be shaped like an enormous yin-yang symbol. Read here.
• Sports architects Populous are developing physical, purpose-built arenas in which the digital eSports battles of the future can be hosted. Read here.
Tuesday
• The winner has been announced in an architecture competition to design a rural spa and guest house in Kurzeme, Western Latvia. Read here.
• Seven architecture studios have made it onto the final shortlist to design a new theatre in the heart of Edinburgh – the £25m Ross Pavilion and Gardens project. Read here.
• US National Football League (NFL) franchise the Oakland Raiders are to relocate to Las Vegas, after other NFL owners voted to approve the controversial move to Nevada. Read here.
Wednesday
• Australia’s first “Active Lifestyle” project is coming closer to reality, with the Sunshine Coast Council granting development approval for the first phase of the AU$400m Queensland venture. Read here.
• Tulips, timber and triangles are at the heart of an elegant timber gateway created by architecture studio Mecanoo for Keukenhof – one of the world's largest flower gardens. Read here.
• Following on the heels of the resort's opening late last year, the 19,000sq ft (1,765sq m) Six Senses Spa Zil Pasyon in Félicité, the fifth largest island in Seychelles, is now open. Read here.
Thursday
• The 16,000sq ft (1,486sq m) Spa at The Ritz-Carlton, South Beach in Miami has been re-imagined with a fresh redesign, modern fitness facility and destination-inspired therapies. Read here.
• Luxury health and spa resort Preidlhof in South Tyrol, Italy, will re-open on 1 April following a €6m ($6.44m, £5m) refurbishment that includes the addition of suites with 'spa loggias.' Read here.
Friday
• British architect Asif Khan has revealed the first visualisations of ‘We Are Energy’ – the UK pavilion he is designing for the 2017 International Exposition in Astana, Kazakhstan. Read here.
• The Philadelphia Museum of Art has officially kickstarted “a new phase of transformation and renewal”, with construction underway on Frank Gehry’s wide-reaching masterplan. Read here.
• All-inclusive hospitality company Palace Resorts has announced the highly anticipated launch of Le Blanc Spa Resort Los Cabos in Q3 2017. 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
Kengo Kuma eSports Populous Bjarke Ingels Frank Gehry Asif Khan architecture design CLAD
The Eagles Spa by Elemis, which is set to open near the birthplace of Aristotle in Greece Credit: Elemis
Populous' vision of the eSports arena of the future Credit: Populous
More news
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OMA completes New Museum transformation with landmark expansion and Oberon restaurant
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Montana Heritage Center by Cushing Terrell opens after US$107 million investment
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'Minor wellness hotels' recorded the strongest growth across top KPIs in 2025, finds RLA Global
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Great Barrier Reef attraction set for AU$180 million reinvention
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by Helen Andrews | 10 Jul 2026
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Marriott International partners with Fitwel for wellness solutions across its residential portfolio
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Preidlhof Luxury DolceVita Resort to unveil new spa in February 2027
by Helen Andrews | 03 Jul 2026
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Places Leisure is working with Roberts Limbrick to build £60m wellness flagship in Basingstoke
by Kath Hudson | 10 Jul 2026
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Hoshino Resorts opens Kai Kusatsu as it expands the Kai onsen ryokan brand
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Disney confirms US$30 billion investment programme as it highlights its economic impact
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Sea Lanes opens following a partnership between The Eden Project and Canary Wharf Group
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Bas Smets brings water and wilderness to Vitra
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London Museum reveals 2026 opening date for new Smithfield home
by Magali Robathan | 19 Jun 2026
The London Museum’s new site will open in Smithfield, East London, on 28 November 2026. The new museum, designed by Asif Khan and Stanton Williams, alongside conservation architects Julian Harrap, will tell the story of London and its history, and will also act as a social space for residents and visitors. Items on permanent display will include the vest worn by King Charles I at his execution, Emmeline Pankhurst’s hunger
BIG unveils Eve Music Hall as Croatia venue nears completion
by Liz Terry | 04 Jun 2026
Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) has unveiled its design for Eve Music Hall in Čepin, eastern Croatia, as construction progresses towards completion ahead of the opening, which is scheduled for March 2027. The 10,000sq m venue is being developed as a new cultural, entertainment and events destination for the Slavonia region and is BIG's first completed project in Croatia, as well as its first completed music performance venue. Designed to accommodate
Bob Rogers hands BRC to long-serving leadership team
by Liz Terry | 04 Jun 2026
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Palazzo di Varignana launches family wellbeing and longevity retreat in Emilia Romagna
by Helen Andrews | 22 Jun 2026
Palazzo di Varignana, in the Emilia Romagna region of Italy, has created a new tailored health programme designed specifically for families. Families with young children can visit the 650-hectare estate, located near Bologna, to experience a retreat designed by the resort’s scientific director, Dr Annamaria Acquaviva. A dietitian and expert in mindfulness and longevity science, Acquaviva has created the programme to help children and teenagers build healthy and lasting habits.
Anasa Wellness and Spa debuts at Patmos Aktis as it joins Marriott
by Helen Andrews | 22 Jun 2026
Patmos Aktis, a Luxury Collection Resort and Spa, has opened in Greece, with a renovated and rebranded wellness offering called Anasa Wellness and Spa. The property, which is located on the southeast side of Patmos Island in Grikos Bay, is owned by the Greek investment fund SMERemediumCap (SMERC). The resort has now completed a full renovation to reposition itself in the Luxury Collection brand category for Marriott International. This brand
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by Kath Hudson | 22 Jun 2026
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by Helen Andrews | 03 Jun 2026
Lithuanian care operator Addere Care has launched a “wellness care hospital” in Vilnius. It's the company’s second Lithuanian site, following a hospital in Trakai, but the first to offer professional medical care in a spa resort environment. The new 4,400sq m facility has been developed within a reconstructed former hotel. It features 160 rooms and a day care centre that can accommodate up to 12 patients at a time. The
Universal and Puy du Fou projects point to rise of Oxford–Cambridge corridor
by Liz Terry | 27 May 2026
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.
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All-inclusive eco-wellness development Auko to open near Vietnam’s Son Doong caves
by Helen Andrews | 28 May 2026
Auko, an all-inclusive development, is opening in Phong Nha in Vietnam in Q3 2026, with a series of 30 tented eco-lodges and wellness hospitality operations by Lumina Wellbeing. Van Phu Real Estate Development JSC owns the property, which is set along the Son River in the UNESCO-listed landscape of Phong Nha–Ke Bang National Park. The site borders the world’s largest cave system by volume (38.5 million cubic metres), the Son
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