Saudi Entertainment Ventures (Seven) has revealed plans to develop and operate the world’s first Play-Doh attractions in Saudi Arabia. Thinkwell Group, the experience design and production agency, has been appointed to develop the attractions. Seven, a wholly owned subsidiary of Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF), said it will open Play-Doh sites at eight of its entertainment destinations across the country over the next 10 years. Seven has signed a

Saudi Arabia's General Entertainment Authority (GEA) has pledged to provide SAR500m (US$133m, €112m, £96m) worth of loans to companies, in order to create new attractions and entertainment projects in the country. GEA has signed a memorandum of understanding with the country's Social Development Bank (SDB), which will see soft financing opportunities being made available to investments that contribute towards the growth and sustainability of the Saudi attractions and entertainment sector

Kew Gardens has established a "living laboratory" at its wild botanic garden at Wakehurst, UK. The move is part of a research project to explore the benefits of biodiversity in the UK. The Wakehurst site is open to visitors and includes a number of botanical attractions to explore – such as the 150-acre Loder Valley Nature Reserve, an area called The Wetlands and a six-acre American Prairie. As well as

LA-based experience design studio, BRC Imagination Arts, is the creative force behind the new Glenkinchie Distillery attraction, which has opened today (29 October 2020) near Edinburgh, Scotland. The single malt distillery is located in East Lothian, a region known for its produce and has undergone a major transformation of its visitor attraction as part of a wider £185m investment by owner, Diageo. Glenkinchie will be known as the ‘Lowland Home

Following approval to build a £250mn wellbeing resort in Manchester, Therme Group has revealed plans to develop and expand its concept in other major UK cities. “Our aim is to ensure that a Therme Group wellbeing resort is within easy reach of 90 per cent of the UK population,” commented Therme UK COO, James Mark. The development plan includes projects – with a similar concept to Therme Manchester – in

Three out of the six projects on this year's Stirling Prize shortlist are culture, attractions and leisure-related, underlining the sector's reputation for producing innovative architecture. The Macallan Distillery and Visitor Experience in Scotland (by Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners), The Nevill Holt Opera in Leicestershire (Witherford Watson Mann Architects) and The Weston, Yorkshire Sculpture Park (Feilden Fowles Architects) have all been chosen. They're joined by Cork House, Goldsmith Street and

Spanish football giant FC Barcelona has reached a deal to open a number of Barça-themed “experience spaces” around the world. Club president Josep Maria Bartomeu has signed a five-year agreement with leisure park developer Parques Reunidos to get the ball rolling on the project, which will see indoor parks, between 3,000 and 10,000sq m in size, opened in “busy shopping malls and iconic establishments in the centres of cities with

Tate St Ives, the art gallery credited with helping to regenerate the southwest, will unveil its new look tomorrow (14 October) when it re-opens following a £20m redevelopment. Jamie Fobert Architects’ cliffside extension has doubled the exhibition space, with the aim of better accommodating the 250,000 annual visitors to the Cornish attraction. With an additional 600sqm floor space, the gallery will be able to host more exhibits, display more works

Cornwall’s iconic Eden Project is set to be replicated in China, Australia and New Zealand, with further developments being planned in the Middle East, North America and the UK. The British attraction has launched a new company to drive the establishment of Eden botanical parks around the world. Eden Project International Ltd (EPIL) is the new entity, formed to partner with like-minded organisations and conservation groups across the globe and

Experience design studio GSM Project has announced it will design the upcoming observation deck attraction at One Vanderbilt, a 1,400ft (426m) skyscraper scheduled to open in New York City in 2020. The indoor-outdoor platform will offer panoramic views of the cityscape, including nearby landmarks the Chrysler Building and the Empire State Building. Located more than 1,000ft (304,8m) above the ground, it has been dubbed “the most exciting observation deck experience

The first renderings of Montreal’s planned new biodome have been released by architecture studio KANVA. The dome, which has been part of the city’s natural science museum Space for Life since 1992, is being extensively revamped as part of Montreal’s 375th birthday celebrations. KANVA won an international competition for the project in 2014 after creating a concept design to “rethink the relationship between mankind and nature” and bolster the museum’s

Stanton Williams and Asif Khan have triumphed over a number of architectural heavyweights, winning a competition to design the Museum of London’s new home at Smithfield. The architectural duo overcame competition from firms including Bjarke Ingels, Caruso St John Architects and Studio Milou with their winning proposal, which will lift the dome on the market area to create a landmark light-filled entrance to the museum. Malcolm Reading Consultants handled the

A safari park opening later this year in Dubai will feature misting machines, cool-water pools and rocks fitted with air conditioning to keep temperatures down. Design and construction firm Cape Reed are creating the 120 hectare (296.5 acre) site for the Dubai Municipality, and have had to think innovatively in order to ensure the park’s thousands of animals are kept in cool enough conditions in the desert climate. The park

The abandoned east wing of London’s iconic Alexandra Palace entertainment venue is to be restored and reopened to the public for the first time in decades. Three million people visit the palace every year to explore its grounds, enjoy concerts and take part in sporting events. However, it has been many years since the public have been able to access the hidden Victorian theatre and television studio located to the

Latin America is poised to become a major market for the attractions industry in the coming decade, with recent football World Cup host Brazil a particularly promising market, according to Forrec senior creative Gordon Grice. During a wide-ranging briefing at Attractions Management headquarters, the industry veteran with over 25 years’ experience expressed excitement over the emerging market, which although still very young, has the potential to develop at pace. “Right

Cork County Council (CCC) is planning to establish a "cluster" of activities and attractions as part of its vision for Spike Island, a former military and penal site in southern Ireland. A masterplan design team led by Scott Tallon Walker Architects has been appointed to draw up proposals for the site, which includes landscape strategist Mitchell and Associates. The initial phase of developing the island will be to increase the