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

Italian architect Daniela Colli has revealed her vibrant and highly stylised designs for Liòn – a new restaurant and cocktail bar in central Rome. The recently constructed two-storey dining outlet, which brings together what the architect has called a "universe of materials" emphasises reds, blues, and yellows – an emotionally resonant colour scheme popularised by Frank Lloyd Wright. Covering an area of 210 sq m, Liòn also features geometric motifs,

The architect behind Italian football club AS Roma’s planned new stadium has told CLADglobal that he is determined to deliver a facility that “creates an incredible atmosphere” and is respectful of Rome’s extraordinary architectural heritage. Dan Meis, founder of Meis Architects, has been involved for over five years in the development of a long-awaited new home for the Serie A team, which will replace the Stadio Olimpico, its home since

Italy-based spa consultants Wellness & Spa Solutions have helped to transform the spa at the Aleph Rome Hotel, part of the Curio Collection by Hilton, from an opulent 1930s bank building into an Arabian-style spa. The Aleph Spa is located in the basement and includes a thermal whirlpool, Finnish sauna, emotional showers, a heated indoor pool, massage cabins and an elegantly gilded hammam with marble mosaics. A contemporary gym with

The Four Seasons Tunis has opened with a lavish spa inspired by Tunisia’s historic sites and traditions. Located just a short drive from the ancient Roman ruins of Carthage, the resort includes 203 bedrooms and a Roman-inspired spa which was 10 years in the making. Created by spa consultancy Blu Spas – which collaborated with HKS/Hill Glazier Studio and Brayton Hughes for the design – the spa includes 11 treatment

Work has started on a new green public corridor in Tainan that will replace a derelict shopping mall with a man-made lagoon. The city’s mayor, William Lai, launched the ground breaking on the Tainan Axis, which has been designed by international architects MVRDV and local firms The Urbanist Collaborative and LLJ Architects. The development is centred around the abandoned China-Town Mall – described by the architects as “the rotten tooth

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

James Pallotta, the American investor in charge of Italian football club AS Roma, has claimed construction work on a new stadium for the team could begin next March. Plans to build an 52,000 home ground inspired by the colosseum of ancient Rome have been in the pipeline for four years, with little sign of a breakthrough being made due to what club president Pallotta described as “some problems due to

Rome's Archaeological Heritage Department has completed the first phase of a major restoration of the historic Colosseum, aimed at returning the landmark to its former glory and possibly turning it into a regular entertainment venue. With funding support from Italian fashion brand Tod’s Group, the first phase of restoration has included the surface cleaning of the northern and southern façades, removing dirt and gunge created mainly by vehicle pollution, which

International architecture and design practice The NRA Collaborative have outlined their masterplan for a sweeping new entertainment district in Brisbane, Australia. The proposed precinct, called Brisbane Live, would create an area around the city’s Roma Street featuring entertainment venues, commercial buildings, hotels, residences, restaurants, a retail zone and 12 hectares of parkland. At the heart of the design is a 17,000-seat arena able to host a multitude of events from

Cox Architecture will create a 3,000 capacity velodrome in Jakarta for the 2018 Asian Games in Indonesia. According to reports in Australia, where the studio have their headquarters, the project will cost AUS$51m (US$38m, €33.6m, £26.5m) and is set to be completed by June 2018. Engineering firm Motts MacDonald, Indonesian architects BKM and construction company Wika are all said to be involved. In order to ensure the quick construction time,

Italian luxury fashion house Fendi has opened seven private designer suites above its flagship store in the heart of Rome. The luxury hotel and boutique shop are both located in Palazzo Fendi, a five-storey 17th-century residence overlooking Via dei Condotti and the city’s famous Spanish Steps. Each suite covers over 1,000sq ft (92.9sq m) and features original Karl Lagerfeld photographs and fur made by the brand’s own artisans. The design,

Hamburg (Germany), Rome (Italy), Budapest (Hungary), Los Angeles (US) and Paris (France) have submitted official bids to host the 2024 summer Olympic Games. Los Angeles is a late addition to the list, following the withdrawal of Boston from the process in July. Boston’s decision left the US Olympic Committee (USOC) – which had committed to submitting a bid for the 2024 Games – with just weeks to plan and come

Hopkins Architects’ plans to build a new £1.75m (US$2.66m, €2.4m) pavilion at the historic Herne Hill Velodrome in London have been approved. The velodrome dates back to 1891 and is the last surviving venue from the 1948 Olympics, but the old pavilion had fallen into disrepair despite the track itself still being regularly used. Local councillors unanimously voted in favour of the new plans to regenerate the velodrome, where Olympic

The Regina Hotel Baglioni in Rome, Italy, unveiled its Spa by Caschera on 1 September, designed by Milanese architects Rebosio+Spagnulo. The 118-key Regina Hotel Baglioni is one of the Baglioni Hotels Collection – owned by CEO Guido Polito – and is a member of Leading Hotels of the World consortium owned by Hotel Representative, AG. The Spa by Caschera will be managed by spa consultant and entrepreneur Paolo Caschera and

Brighton, UK's, Hippodrome looks set to enjoy a new lease of life after Brighton & Hove City Council approved plans to transform the 117-year-old structure into a cinema and restaurant complex. Alaska Development Consultants is behind the £18m plans and – having been advised by Indigo Planning – will bring the Grade-II listed, ‘at risk’ building back into use, based on designs from Russ Drage Architects. The proposals include an

Rome’s long-awaited €250m, (US$340m, £198m) Cinecittà World theme park – designed by multiple-Oscar-winning production designer designer Dante Ferretti – will finally open its doors to the public on 24 July after a decade of delays. Conceived as Italy’s take on Universal Studios, Cinecittà World comprises 20 attractions, including roller coasters, dark rides and a flight simulator. Incorporating elements of science fiction, Bollywood, spaghetti westerns and many other themes from more

Brazil is to become home to one of South America’s leading cycling venues and training bases once work on the Rio Olympic Velodrome is completed in 2015. The Velodrome, which is to be based at the Olympic Park in Barra da Tijuca, Rio de Janeiro, will host track cycling events at the Rio Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2016. The concept is to feature 5,000 permanent seats and 800 temporary

Ambitious proposals to redevelop the Grade II listed Brighton Hippodrome into a leisure complex have been backed by English Heritage, which said this could be the “final chance” to save the 117-year-old structure. Alaska Development Consultants, working on behalf of an institutional client of Helix Property Advisors, has submitted a planning application to Brighton & Hove City Council to redevelop the theatre into a leisure complex housing an eight-screen Vue

Image: FaulknerBrowns Architects designed the arena Multi-million pound plans to build a new velodrome and sports centre near Derby's Pride Park Stadium have been given the green light by the Environmental Agency. In a statement, the organisation said it was satisfied with the plans to build the centre on a former landfill site. The approval clears the final hurdle for the £28m facility, which will include a 250m cycling track.

Image: More than £40m has been spent on the project London's former Hippodrome Theatre is to reopen as a casino this month (July), following a major transformation led by father and son team Jimmy and Simon Thomas. More than £40m has been invested in creating the new Hippodrome Casino gaming and entertainment venue - housed in the theatre and adjacent Cranbourn Mansions in Leicester Square. The casino will offer three

The London 2012 velodrome, which will be used for Olympic and Paralympic track cycling at next summer's Games, has secured the Prime Minister's Better Public Building Award. Designed by London-based architects Hopkins, the 6,000-seat complex will be used by elite athletes and members of the local community following the 2012 Games. The Prime Minister's Better Public Building Award is designed to recognise new buildings and spaces that seek to improve

A new 6,000-seat velodrome has become the first 2012 Games-time venue at London's Olympic Park to be completed. Work on the VeloPark started in March 2009 and will be host to indoor cycling and BMX competitions at the London Games. Members of the Team GB cycling team took to the track to mark the occasion, with the new velodrome to be handed over to Olympic organisers for the installation of

Zaha Hadid Architects have picked up the RIBA Stirling Prize 2010 for the design of MAXXI, the National Museum of XXI Century Arts in Rome, Italy. The contemporary art museum held off competition from five rival shortlisted entries, which included Oxford's Ashmolean Museum - designed by Rick Mather Architects. Opened in November 2009, the €150m (£130m, US$205m) MAXXI building covers 21,200sq m (228,195sq ft) of internal floor space and contains

A historic cinema in Bo'ness, the oldest purpose-built building of its kind in Scotland, has screened its first film since 1975 following the completion of an extensive £2.15m refurbishment earlier this month. First opened in 1912, the A-listed Hippodrome reopened to the local community on 6 April following the revamp, which has seen extensive work carried out on both the interior and exterior of the venue, including the installation of

A new play area, which has been designed in accordance with Play England's Design for Play strategy, has been unveiled for Egford Lane Playing Fields in Frome, Somerset. Mendip District Council (MDC) has invested more than £55,000 in the facility, which incorporates fun landscaping alongside play equipment. Nigel Hewitt-Cooper, MDC's deputy portfolio holder for street and landscape services, said: "Working with the people in Frome to provide more play facilities

Blackpool Council (BC) has announced that it will bring forward the opening of a new seafront promenade in a bid to capitalise on the expected increase in domestic tourism. Most of the construction work, which is being carried out by Birse Coastal, is now expected to be completed in time for the summer season. The remaining work will be carried out later this year. Maxine Callow, BC's cabinet member for