Designs have been revealed for a flexible, multi-purpose events centre which will have the appearance of a "cloud floating by the sea". Designed by MAD Architects, led by Ma Yansong, the “Cloud Center” in Qinhuangdao, China, will offer a new multi-purpose public space for Aranya – one of China’s most vibrant seaside arts and culture communities. Situated close to the scenic Beidaihe coastline in the north east of the country,

Aurelien Chen has created a pavilion in China that reimagines the traditional Chinese landscape of mountains, forest, clouds and water. The 350sq m (3,770sq ft) Dragon Mountain Landmark Pavilion, so-called because of its location in Zhulongshan – literally Dragon Mountain, was created to draw the attention to the entrance of the Dragon Mountain Natural site. Described by Chen as "an ethereal and abstract version of a traditional Chinese landscape", the

Gad Line+ Studio have created a reading space in China that resembles a cloud floating in its rocky mountain surroundings. Jiunvfeng Study is situated on Mount Tai in Daiyue District, Tai’an City, and has a footprint of 287sq m (3,100sq ft). The building is constructed on a stone plinth, curving with the shape of the mountain to create two bulbous ends joined by a more sinuous midriff. Flowing floor-to-ceiling windows

The opening date for the Four Seasons Philadelphia has been set for 12 August. The property was originally scheduled to open in Q3 2018. The 219-bed hotel, located atop the 1,121ft (342m) Comcast Technology Center in Philadelphia’s downtown, offers views from the 48th to 56th floors. Set above it, the spa will include seven treatment rooms and an indoor infinity pool. The 17,321sq ft facility will encompass the entire 57th

A new wellness and lifestyle member's club with a unique twist has opened in London's Notting Hill. Designed specifically for families, the club, called Cloud Twelve, features a spa, salon, holistic wellness centre and a plant-based eatery, as well as an interactive learn and play zone for children. Cloud Twelve was founded by former investment banker and herbalist Jenya Emets, who wanted to bring a host of facilities together to

Luxury hotel operator Aman is set to open its fourth location in China on Monday (8 January) – the culmination of an ambitious 15-year conservation initiative which saw the relocation of an entire forest and the reconstruction of a historic village. Kerry Hill Architects have restored 50 disassembled antique houses in order to create Amanyangyun, integrating contemporary comfort into the 400-year-old fabric of the buildings. The story began in the

The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston has broken ground on a new building dedicated to modern and contemporary art, designed by Steven Holl Architects. The 165,000sq ft (15,300sq m) Nancy and Rich Kinder Building is the centrepiece of the museum’s wider US$450m (€400m, £348m) expansion, and will house 54,000sq ft (5,000sq m) of gallery space for exhibitions showcasing its collection. The building will be clad in a translucent-glass exterior, which

Steven Holl Architects' cloud-inspired design for a Cultural and Health Center in Shanghai has been given the green light. The complex will be formed of two separate buildings set in a public landscape, which will cater for the community of the surrounding new housing blocks by providing them a place to come together. The design concept is described by the studio as merging “clouds and time,” in reference to philosopher

Chinese architecture and design firm Golucci International have completed a Shanghai hot pot restaurant inspired by Asia’s spa heritage. Si-Pu Nabe, located in the Tianshan neighbourhood, has been designed as an intimate space where diners can choose either to reflect in isolation or socialise in a relaxed atmosphere. To provide a platform for contemplation, the restaurant has no public areas and instead consists of 27 private dining rooms of various

Italian architecture practice Studio Fuksas have completed the largest new building in Rome in over 50 years: a convention hall and hotel nicknamed The Cloud. Opening this month after nearly two decades in development, the New Rome/EUR Convention Hall will host exhibitions and conferences expected to bring in as much as €400m (US$437m, £358m) annually to the city of Rome. Located south of the city’s core, the complex is open

One of Copenhagen’s most popular parks will be filled with sunken pools and water-purifying plants to ease the risk and impact of flooding and to create a public space with a difference. Architecture studio SLA have won the ‘Cloudburst and Culture’ competition to design the DKK140m (US$21m, €18.8m, £15.6m) project for Hans Tavsens Park in the Nørrebro neighbourhood. Once complete, the park’s basins will cover over 85,000sq m (915,000sq ft)

A new study into how we will live, work and relax a century from now has predicted a future where underwater bubble cities, drone-delivered mobile holiday homes and super skyscrapers are the norm. The SmartThings Future Living Report, commissioned by Samsung SmartThings and authored by a collection of British-based architects, academics and scientists, suggests the way we lead our lives will “will change beyond all recognition” over the course of