The Red Sea Development Company (TRSDC), the developer behind the ambitious regenerative tourism project The Red Sea Project (TRSP) in Western Saudi Arabia, has revealed plans for the destination’s new mountain resort named Desert Rock. Created by architectural design firm Oppenheim Architecture, Desert Rock is being designed to protect and preserve the environment and will allow guests to connect with the nature and local culture of the region. The 60-key

The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company has opened a new luxury resort and spa in Japan, expanding its luxury Asia Pacific portfolio into the historic mountain region of Nikko. Nikken Sekki led the architecture for the overall project, while rooms and public spaces were designed by Layan Architects + Designers. The Ritz-Carlton, Nikko, showcases a new spa designed to be an urban sanctuary of wellness inspired by the abundance of natural revitalising

A South Tyrolean wellness resort in Saltaus, Italy, has received a new two-floor wellness centre designed to provide a sanctuary of wellbeing that integrates smoothly into the natural landscape. Apfelhotel Torgglerhof hotel’s new 570sq m facility has been created to complement the resort’s existing spa with its apple-shaped bio-sauna – inspired by the local apple orchards. Architecture and interior design firm Network of Architecture (noa*) led the overhaul, with construction

Mario Cucinella Architects have designed a new mixed-use building for Tirana, Albania, that is inspired by the shape of the nearby Mount Dajti and is wrapped around a central scoop filled with greenery. The 93m (305ft)-tall, 24-storey Ekspozita Building will house a variety of commercial, residential and public amenity spaces. Occupying three and a half sides of a square footprint and tapering as it rises, the building will accommodate commercial

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

Kerry Hill Architects have designed a spa and wellness resort on a mountainside in Hokkaido – their fourth resort in Japan for hotel operator Aman, following the opening of Aman Kyoto. The Aman Niseko resort is to be an all-season retreat situated among the mountain, forest and river surroundings of Mount Moiwa. It is designed to take advantage of the setting by framing the forest and mountain scenery from inside

C+ Architects have created art gallery in Wulong, China, that is designed to look like a glowing ring in the mountains. The LAB Art Museum is set on a 3,000sq m (32,300sq ft) hilltop site that at times is surrounded by clouds. Its white elliptical form stands out against the surrounding green hills and its main volume is raised up on four functional blocks at ground level that serve variously

Architecture office Henning Larsen have been chosen to revitalise a 30,000 sq m seafront park in Esbjerg, Denmark. The architects' plans will see the centuries-old public space transformed into a “city mountain” with new footpaths, artificial ponds, and an expansive amphitheatre. “We are reconnecting the city back with its environment,” said Salka Kudsk, Head of Landscape at Henning Larsen. She continued: “It was initially practical, holding the sand in place

Germany's Circus Roncalli has replaced its live animals with holograms to raise awareness of animal cruelty in the industry. The Circus, which has been touring since 1976, previously featured animals such as elephants and horses performing tricks and stunts for the viewing audience. Now the circus has done away with these animal performances, instead using 3D holograms projected into the ringmaster's circle.

Created by South African interior designers Studio A, Chapter Roma Hotel is slated to open in Rome this March. The 42-room hotel, which will launch on the Via di Santa Maria dei Calderari in Rome's Regola neighbourhood, will feature a bar, restaurant, and daytime market. Housed in a brick building that dates to the 19th century, Chapter Roma will exude an industrial chic aesthetic, incorporating a number of exposed and

Morphosis Architects have been selected to design a surrealistic complex on the site of the infamous Viper Room, a club formerly co-owned by Johnny Depp and patronised by numerous Hollywood celebrities. Recently released renderings for the project show a tapered, C-shaped building and a tower covered in greenery. The two structures – set to occupy a tract of land on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles – are connected by a

Swiss architecture studio Herzog & de Meuron have unveiled their plans to redesign the Klein Titlis, a 50-year-old mountaintop observatory station in Switzerland. The firm’s plan – dubbed Titlis 3020 – will see the current structure gain a new antenna tower and expanded gondola station in addition to an underground tunnel which will offer visitors a close-up glimpse of the glacier’s inner 'heart'. Other amenities and facilities will include an

Architect Bill Bensley is working on a national cultural heritage site in Yên Tu Mountain – considered to be the cradle of Trúc Lâm Zen Buddhism in Vietnam – as part of the Vietnamese government’s strategic development plan for the area. Designed with attention to historical detail – Bensley has created the entire Yên Tu Village in 13th-century style and using 13th-century techniques where possible – the village will include

A dramatic mountain-top arts centre has been built in the Yanshan mountains in China. The Hilltop Gallery – also known as the Phoenix Valley Summit Art Centre – was designed by the Chinese architecture studio, deep Architects (DA). The undulating structure follows the topography of the mountainside and has been built in concrete, bamboo, and terracotta. The 2,600 sq m building has a ballroom, theatre, open cooking area, lounge and

American artist James Turrell has recently unveiled Skyspace: Lech – the latest iteration of his Skyspace series, which was first developed in the 1970s. Located 1,780m (5,800ft) above sea level in the Arlsberg mountains of Austria, the tumulus-like structure–dubbed the lightroom on the mountain – was produced in collaboration with German architectural firm, Baumshlager-Eberle. Turrell, who draws artistic and spiritual inspiration from religious sites like the Egyptian pyramids, Machu Picchu,

Montage International and Crossharbor Capital Partners have announced plans to launch a 150-bedroom luxury resort in Montana’s scenic Big Sky region. The US$456m (€397m, £350m) development, which has been described as a "mountain paradise", will be based less than an hour away from Yellowstone National Park in the lofty Spanish Peaks district. Among other things, Montage Big Sky will offer ski-in, ski-out access and feature 39 residences, as well as

IKEA’s innovation lab, Space10, and visual trend consultancy f°am Studio have released concept images of “Spaces on Wheels”, a futuristic project that provides insight into how driverless vehicles could be repurposed to better one’s quality of life. The illustrations – which eschew what Space10’s creative strategist Bas Van De Poel has called the science-fiction stereotype of self-driving cars as “sleek, sterile, chrome painted machines” – feature seven, pop-up-style designs: Office

Muza Lab has finished its ground floor public rooms refurbishment at Cape Town’s iconic Belmond Mount Nelson, with a focus on keeping traditional elements, while embellishing them with natural greens and subtle upgrades. The new design has aimed to embrace “Belmond values” with a layout that is “connected to the heritage and location of the hotel” with an update that allows those who enter the lobby to have a framed

Portsmouth City Council has approved plans for an inclusive and sustainable sports facility at University of Portsmouth. Designed by FaulknerBrowns Architects, the complex will include a 25m, eight-lane swimming pool, an eight-court sports hall, a health club with a 175-station gym and multifunctional studios, climbing and bouldering facilities, two flexible squash courts and a ski simulator. The building will also set new standards for sustainability for a sports building and

Anticipation is rising ahead of a 12 July launch date for a brand new James Bond visitor attraction nestled snugly inside a mountain peak in Sölden, Austria. The state-of-the-art facility, called 007 ELEMENTS, promises to immerse visitors in an environment that will make them feel like secret agents themselves. Described as a cinematic installation, the new attraction will be housed in a purpose built structure designed by local architect Johann

Wellness design firm A.W. Lake has opened its new headquarters in Northern Colorado, with the building set to become a hotbed of wellness research in the wilderness of the Rocky Mountains. The monolithic steel building, called the Center for Wellness Strategies, stands 2,000m (6,800ft) above sea level on a 40 acre (16 hectares) site bordering a vast swathe of national forest land. The building will serve as a hub for

Pritzker laureate Alejandro Aravena has reflected on the impact of the 2016 Venice Architecture Biennale, which he curated, in the run up to the 2018 edition the renowned international exhibition, which opens to the public on Saturday (26 May). Two years ago, Aravena’s Biennale, themed ‘Reporting from the Front’, considered major challenges facing the built environment – from natural disasters to financial constraints, pollution, crime, housing shortages and a scarcity

Sanctuary Spa at Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain Resort & Spa in Scottsdale, Arizona, US, has completed a refurbishment and expansion that has introduced a new look throughout and a new feature, the Women’s Quiet Room. The spa features separate women’s and men’s spas, with a total of 12 indoor and outdoor treatment rooms and a private, stone-walled outdoor treatment room called Sanctum. Sanctuary Spa’s redesign is the work of interior

Plans to revitalise a 19-mile strech of the Lower LA River have been revealed, with new renderings showing how desolate concrete stretches – famously providing the dystopian backdrop to Terminator 2 – could be transformed into vibrant community hubs. Architecture firm Perkins+Will have worked with the County of Los Angeles, Tetra Tech Engineers and the LA River Working Group – formed of 13 stakeholder communities – to create the Lower

Surrealist hospitality designer Henry Chebaane has completed his latest project: a hotel room concept that puts his expectedly unexpected twist on British popular culture. The project, called Hip Pop Britannia, has been launched this week in three “rockstar rooms” at The Megaro, a colourful boutique hotel next to London’s King’s Cross station that is best-known for featuring the city’s largest graffiti mural over its 19th-century facade. Chebaane’s rooms feature recurring

The new stadium of English Premier League football side Everton will “break the mould”, according to chief executive Robert Elstone, who pledged the club will ensure its new home is not “predictable and formulaic” like other recently-built grounds. Everton’s long-running quest to build a modern stadium took a major step forward last November after it reached an agreement to lease land for the ground at Bramley Moore Dock in Liverpool.