The Mississippi Aquarium has announced an opening date of 30 April 2020. Designed by Eley Guild Hardy, it will be one of the largest aquariums in the US. Currently under construction in Gulfport, Mississippi, the US$93m (€85m, £75.7m) project will sit on a 5.8-acre (23,500sq m, 253,000sq ft) beachfront site. There will be 80,000sq ft (24,380sq m) of exhibits in total, connected by landscaped walkways with plantings representing all seven

Architecture and urban designers Studio Gang have revealed a “transformational” concept for the future of Memphis’ waterfront, which would see new leisure amenities introduced across six miles and five distinct zones along the Mississippi river. A cultural pavilion, a live music stage, an adventure playground, several trails and an elevated walkway across the city’s native wetlands are all proposed for the site over the short, medium, and long-term. Investment ideas

University of Mississippi – known as “Ole Miss” – will officially open its new 9,500-capacity indoor arena today (7 January) when its Rebels basketball team faces off against Alabama in an NCAA Division 1 game. Designed by global architects AECOM, the US$97m (€89m, £67m) Pavilion at Ole Miss in Oxford, Mississippi, will become the region’s premiere multi-purpose venue – capable of hosting a range of sports as well as concerts,

Ground has been broken on a US$45m (€40m, £29m) immersive arts facility in Meridian, Mississippi, designed by Gallagher & Associates and dedicated to film, literature, music, art, dance, theatre and visual arts. The 58,500sq ft (5,435sq m) Mississippi Arts and Entertainment Experience has been designed to be “totally immersive”, according to principal architect Cybelle Jones, who said the plans would incorporate media, hands-on experiences and interactive art. "What is so

Starwood Hotels & Resorts’ Westin brand is set to feature for the first time in Mississippi, US, at The Westin Jackson – a public-private development costing US$60m (€54m, £39m), that aims to boost travel and tourism in downtown Jackson. ESG architects is working on the hotel’s design, focusing on Jackson’s reputation as the birthplace of several American musical styles including rhythm and blues and jazz. The design firm said: “The

The Mississippi Museum of Natural Science (MMNS) has officially opened a conservation and biodiversity facility in Jackson, US, following a US$5m (£3.1m, EUR3.8m) expansion. Financed by the state and federal governments, the new 19,000sq ft (1,765sq m) Mississippi Center for Conservation and Biodiversity (MCCB) houses laboratory and collection spaces. MMNS' collections currently contain more than 1 million animal and plant specimens, with its "wet collection" of alcohol-preserved items exceeding storage