Icelandic attractions and hospitality brand, Pursuit, has launched Sky Lagoon, a restorative geothermal retreat just outside Reykjavik, situated against the striking backdrop of the North Atlantic Ocean. The new retreat is a competitor to the world-famous Blue Lagoon, which is located a 10-minute drive away. Features of the geothermal Sky Lagoon include an ocean-side 75-metre, (246 ft), infinity-edge pool showcasing expansive ocean and sky views, a sauna with Iceland’s largest

A new urban lagoon and park, designed by MVRDV, has opened in the preserved ruin of a shopping mall in central Tainan, Taiwan. The China-Town Mall was built next to the Tainan Canal in 1983, the rise of online shopping means it no longer serves its purpose. Instead, the Urban Development Bureau of the Tainan City Government commissioned MVRDV to create Tainan Spring as a new public space and as

Architects A+DPA have designed a 15-acre (60,700sq m, 653,400sq ft) wave park with a 5.4-acre (21,900sq m, 235,200sq ft) surf lagoon is to be built in the UK town of Coleshill near Birmingham, more than 100 miles from the closest surfable ocean. The £25m Emerge Surf Birmingham will also feature an outdoor heated swimming pool, a perimeter track for Onewheel self-balancing electric skateboards and a 1,600sq m (17,200sq ft) hub

The star attraction at Disney and Center Parcs’ new Villages Nature development outside Paris has been completed. The practice of French architect Jacques Ferrier have completed the 9,000sqm (96,875sq ft) AquaLagoon, which houses one of the largest indoor waterparks in Europe. The tiered pyramid structure contains wave pools, water slides and an active river alongside an open-air geothermal lagoon. Other attractions include an interactive farm, hanging gardens and adventure play

The Blue Lagoon in Iceland, one of the 25 Wonders of the World, has undergone a significant expansion with the opening of its first luxury opening, the Retreat at Blue Lagoon Iceland. A four-year endeavour, the Retreat is the result of a partnership between Blue Lagoon; Basalt Architects, the firm that designed the complex and made significant contributions to its interior design; and Design Group Italia, the agency that conceived

Proposals for an open water surf sports lagoon at Sydney Olympic Park have been given the green light by planning chiefs. The artificial wave park – located 25km from the ocean – has been designed by architects MJA Studio in collaboration with the WavePark Group, which will operate the site under its URBN Surf banner. The duo are already developing similar parks in Perth and Melbourne, with each site set

Architect Roberto de Oliveira Castro and interior designer Samuel Amoia have collaborated on a beach resort in Belize, described as “unlike anything travelers have ever seen in the Caribbean”. Located in the hideaway beach town of Placencia, the Itz’ana Resort & Residences occupies 16 miles of a peninsula, with the Caribbean Sea on one side and a lagoon on the other. The new resort, named after the Mayan god of

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

Wynn Resorts has confirmed plans to build a US$500m (€458.7m, £390m) lagoon theme park at the company’s resort complex in Las Vegas, Nevada. The 20-acre Paradise Park attraction, which in the day will hosts watersports and in the evening fireworks displays, will be made up of a lagoon with a white sand waterfront, featuring a host of attractions along a 4,000ft (1,220m) boardwalk. Speaking during an earnings call, Wynn Resorts

The Winkler Hotel in northern Italy's Dolomites is adding a 3,500sq m (37,674sq ft) spa with an extensive sauna area, mountain lagoon and Kneipp tunnel. Built with an investment of €3.2m (US$3.4m, £2.7m), the spa is part of a new addition to the hotel that also includes luxury suites and restaurants designed by architect Astrid Steinwandter set to debut this summer. The interiors and the spa have been designed by

This autumn, the famed Blue Lagoon in Iceland will open a subterranean spa, a 62-bedroom luxury hotel and a restaurant celebrating the country’s culinary heritage, all designed by Reykjavik-based Basalt Architects. Blue Lagoon managing director Dagný Pétursdóttir called this is an “important milestone.” “We are evolving and expanding our horizons,” said Pétursdóttir. “Our foundation is the unique geothermal seawater, our stunning environment, and the commitment of our employees to provide

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

The first renderings of the next Margaritaville destination resort – which will open in Orlando, Florida by the end of 2017 – have been released, shining a light on US singer Jimmy Buffett's ambitious plans for the US$750m (€664m, £526m) leisure scheme. Construction recently began on the 320-acre property, called Margaritaville Resort Orlando, which features interior designs from The McBride Company and is being developed by Encore Capital Management in

The Italian interior designer and architect Matteo Thun has told CLAD about the challenges he faced in transforming a ruined collection of buildings on a Venetian island into a luxury home for the recently-opened JW Marriott Venice Resort + Spa. Speaking in an exclusive interview in the latest edition of CLADmag, Thun revealed he was drawn to the project by the “fantastic challenge” of creating a contemporary resort while respecting

The Taiwanese city of Tainan will recapture its maritime past with the creation of a man-made lagoon on the site of a derelict and disused shopping mall. The large outdoor pool will be the central focus of a new green public space linking the city’s downtown with its historic canal network. The competition-winning design is the work of Dutch architects MVRDV, together with The Urbanist Collaborative and LLJ Architects. Tainan’s

Jack Rouse Associates (JRA) have unveiled the masterplan and preliminary concept design for Crystal Lagoon Water Theme Park – part of the AED20bn (US$5.4bn, €4.8bn, £3.5bn) Sharjah Waterfront City development in the UAE. To include a mix of 40 water and dry rides, including a rollercoaster that combines the action of a water ride with the interactive nature of a video game – a first for the Middle East –

The £1bn (€1.3bn $1.42bn) Swansea Tidal Lagoon – an innovative renewable energy scheme which could also feature an oyster hatchery, restaurant, visitor centre and watersport centre – has taken a significant step forward after the UK government granted planning permission. Proposals from developer Tidal Lagoon Power (TLP) for the world’s first tidal lagoon to generate clean electricity are being masterplanned by LDA Design – the firm which also worked on

The world-famous Blue Lagoon geothermal destination spa in Iceland has revealed exclusively to CLAD that it’s investing €40m in an expansion and redesign project. Sigridur Sigthorsdottir of Basalt Architects will lead the project, which is due for completion in 2017. She’s been the architect at Blue Lagoon for almost 20 years and her work in harmonising the man-made and natural environment has received international acclaim. A new thermal bathing pool,

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