Belmond Savute Elephant Lodge has reopened in Botswana’s Chobe National Park. Renovated by London-based interior design studio Muza Lab, the renovated resort – which Inge Moore, the firm's founder, has likened to an environmentally conscious explorer’s camp – has 12 new guestrooms and an open-air dining space, lounge, bar, library, and spa. Other features of the timber wood and bamboo lodge include a multi-function room for yoga and private meetings,

Australian property company Northstar Developments has unveiled plans to construct a floating island oasis in the shallows of the Swan River in Perth. Designed to be a watersports and general leisure destination, the Swan River Deck–if approved–would be a jellyfish and algae-free zone, comprising multiple naturally heated pools, an outdoor cinema, a sand-bar for sunbathing, a top platform for dining and lounging, and a green-roofed conference hall with rooms inside

Work could soon begin on what has been described as one of the first developments of its kind in the world. The £200m Llanelli Wellness and Life Science Village, planned for the Carmarthenshire coast, is set to include a wellness hotel, sports and wellbeing centre, wellness spa and primary care centre. An outline planning application for the project will be assessed by mid-November, with preparatory works on site at Delta

New details have been announced for the entertainment arena being developed in Swansea as part of a £1.3bn leisure investment designed to reinvigorate the Welsh city centre's cultural scene. Swansea City and County Council has announced the signing of a deal with live entertainment company the Ambassador Theatre Group (ATG) to operate Swansea Arena, construction of which will begin this year. Architecture practice ACME is designing the 8,825sq m (95,000sq

The leader of a Californian golf club claims to “have walked through the threshold of the future” by overseeing the construction of a luxurious new Clubhouse that provides a “tableau for a new lifestyle experience.” R D. Hubbard, chair of the Bighorn Golf Club in Palm Desert, said the site's former clubhouse was torn down in 2016 in order to be replaced by a building “that is as much about

Plans for a £1.3bn (US$1.6bn, €1.5bn) tidal lagoon in Welsh city Swansea have been backed by a government-commissioned independent review, with a number of conclusions suggesting further development across the UK if the project is a success. The innovative renewable energy scheme, which will be the world’s first tidal lagoon to generate clean electricity, has a large leisure component – including an oyster hatchery attraction and watersport centre designed by

by Kim Megson | 07 Mar 2016

Interior designer Inge Moore and her studio, The Gallery HBA, have redesigned an island safari lodge in Botswana, creating a luxury getaway inspired by the diverse wildlife of the Okavango Delta. The old Belmond Eagle Island Lodge was completely dismantled and many of the materials reused to create a contemporary space sensitive to both the ecology and aesthetics of the delta. Twelve 62sq m (667sq ft) tented guestrooms – their

by Tom Anstey | 29 Apr 2015

A team made up of Snøhetta, Cao Perrot and Schlögl & Süß Architekten have created the architectural elements and designs for the €34m (US$37.3m, £24.3m) expansion of Wattens, Austria’s Swarovski Crystal Worlds. The museum, opened in 1995 to celebrate crystal-maker Swarovski’s 100th anniversary, was originally designed by artist Andre Heller, who was commissioned to design the 14-chamber museum. Reopening on 30 April, the expansion has nearly doubled the available space,

by Katie Buckley | 20 Mar 2015

Following the announcement this week that negotiations have begun for the funding of the £1bn (€1.3bn $1.42bn) Swansea tidal lagoon project in Wales, UK, CLAD speaks exclusively to Paul Newman, principal of Juice Architects, the firm behind the project's iconic visitor attraction. "The Tidal Lagoon is an extraordinarily important development and I am delighted the Visitor Centre has become the iconic symbol of this pioneering project” said Newman. “I am

by Jak Phillips | 05 Feb 2015

Swansea Council is working to drive forward £500m (US$760m, €663m) plans for a major mixed-use regeneration project spanning two city centre sites. The council has unveiled outline proposals for the Civic Centre and St David's sites in the Welsh city and is now asking developers to work on early ideas for the sites and come back with specific plans. It hopes to have preferred developers on board by early 2016.

by Jak Phillips | 05 Feb 2014

Swansea Bay could soon boast a tidal lagoon featuring an international watersport centre and oyster hatchery as part of radical redevelopment plans. London 2012 Olympic Park designer LDA Design has released its masterplan for Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon, featuring the world’s first, man-made energy-generating lagoon, which would provide clean, renewable power for over 120,000 homes and could be connected to the national grid by 2018. Inspired by traditional fishing warehouses

by Pete Hayman | 01 Mar 2011

Archaeologists have started work to clear soil and debris from Swansea Castle's courtyard as part of plans to open up the site to visitors for the first time in decades. Swansea Council aims to restore public access to the attraction and uncover the property's medieval layers, with the archaeological work due to take five weeks to complete. Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios have been appointed to compile a development plan that

by Pete Hayman | 16 Dec 2010

Swan Leisure, a new Donnelly Turpin Architects-designed leisure centre in Rathmines, Dublin, has been officially unveiled by the local authority. John Paul Construction built the new complex on behalf of Dublin City Council, which forms part of the wider €36m (£30.5m) Rathmines Square development. Facilities include a 49-station gym equipped by Precor; a 25m x 12.5m swimming pool with moveable floor; a dance and fitness studio; and a meeting/spin studio.

by Tom Walker | 13 Sep 2010

UK-based architect Dexter Moren Associates (DMA) is to begin work on the £100m, 350-bed Wadi Alswani luxury resort on the Libyan coast later this year. DMA was chosen for the project after attending a visit to the country organised by British Expertise - a private sector member organisation for British companies set up to assist UK companies to find work abroad. The Wadi Alswani Resort will provide 350 luxury rooms

by Pete Hayman | 01 Oct 2009

Swansea's city centre and waterfront areas are poised to undergo a major £38m transformation after the Welsh Assembly Government approved funding for the scheme. A £28m funding package, which includes £20m from the European Union's (EU) Convergence European Regional Development Fund, will go towards Swansea Council's Waterfront City initiative. Plans include the creation of a landmark European-style boulevard along the Oystermouth Road, Victoria Road and Quay Parade corridor to improve