COS news
ABCPlus Studio unveils plans for Italian cradle-to-cradle resort designed for fragile ecosystem
by Helen Andrews | 02 Jul 2025
Italian architecture firm ABCPlus Studio has revealed plans for an environmentally-conscious mixed-use destination near the coastal town of Bibione, which is located between Venice and Trieste on the Adriatic coast. Commissioned by Italian real estate company, Bibione Darsena SRL, which also operates marinas, the project is scheduled to break ground in 2027 following completion of all required environmental and landscape approvals. The estimated opening date is 2030. The scheme will
SB Architects delivers Ritz-Carlton Reserve in Costa Rica with tree-house spa and private residences
by Megan Whitby | 21 Mar 2022
The first Ritz-Carlton location in Costa Rica will launch in 2024, situated within the 1,400-acre private club and resort community Peninsula Papagayo. Hospitality specialists SB Architects are behind the design, with spa and wellness consultancy Blu Spas helping create programming, project design and concept for the wellness areas. Located in Guanacaste, Peninsula Papagayo sits on the north Pacific coast of Costa Rica, deemed to be one of the most biodiverse
New Passivhaus leisure centre by GT3 Architects will reduce energy costs by 60%
by Tom Walker | 22 Jul 2021
Planning approval has been granted to what is set to become one of the first Passivhaus-certified leisure buildings in the world. The new Spelthorne Leisure Centre in Staines, Surrey – which will be owned by Spelthorne Borough Council – has been designed by GT3 Architects and Passivhaus specialists Gale and Snowden. With sustainability and wellbeing at its core, the building will be optimised to reduce energy in use by up
Studio Saxe create Costa Rican fitness and rec centre in the trees
by Stu Robarts | 20 Mar 2020
Studio Saxe have created a fitness centre in Costa Rica designed to be a "small village amongst the trees" that brings guests and locals together, as well as close to nature. The Athletic Center was built as an extension of the Gilded Iguana hotel in the town of Nosara. Rather than simply create a single large volume, the architects and the client wanted to work around the trees and the
PLP Architecture's glazed timber tower is modelled on the ecosystem of a tree
by Stu Robarts | 20 Dec 2019
PLP Architecture have won a competition to build a mixed-use tower in Rotterdam with a glazed volume intersected by timber floorplates that extend beyond the building envelope to form a series of interconnected terraces. Developed for Provast, the €160m ($177m, £136m) Tree House is modelled on the holistic ecosystem of a tree. The part-timber structure will make use of recycled materials, collect and reuse rainwater and store CO2. Planted with
Ecosystem neighbourhood to be built on old Paris rail site
by Stu Robarts | 16 Sep 2019
A new carbon neutral and nature-based neighbourhood designed by SLA and Biecher Architectes is to be built on the site of a former rail depot in Paris, France. The so-called “ecosystem neighbourhood” is designed to ensure that its constituent parts interact and work to benefit each other. For example, renewable energy generation will power amenities that will link up green spaces. The Ordener-Poissonniers development will cover 36,500sq m (392,900sq ft)
Six Senses to open first resort in Central America
by Jane Kitchen | 03 Jun 2019
Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas will bring its sustainable, luxury footprint to Central America as it teams up with The Canyon Group for the development of Six Senses Papagayo in Costa Rica. London-based architect John Heah, known for his sense of theatre and the ability to artfully harmonize design with nature in the style of Carlo Scarpa, Ed Tuttle and Frank Lloyd Wright, will design the resort, which will include
W Costa Rica opens with social spa
by Jane Kitchen | 06 Dec 2018
Marriott International’s W Hotels has opened the W Costa Rica – Reserva Conchal, the first W Hotel in the country, which also includes the first full-service bar located inside an Away Spa. Located within a 2,300-acre nature reserve near an internationally-renowned surf spot, the W Costa Rica includes 150 bedrooms, all designed with the beauty of the natural area – including the nearby beach and jungle – in mind. The
Bill Bensley-designed Cambodian glamping resort will protect wild ecosystems
by Luke Cloherty | 31 Jul 2018
The eagerly awaited Bill Bensley glamping resort, Bensley Collection – Shinta Mani Wild, which is set deep within the wilderness of Cambodia’s South Cardamom National Park, will open on 1 November 2018. The resort will offer 14 one-bedroom luxury tents – all sized at 100sq m (1,076sq ft) – and one two-bedroom luxury tent – sized at 140sqm (1,507sq ft). The tents have been designed to evoke Bensley’s vision of
Thom Mayne to create 'inspiring and dynamic' new home for Orange County Museum of Art
by Kim Megson | 01 Jun 2018
The Orange County Museum of Art (OCMA) is to move to a new home in Costa Mesa, California, designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Thom Mayne and his studio Morphosis. Groundbreaking for the new building will take place in 2019 within the Segerstrom Center for the Arts complex – the county’s largest centre for arts. The projected opening has been announced for 2021. With nearly 25,000sq ft (2,300sq m) of exhibition
Studio Saxe complete Costa Rica hotel 'open to the elements'
by Kim Megson | 17 May 2018
Costa Rican architects Studio Saxe have completed a hotel that steps down a steep coastal hillside, formed of a series of terraces that can be completely opened up to the elements. The firm – self-declared creators of ‘tropical architecture’ – have blended a European design aesthetic with Costa Rican craftsmanship, while opening up the building to allow the verdant landscape to invade from almost all directions. The Swedish owners of
New Costa Rican eco resort features yoga studio enveloped by jungle
by Kim Megson | 17 Jul 2017
Emerging architecture practice Studio Saxe have completed a boutique hotel and yoga studio set into the tropical forest of Nosara, Costa Rica. Nomel and Mariya Libid, the owners of the Hotel Nalu-Nosara, wanted to create a resort for the visitors who travel to Nosara because of its reputation for health and wellness tourism and surfing. Studio Saxe were commissioned to design the hotel, which includes a yoga studio and multipurpose
Four Seasons to re-imagine Costa Rican spa resort for new audience
by Tom Walker | 14 Jul 2017
Four Seasons Resorts and Hotels will undertake a US$35m (€31m, £27m) “re-imagination” of its Costa Rican resort and spa this year. The Four Seasons Resort Costa Rica at Peninsula Papagayo will be redesigned in order to cater for a new target audience – identified by the resort operator as millennial-type “active families and couples, nature enthusiasts and bold adventure seekers”. Four Seasons operates the property on behalf of Miami-based Gencom,
Delays and costs stack up for under-pressure Academy Museum of Motion Pictures
by Tom Anstey | 20 Apr 2017
Los Angeles’ Academy Museum of Motion Pictures isn’t following the Hollywood script during its construction, with skyrocketing costs and lengthy delays holding up the long-awaited project, according to new reports. The Renzo Piano-designed museum, which will be dedicated to exploring and curating the history and future of the moving image – was originally budgeted at US$250m (€233m, £195m) when it was first conceived several years ago, but since then costs
Brexit vote sees Tottenham’s stadium costs rocket to £800m
by Matthew Campelli | 09 Mar 2017
The early consequences of Britain voting to leave the European Union has increased the cost of Tottenham Hotspur’s new stadium, according to the club’s director. In an email to a supporter published online, Donna Cullen said that Brexit had seen the final cost rocket to £800m (US$972.1m, €920.7m) – more than the cost of building the new Wembley Stadium. When the plans were originally revealed, the 61,000-capacity stadium was expected
Tokyo to go ahead with new volleyball facility despite spiralling costs of 2020 Games
by Matthew Campelli | 16 Dec 2016
Organisers of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics will reject the chance to host volleyball in an existing facility and build a new venue despite it adding to the spiralling cost of the Games. The development of the Ariake Arena was part of the original plans put forward to the International Olympic Committee (IOC), but the rising cost of hosting the event resulted in the organisers considering a facility in nearby Yokohama.
UPDATE: London mayor launches investigation into cost of Olympic Stadium conversion
by Kim Megson | 02 Nov 2016
UPDATE: David Edmonds, the chair of Olympic Stadium operators the London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC), has resigned from his role amid mounting pressure over the spiralling costs of converting the venue into a football ground for West Ham United. Two days ago the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, launched an investigation into the cost of the project, which has risen to around £750m – much higher than originally projected. Edmonds,
Japan Sports Council reveals cost of abandoning Zaha Hadid's Tokyo stadium design
by Kim Megson | 30 Aug 2016
The body in charge of organising Tokyo’s Olympic Games has admitted its decision to cancel Zaha Hadid Architects’ (ZHA) National Olympic Stadium design in favour of a cheaper alternative has already cost it ¥68.6bn (US$650.6m, €582.4m, £497m) in compensation payouts. According to media reports in the country, the Japan Sports Council (JSC) announced it has already earmarked the sum – ¥600m US$5.8m, €5.2m, £4.4m) higher than the amount estimated by
Hospitality giant Wyndham designs prototype for low-cost green hotel
by Kim Megson | 28 Aug 2016
Hotel brand Wyndham Garden has launched a new global design prototype that it believes can help hospitality operators save money, improve efficiency and forge a closer connection to nature. Nine prototypical hotels, designed for business travellers, are already under development in Texas, Indiana and West Virginia. The design – developed with hospitality design firm Krause+Sawyer – is inspired by gardens, using natural materials, abundant daylight and flora and fauna to
US$16.4m planetarium development breaks ground in California
by Tom Anstey | 12 Jul 2016
Ground was broken last month on a US$16.4m (€14.8m, £12.6m) planetarium development for the Orange Coast College (OCC) in Costa Mesa, California. Part of a larger seven-year US$965m (€854m, £625.2m) renovation to OCC’s district campuses, the 125-seat planetarium will include a 3D immersion theatre with a 40ft (12.2m) dome, a large Foucault pendulum and open space for exhibits. Newport Beach-based architects HPI are handling design for the project. "It will
Sou Fujimoto creates 'Forest of Light' installation for Milan Design Week
by Kim Megson | 12 Apr 2016
Japanese architect Sou Fujimoto has designed an immersive installation called Forest of Light for Milan Design Week. A darkened space is illuminated by towering cones of light that respond to visitors’ movements. Fog and specially-composed sounds add an atmospheric effect, and mirrored walls have been installed to create the illusion of an infinite landscape, where the conical spotlights form countless abstract trees. “People meander through this forest, as if lured
Sam Mendes launches award to find next generation of costume and set designers
by Kim Megson | 28 Jan 2016
Aspiring young British costume and set designers have been encouraged by film and theatre director Sam Mendes to submit their own designs for his hit musical Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Mendes – who has won Academy and Olivier accolades for his work – has launched the The Young Theatre Designer Award, which challenges entrants aged 13-21 to bring Roald Dahl’s famous story of Charlie Bucket, Willy Wonka and the
Marcos Zotes designs luminous pink P-Cube to bring light to Moscow park
by Kim Megson | 06 Jan 2016
A glowing pink cube in the heart of Moscow is providing passers by an immersive spot to take stock and look out at the city. The P-Cube, designed by Spanish-Icelandic artist Marcos Zotes and his studio UNSTABLE, is a temporary installation commissioned by the city’s Polytechnic Museum to stand in VDNKh Park. The skin of the 9m (29ft) high structure is clad in a semi-transparent layer of fabric covered with
Luxury tents, swim-up bar and hot spring plunge pools added to Costa Rican rainforest resort
by Jane Kitchen | 08 Dec 2015
A luxury tented resort will join Nayara Hotels, the Costa Rican wellness brand set in the rainforests of Costa Rica’s Arenal Volcano National Park. Nayara Tented Resort will include 24 tented lodges, each 954sq ft (88sq m), with a master bedroom and en-suite bathroom, along with an adjoining tent that can be arranged as a second bedroom or lounge. Each tent will sit on its own platform, furnished with an
The Hartling Group's Turks & Caicos spa to pay tribute to islands’ salt history
by Jane Kitchen | 24 Sep 2015
Resort and real estate developer The Hartling Group is opening The Shore Club next year, a 110-suite resort in the Turks & Caicos that will include a luxury spa. The Hartling Group also developed and manages the Turks & Caicos property The Palms, which includes a 25,000sq ft (2,323sq m) spa. Building on the success of The Palms, the Spa at The Shore Club will offer the same quality experience,
Zaha Hadid says design costs not to blame as Japan drops Olympic Stadium plans
by Jason Holland | 17 Jul 2015
Just days after appearing to receive final government approval, Zaha Hadid’s plans for Tokyo’s Olympic Stadium have been dropped – but the architect says the project’s spiralling costs are not down to its design. Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe said the project would now “start over from zero” with the decision taken after “listening to the voices of the people and the athletes”. The estimated cost for the stadium had
Cost of Olympic stadium conversion increases to £190m
by Tom Walker | 24 Oct 2014
The cost of converting the London Olympic Stadium into a 54,000-capacity multi-use stadium is set to rise from £154m to £190m due to complications in installing the new roof. Providing the support structures for the new roof have required significantly more strengthening work to the main roof truss than initially expected. The truss was originally designed to be taken down after the Games. As a result, the London Legacy Development
Catalina Island Museum relocates to larger accommodation costing US$7.9m
by Helen Andrews | 31 Mar 2014
The Catalina Island Museum is moving to the Ada Blanche Wrigley Schreiner Building – four times the size of their rented Avalon Casino accommodation – on Santa Catalina Island, California. Scheduled to open in 2015, the private, non-profit museum bought the land for US$1.9m (€1.3m, £1.1m) with funds from private donations. The new 11,000sq ft (1,021sq m) building will cost US$6m (€4.3m, £3.5m). Founded in 1953, the museum has always
Guanacaste region of Costa Rica a new hotbed for luxury resort development
by Tom Anstey | 19 Mar 2014
A Costa Rican region previously known as the “forgotten province”, is quickly making its way into the 21st century tourism industry with a number of luxury hotel and wellness developments. Luxury resort developers are looking at the Guanacaste region where a number of high profile developments have already been announced, with some set to open later in the year. The region has quickly risen to offer the highest rate of
PortAventura invests 11.6m euro in Costa Caribe waterpark
by Aoife Dowling | 12 Feb 2013
PortAventura theme park in Spain is to relaunch its Caribbean-themed aquatic park following a 11.6m euro (£10m, UD$15.6m) extension project, which features the tallest toboggan in Europe. The Costa Caribe Aquatic Park project has seen the addition of 14,000 sq m (150,695 sq ft) of new facilities, giving the park a total surface of 50,000sq m (538,196sq ft). Located in Salou near Barcelona, the park is slated to open in
company profile
Try cladmag for free!
Sign up with CLAD to receive our regular ezine, instant news alerts, free digital subscriptions to CLADweek, CLADmag and CLADbook and to request a free sample of the next issue of CLADmag.
sign up
Catalogue Gallery
Click on a catalogue to view it online
To advertise in our catalogue gallery: call +44(0)1462 431385
"Culture is the beating heart of this project"
Designed to restore neglected land and renew the identity of Iraq’s capital city, Baghdad Sustainable Forests promises a new way of living surrounded by nature. Gensler’s Ian Mulcahay tells us why he thinks the project could become a model for the repair and enhancement of urban centres
Designed to restore neglected land and renew the identity of Iraq’s capital city, Baghdad Sustainable Forests promises a new way of living surrounded by nature. Gensler’s Ian Mulcahay tells us why he thinks the project could become a model for the repair and enhancement of urban centres
cladkit product news
The new club aims to connect children with nature
Bespoke play environment design and manufacturer TouchWood Play has announced that it is responsible for the creation of a new Kids’ ...
Porada's new Enook Brillo coffee table
Maurizio Marconato and Terry Zappa have created the Enook Brillo coffee table for Italian design studio Porada – a retro-inspired design ...
cladkit product news
LivinGlobe can install ultra short throw projections or premium LED panels, as well as the surround sound system and video server
Founded more than 10 years ago, LivinGlobe was one of the first companies in the immersive wellness space with its ...
Studiotamat has teamed up with Ariana de Luca to create the Balera range
The new Balera Collection sees design studio Studiotamat team up with ceramic artist Arianna De Luca and lighting designer Ninefifty ...
cladkit product news
The Iris Pod features vibro-acoustic technology, aromatherapy, light therapy, music, guided meditations and soundscapes
OpenSeed has launched its multisensory Iris Meditation Pod, designed in collaboration with Fuseproject – a design and innovation company founded ...
In the world of wellness, the age-old tradition of sauna bathing is synonymous with relaxation, detoxification and rejuvenation. But, a ...
