The heritage-listed Department of Lands building in Sydney, Australia, has relaunched as a major cultural and events destination, as part of a mixed-use redevelopment of two iconic buildings known collectively as the Sandstone Precinct. Singapore-based Pontiac Land Group owns the property, as well as the building next door that was the former Department of Education building.  The two-phase restoration project has seen Pontiac turn the Department of Education building into

BodyHoliday has confirmed it is expanding the brand and developing its first European property in Portugal’s Eastern Algarve, which is set to open in 2029. BodyHoliday Algarve will be a sister destination to the operator’s flagship 155-key resort in St Lucia. This property marks the first step in a programme to create a collection of BodyHoliday resorts. A new executive team has been chosen to lead the brand’s expansion. Since

A conference held in London this month will discuss the "next frontier" in health- and wellness-based urban design and civic architecture. The Healthy City Design 2022 International Congress & Exhibition – held from 10 to 11 October 2022 – will take place at the Royal College of Physicians, London, UK and will also be streamed virtually online. Organised by Salus Global Knowledge Exchange, in collaboration with The Helen Hamlyn Centre

Plans have been revealed for a 100-mile-long structure that is set to become the centrepiece of the ambitious Neom mega-development in Saudi Arabia. Called The Line, the "horizontal city" will be 200m wide and built on a footprint of just 34sq km. Designed to run on 100 per cent renewable energy The Line will eventually accommodate nine million people, with housing, parks and public spaces, retail and leisure facilities and

Disney has released the first visuals of its Star Wars -themed Galactic Starcruiser resort, which is set to open at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida next year. The ambitious new attraction will offer accommodation in hotel 'pods', which are part of a new type of "ultra-deep immersion" experience into the Star Wars universe. Each guest will be able to become the hero of their own adventure during a two-day,

Burning Man Arts have chosen a design by Laurence "Renzo" Verbeck and Sylvia Adrienne Lisse that is rooted in geometry and inclusivity for this year's Temple installation. The design is named after Empyrean, which is said to be the region just beyond the physical realm that is the highest point of wisdom, where humanity can interact with the divine and the birthplace of fire. The Empyrean Temple takes the form

Francl Architecture have created a new ice sports centre in the Canadian city of Surrey, British Columbia, with a vast timber roof that recalls the waves of the nearby Fraser River. The North Surrey Sports and Ice Complex, which opened late last year, covers an area of 134,000sq ft (12,500sq m) and houses three ice sheets that are used for ice hockey, sledge hockey, figure skating and other ice sports.

Occupants of Ballymore 's EG:HQ mixed-use building, designed by Morris+Company, will have access to 18,000sq ft (1,700sq m) of outdoor amenity space, including six purpose-designed private open-air terraces. Situated in the developing Nine Elms area of London and overlooking the River Thames, the building has been designed to meet the demands of modern businesses. John Mulryan, group managing director of Ballymore, said: "The design of the building really considers what

Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) have released images of Copenhagen Zoo's giant pandas settling into its completed yin-yang-shaped enclosure. Construction of the Panda House began in 2017 and earlier this year it became home to Mao Sun and Xing Er, who are being loaned from China to Denmark. BIG designed the 2,450sq m (26,400sq ft) enclosure with the wellbeing of the pandas and with the potential for their mating in mind.

Plans have been approved for a 19,000-seat, multi-use indoor arena in Belmont Park on Long Island, New York. The US£1.3bn venue is set to become the new home of National Hockey League (NHL) franchise New York Islanders. As well as the indoor arena, the project includes a 350,000sq ft entertainment complex and a 250-bedroom hotel. The plans were approved by the Empire State Development Board – the New York state

The All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) has appointed Willmott Dixon to construct a new members’ centre adjacent to the iconic Wimbledon Championship complex. The £70m facility, located on Somerset Road, will include 12 new tennis courts (six indoor and six outdoor), new club house facilities, an enhanced arrivals experience for competitors at The Championships and upgraded Centre Court chiller plant. There will also be a single-storey underground car park

A new Savoy Palace resort is set to open in Funchal, on the Portuguese island of Madeira, to include a destination spa with 11 treatment rooms. The 16-story hotel will include 352 bedrooms and a design that blends bold, modern and historical styles. The 3,000sq m spa has been inspired by the island’s Laurissilva Forest, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the largest surviving laurel forest in the world. In

Lux Resorts & Hotels has unveiled its latest Maldivian opening, Lux North Male Atoll, which includes 67 contemporary whitewashed double-storey penthouses and a vibrant South Beach aesthetic. Set back from the resort, the translucent overwater Lux Me Spa features a menu where the healing power of touch, water therapy, and breath-work come into play. The Lux Me Spa includes five overwater spa treatment villas, one overwater beauty salon with a

Hyatt has opened Miraval Austin in Texas, US, the brand’s second wellness resort to open outside of its flagship property in Tucson, Arizona, US. Set on 220 acres in Texas Hill Country overlooking Lake Travis, Miraval Austin was previously the Travaasa Austin Resort, which was acquired by Miraval in December 2016, just before Hyatt acquired Miraval in January 2017. Offering 117 guestrooms and suites, a Life in Balance Spa, a

UK-based Luxury Lodges will introduce the latest addition to their portfolio of self-catering accommodation in Laugharne, on the south coast of Carmarthenshire, Wales, in the summer of 2019. Built at a cost of more than £30m, Luxury Lodges Laugharne will feature an on-site Milkwood Spa set at the heart of the resort, which will include an infinity pool, hydrotherapy sauna and steam rooms built to high specifications following an £8m

Work on Bjarke Ingels Group’s (BIG) Panda House at the Copenhagen Zoo is in full swing and is expected to be completed in time for the bears' arrival next spring. The unique 2,500 sq m enclosure, which is shaped like the famous dualistic yin-yang symbol, will house two giant pandas in two distinct habitats. A hybrid environment, the €20m (US$22m, £17m) exhibit will feature a hilly terrain of Nordic plants,

Turkish architects Project Design Group have designed the KentPlus Yalova Wellness Spa Resort in Armutlu, Yalova in Turkey, which is due to open at the end of this year. The project includes three five-star thermal hotels with more than 1,300 bedrooms and more than 1,000 apartments for timeshare and full-time living. A Physiotherapy Medical Centre will provide thermal water healing, together with detox, physiotherapy and rehabilitation services. The complex will

One&Only Resorts will open its first location in Malaysia, the One&Only Desaru Coast, in late 2018. Set on a 128-acre beachfront development, the resort will include 42 suites, two luxury suites and a four-bedroom villa, as well as 50 One&Only Private Homes available for purchase. Designed by Kerry Hill Architects, One&Only will place an emphasis on privacy through the design, which has been inspired by the ocean waters and lush

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

The iconic Sunset Tower hotel – considered the one of the best examples of Art Deco design in Los Angeles – will emerge from a multi-million-dollar renovation this August that will include a new 7,000sq ft fitness centre and spa. Led by owner Jeff Klein, who has owned the property since 2004, the hotel is located on Sunset Boulevard and first opened its doors in 1931. Designed in 1929 by

Capella Ubud, Bali, a luxury tented retreat, is set to open on Friday 29th June. Designed by architect Bill Bensley, the resort is nestled between the rainforest, rice paddy fields and the sacred Wos River, in the Balinese artist village of Keliki, and has been inspired by the early European settlers from the 1800s, as a tribute to their spirit of adventure. The resort’s 22 one-bedroom tented retreats and one

Avani Hotels & Resorts is continuing its expansion in Australia with the development of Avani Central Melbourne Residences, its second property in Australia. Due to open this year, the 456-bedroom, 55-storey hotel will draw inspiration from the brands contemporary design and will include an indoor swimming pool with floor-to-ceiling windows as well as two outdoor spas. The hotel also will include a sauna, steamroom and a dedicated yoga room. The

Stadiums of the future may include permanent residential facilities and places of work if they adopt an innovative, community-focused vision put forward by Populous. The architectural practice behind the Olympic Stadiums in Sydney and London has imagined the ‘Stadium of Tomorrow’ for the July issue of National Geographic magazine. Part of the vision includes making stadiums “seven days a week, 365 days a year” venues, with residential and office facilities

Meis Architects, the studio behind the soon-to-be-constructed AS Roma stadium, has unveiled renderings of a 25,000-capacity stadium being designed for Major League Soccer (MLS) hopeful FC Cincinnati. The plans were unveiled by Dan Meis – founder of Meis Architects – and club owner Carl Lindner III in front of 600 FC Cincinnati season ticket holders. Three sites have been earmarked for the stadium: Oakley, Newport and West End. However, no

Port Lympne Wild Animal and Safari Reserve debuted its new Tiger Lodge on 27 May – a first of its kind accommodation in the UK, built inside the zoo’s tiger enclosure. Featuring large picture windows, guests will be able to get face-to-face with Port Lympne’s tigers from the comfort of their own accommodation. On the other side of the lodges, a balcony offers views across the reserve and further, with

The developer of a proposed US$150m (€135.6m, £116.4m) waterpark development in Niagara Falls, New York, is eyeing a 2020 completion date for the long-touted project. A public-private partnership between the Uniland Development Company and the state, the updated Wonderfalls masterplan sees a glass-enclosed waterpark at the heart of a complex surrounded by restaurants and retail to “create a vibrant pedestrian experience”. “We have spent a lot of time with our

Blu Spas has collaborated with HKS/Hill Glazier Studio and Brayton Hughes for the spa design at the upcoming Four Seasons Hotel Tunis, due to open in late 2017. Perched along the hillside of Gammarth, the 200-bedroom hotel combines Arabic-inspired architecture and Mediterranean influences, with a series of pools, gardens and fountains that echo the design of the historic medina. Blu Spas first started work on the Roman-inspired spa almost ten