A visitor attraction celebrating the history of the Scottish parish of Gretna Green – and its heritage as a destination for 'runaway marriages – has opened to the public. Gretna Green, located just inside Scotland on the border with England, first became famous for its weddings nearly 260 years ago, following the Clandestine Marriages Act 1753. The act prevented couples under the age of 21 from marrying in England or

Global design practice Perkins & Will has unveiled plans for a net-zero operational carbon community sports centre, health club and cultural hub in Toronto, Canada. A first-of-its-kind for Ontario, the multi-purpose centre is set to achieve net-zero status through energy-efficient design and renewable energy systems, while adding much-needed facilities for the local community. Called North East Scarborough Community and Child Care Centre, the building has three levels. The lower level

Heatherwick Studio has revealed its designs for an opera house and performing arts centre for the island province of Hainan in China. The architects were chosen for the project by Haikou Tourism & Culture Investment Holding Group, which wants to develop the building as the anchor for a new cultural quarter in the island’s capital, Haikou. The as-yet-unnamed cultural complex will house three performance spaces – an opera house, a

German architect Ole Scheeren has won a design competition for his vision for a tropical resort complex in the beachfront city of Sanya, on the Chinese island of Hainan. Scheduled to open in 2026, Sanya Horizons has been designed for developer CDF Investment & Development and will be sited on 83,500sq m of lush beachfront property. The property will consist of two hotels under IHG luxury brands – The Regent

Music psychology specialist, Brian d’Souza, has launched a sound wellness business to offer transformative sound experiences to the hospitality, wellness and spa industries. Called Swell, the company delivers bespoke solutions combining field recording, music composition, nature and sound therapy to improve relaxation while promoting positive listening habits for deep relaxation. d'Souza says the traditional linear listening experience can result in 'listener fatigue' if guests and staff hear the same music

Brewing giant Diageo has revealed plans to create a Guinness-themed cultural hub and microbrewery in London, UK, with design by London-based agency, Hot Pickle. Called Guinness at Old Brewer’s Yard, the visitor attraction is set to open in London’s Covent Garden in Autumn 2023. Located on a historic brewing site – ​​the Old Brewer's Yard was the site of beer brewing as far back as 1722 – the £73m development

Hotel group Dorchester Collection and real estate development group Omniyat have joined forces to create a new luxury hotel named The Lana. The 225-room destination will open in Q4 2022 in Dubai’s Burj Khalifa district inside a 30-storey tower designed by architecture firm Foster + Partners. Situated next to the Dubai Creek and Marasi Marina, The Lana will mark the Dorchester Collection’s debut location in the Middle East. Parisian interior

The iconic Orient Express luxury train is set to return to Italy following a hiatus of 46 years. The new Orient Express La Dolce Vita service will welcome passengers from 2023, with six trains embarking through itineraries across 14 regions – including three international journeys from Rome to Paris, Istanbul and Split (Croatia). Orient Express – which is owned by French hotel giant Accor Group – will work in partnership

A new creative hub in Doha looks to position itself as the new heart of Qatar’s fashion and design industry – as well as a public showcase for innovation and entrepreneurship in the region. The M7 Design and Cultural Hub, designed by John McAslan + Partners, is the architectural anchor of the 31-hectare Msheireb mixed-use development. Established by Qatar Museums, under the leadership of Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin

Soneva Fushi resort in the Maldives has unveiled a "world-first" dining experience, which will take guests high among the treetops. Called Flying Sauces, the new eating option will offer guests the opportunity to combine culinary excellence with views across the resort. Guest will embark and soar along a 200m (656ft) zipline, before reaching a specially constructed dining platform, suspended 12m (40ft) in the air. Once at the platform, visitors will

Work has been completed on two new spectator stands at Lord's Cricket Ground in London, UK, adding 2,600 seats to the total capacity of "the home of cricket". The Compton and Edrich stands, designed by WilkinsonEyre, form an integral part of the Marylebone Cricket Club’s (MCC) plans to future-proof the historic venue. The two new stands, designed in partnership with structural engineers Buro Happold, deliver improved sightlines and an enhanced

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

A large health club plays a major role in tech giant Microsoft’s recently opened R&D campus in Israel, which was designed to "re-define office working". Located in the city of Herzliya, the campus has been designed ​​in partnership with Vered Gindi Architects and GSArch and utilises Microsoft’s concept of team-based “neighbourhoods”, which is based on the idea of being big enough to offer public interaction but small enough to give

Six Senses Ibiza, conceived by architect and developer Jonathan Leitersdorf, has opened today (10 July 2021). “Six Senses Ibiza is a reflection of the natural vibrations and vitality of the Balearics,” said Leitersdorf. “By channeling the destination’s unique sense of community and celebration, we've created a truly transformative environment where guests are invited to meaningfully connect with nature, each other and themselves, while discovering the elements that make Ibiza unlike

Designs have been revealed for a flexible, multi-purpose events centre which will have the appearance of a "cloud floating by the sea". Designed by MAD Architects, led by Ma Yansong, the “Cloud Center” in Qinhuangdao, China, will offer a new multi-purpose public space for Aranya – one of China’s most vibrant seaside arts and culture communities. Situated close to the scenic Beidaihe coastline in the north east of the country,

The new H.C. Andersen House, designed by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma, has opened its doors to visitors in the Danish city of Odense. Dedicated to the life of the celebrated author – famous for his fairytales, such as the Little Mermaid, The Emperor's New Clothes and The Ugly Duckling – the US$62m visitor attraction consists of both indoor and outdoor spaces. The attraction is located on the site of Hans

The "respectful renovation" of the Royal Museum of Fine Arts in Antwerp, Belgium is among the four winners of this year's European Award for Architectural Heritage Intervention (AHI). Now in its fifth edition, AHI is a biennial award organised by the Association of Architects for the Defence and Intervention in Architectural Heritage (AADIPA) and the Association of Architects of Catalonia (COAC). The renovation of the Royal Museum of Fine Arts

Buro Happold, has acquired acoustics and audio-visual consultancy Vanguardia Limited and its subsidiary Crowd Dynamics International. The move will strengthen Buro Happold’s depth of expertise in acoustics and AV technology. Specifically, the acquisition will enhance standalone and combined services of acoustics and sound engineering, environmental advisory services, plus a broad range of electro-acoustic and technology offerings. It also provides Buro Happold with a fully integrated mobility consulting capability, encompassing inclusive

Work has been completed on the redevelopment of Montreal's Biodome – a science museum which occupies the site of the former velodrome built for the 1976 Olympic Games. The Biodome allows visitors to walk through replicas of five ecosystems found in the Americas – a tropical rainforest, a maple forest, the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, a sub-Antarctic island environment, and the Labrador Coast. Biodome is one of four attractions located

A swimming pool suspended 35m (115ft) above the ground and forming a bridge between two buildings has opened as part of a residential project in Nine Elms, south-west London, UK. Designed by HAL Architects, the 25m Sky Pool spans two buildings at the Embassy Gardens development, located opposite the new US Embassy. The pool has transparent walls and floor, which allows passersby to observe the swimmers – and those in

CLAD understands the launch of Hasbro's Live Monopoly attraction in London is back on the cards, with 14 August 2021 slated as the official opening date. The attraction will be created by a design team drawn from across the worlds of immersive theatre, tech and escape rooms: creative producers are Tom Beynon and Paul Mansfield, with set design by Tim McQuillen-Wright – designer for Secret Cinema experiences Stranger Things, Blade

Global spa, hotel and wellness consultancy The E77 Company is realising a new thermal spa resort and hotel among a historic pine forest in Lithuania’s coastal region of Klaipėda, Lithuania. E77 is working alongside project owner and developer Releven to create the destination, as well as Lithuanian architecture studio Arches and professor of architecture Dr Edgaras Neniskis to sensitively integrate the resort within the forest habitat. In his work, Neniskis

The Skydeck attraction at the Willis Tower in Chicago – which held the title of the world's tallest building for 25 years – has reopened following an extensive redevelopment. Designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), Thinc Design, and Chicago Scenic Studios, the Skydeck forms the centrepiece of a visitor experience which also includes a new interactive exhibition showcasing how architecture has shaped Chicago’s history and identity. On entering the

Work has been completed on the Khor Kalba Turtle and Wildlife Sanctuary in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates (UAE). Commissioned by Sharjah’s Environmental Protected Areas Authority (EPAA) and situated on Kalba Creek, one of the most sensitive and biodiverse nature reserves in the Gulf, the complex comprises a cluster of rounded building forms, creating a sanctuary for rehabilitating turtles and nurturing endangered birds. Designed by Hopkins Architects, the sanctuary will also

A global team of architects has been chosen to design the masterplan for the Milan Cortina 2026 Olympic village. The team, called Outcomist, includes Diller Scofidio + Renfro, Arup, Nigel Dunnett Studio, Carlo Ratti Associati, Gross Max, Portland Design, Systematica, Studio Zoppini, Aecom, LAND, Artelia and PLP Architecture. The project – called Parco Romana – will transform the vast Porta Romana railway yard area in Milan, creating a Athletes’ Village

Golf resort, PGA Catalunya, will unveil its brand new Wellness Centre in Girona, Spain, on 16 April, following a €5m (£4.3m, US$5.9m) investment. Set in 540 hectares of Mediterranean Forest, PGA Catalunya offers a holistic retreat that integrates physical and mental health into a space that nurtures fulfilment through golf, leisure and low-density living. With the opening of the 1,000sq m Wellness Centre, PGA Catalunya wants to position itself as

Hotelier Adrian Zecha, founder of Aman resorts, has expanded his Azerai brand with a new barefoot luxury destination and spa in Southeastern Vietnam. Named Azerai Ke Ga Bay, the beachfront retreat has come to fruition after an extensive makeover of the former Princess D’Annam Resort & Spa. The resort comprises 46 suites and a newly refreshed oceanfront spa with an aesthetic defined by clean minimalism. “We wanted to create a