Austrian developer Josef Kleindienst’s US$5bn mega-resort project, The Heart of Europe, in Dubai is on track to complete phase one of construction, despite COVID-19. The Heart of Europe is claimed to feature the world’s first floating underwater spa as well as 15 unique hotels and resorts spread across six islands designed to showcase European culture, heritage and lifestyle experiences through architecture, events and new technology, such as the world’s first

Architecture practice Johannes Torpe Studios has unveiled the first glimpses of the Buda Resort; a luxury spa resort located in the Visegrad Hills of Hungary and inspired by the spiritual symbolism of its setting. Situated 50km north of Budapest in a hilly landscape surrounded by forests and the Danube River; the vision for the 210-room resort is to offer a holistic retreat which fosters a greater sense of unity between

Plans have been revealed for a five-star Maldivian spa island designed by Yuji Yamazaki – the architect behind the world’s first underwater villa. The development is scheduled to open in September 2020. Located in the Maldives’ North Male Atoll, Kagi Maldives Spa Island will feature Baani Spa Wellness Centre, a 1,500sq m purpose-built spa designed to provide personalised outcome-focused wellness experiences which help guests ‘release, restore and regain’. The spa

After seven years and a £300m investment, super-boutique hotel, The Londoner, is taking shape in the heart of the UK’s capital city. Originally scheduled for June 2020, the opening has been shifted to late 2020 due to disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Located in Leicester Square, the 16-storey hotel will cover 32,000sq m and feature an urban spa, 350 guest rooms including 35 suites and a tower penthouse, each

Spa consultancy TLee Spas, in collaboration with EDG Design, have unveiled a new 30,000sq ft (2,800sq m) spa at the Ritz-Carlton Reserve 's Zadún property in Los Cabos, Mexico. Spa Alkemia is inspired by Mexican traditions and culture with a natural aesthetic, with 'Alkemia' – meaning alchemy in Spanish referencing a focus on positive transformation and a heightened state of wellbeing through therapeutic modalities. “Spa Alkemia is the ultimate playground

Waterfrom Design 's Exhibition of Frozen Time spa in Beijing, China, was conceived to eschew the traditional impression of Chinese medicine in favour of a more clinical and technological approach. Created for Aqua Health Clinic, the facility was conceived to use "medical principles of pulse diagnosis, medication and food therapies as the approach to design specific treatments for visitors to relieve physical and psychological fatigue." Covering 280sq m (3,000sq ft),

Peppas N Architects, Hirsch Bedner Associates (HBA) and Constantina Tsoutsikou are working together to create Royal Senses Resort & Spa Crete for Troulis Royal Collection, with a design inspired by the Cretan heritage. The aim has been to go above and beyond a typical luxury family resort while combining Crete’s rugged landscape and the character of its people with a cosmopolitan style. "The landscape’s rough beauty creates a wonderful juxtaposition

Thermal spa operator Groupe Nordik will open one of the biggest day spas in the world in Whitby, Canada, once construction is completed in December 2020. Located in Cullen Central Park, the CA$50m (US$37.7m, €34.4m, £29.4m) Nordik Spa-Nature Whitby development covers just under 9ac (4ha) and was designed by LemayMichaud, working with Groupe Nordik’s own internal projects and design team. The spa is billed as an "avant-garde, innovative and multisensory

Four Seasons Resort Bali at Jimbaran Bay will reveal a new-look spa showcasing contemporary a Balinese design by The Fulcrum Agency and appearing to be suspended over water when it reopens at the start of May. The spa's revamp will align with the original Balinese design concept by Kerry Hill Architects and will feature interiors by Design Studio SPIN. The Healing Village Spa will 70 per cent bigger than before,

Wellbeing developer Therme Group has been given to the go-ahead to build a £250m ($325m, €287m) wellbeing resort in Manchester, UK, aimed at addressing the need for physical and mental wellbeing for all. Expected to open in 2023, Therme Manchester will cover an area of 28ac (11ha), with a 65,000sq m (700,000sq ft) main building that will house wellbeing facilities, a waterpark and botanical gardens. It will be designed by

Spa management group Groupe SKYSPA has opened an expansive thermal spa in Quebec, Canada, that will be designed by Blouin Tardiff and will offer bathing experiences from around the world. Surrounded by forest, the 60,000sq m (646,000sq ft), CA$12m (US$9m, €8.3m, £7m) Förena Cité Thermale includes three thermotherapy circuits individually themed on Russian, Icelandic and German bathing traditions, along with three pavilions, outdoor bathing facilities and a restaurant. "The idea

Six Senses has confirmed its desert resort and spa in the Arava Valley, Israel, designed by Plesner Architects, will open in June after ten years of design and planning. Located in the Negev Desert, Six Senses Shaharut will be a modern reinterpretation of nomadic structures, reminiscent of the Nabataean community which occupied the area over 2,000 years ago. The resort’s design preserves the unique characteristics of the site, integrating with

The historic Terminal Warehouse, in the West Chelsea area of New York, is being transformed by COOKFOX Architects into a mixed-use destination with retail units, hospitality outlets, open spaces and offices. Originally designed by architect George Mallory and built in 1891, the 1.2 million sq ft (111,000sq m) warehouse occupies an entire city block in Manhattan. With good access to the water, rail and road transportation networks, it became a

Hotel group General Hotel Management (GHM) has revealed details of The Chedi Kudavillingili, its first resort in the Maldives, which will open later this year. The mixed-use resort development, which is part of a global expansion plan by GHM, will be located on a coral island and will have a Maldivian aesthetic to its architecture by Group X and interiors by URBNarc. It will feature 63 island-based villas and 36

Hotel group General Hotel Management (GHM) has revealed details of The Chedi Kudavillingili, its first resort in the Maldives, which will open later this year. The mixed-use resort development, which is part of a global expansion plan by GHM, will be located on a coral island and will have a Maldivian aesthetic to its architecture by Group X and interiors by URBNarc. It will feature 63 island-based villas and 36

The historic Bradbury Building in Downtown Los Angeles has launched as a NeueHouse co-working destination with a focus on hospitality, socialising and wellness following a DesignAgency transformation. The 25,000sq ft (2,300sq m) building was originally designed by architect Sumner Hunt and was constructed in 1893. In adapting the space, DesignAgency retained many of its original features, like the wrought iron latticework staircases, birdcage elevators, oak-framed windows, wooden panelling, exposed ceiling

New photos have been released of Zaha Hadid Architects ' recently completed One Thousand Museum residential tower in Miami, which boasts 30,000sq ft (2,800sq m) of amenities and a helipad. The faintly curved tower rises 709ft (216m) and 62 storeys, with an exoskeleton that holds a glazed façade and expansive terraces in place. “The design expresses a fluidity that is both structural and architectural,” said Chris Lepine, project director at

GOCO Hospitality has conceptualised and designed a spa on the sky bridge of Dubai’s recently opened luxury hotel Address Sky View. Emaar Hospitality Group owns the property and has opened a collection of hotels in Dubai under the name Address Hotels + Resorts, including Address Sky View and Address Fountain Views, where GOCO Hospitality was also responsible for the spa concept and operation design. The 169-room-hotel is spread over 13

MJM Architect and Hansenbuilt Design have converted a derelict loft space in Victoria, Canada, into a co-working space and social club with a focus on health and connecting with others. Kwench was founded by Tessa McLoughlin to evolve and expand what a co-working space could be, with the aim of making its users healthier and happier. It is based on promoting a balance of knowledge, wellness, experiences, novelty, curiosity, and

The original Corinthia Hotel in Malta – the Corinthia Palace Hotel – has revealed further details of its new Athenaeum Spa, which is scheduled to open in March 2020 following a €9m (US$10m, £7.5m), year-long refurbishment. Built in the 19th century as a private villa for the chief justice of Malta, the hotel was used as living quarters by British Forces during the Second World War. In 1959 it was

A new amenities space, designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro with interiors by Rockwell Group, has opened 900ft (274m) up in the air at Fifteen Hudson Yards in New York. Skytop is part of the building's 40,000sq ft (3,700sq m) of wellness, entertaining and leisure amenities and is located in the cloverleaf-shaped curves of the building’s crown. The 6,000sq ft (560sq m) of amenities it offers include an open-air terrace

Counterspace have been chosen to design the Serpentine Pavilion for 2020 with a design based on gathering spaces and community places around London that will be accompanied by a public programme across the city. Now in its 20th year, the annual pavilion commission is described by the Serpentine as "a global platform for experimental projects by some of the world's greatest architects." This year's architects from the Johannesburg-based practice –

OMA 's first hotel in Bali has been designed both for guests and to engage the local community, with an open space for cultural events and leisure activities. The open space, or platform, at Potato Head Studios runs from the hotel down to the beach at Seminyak and is based on the raised and ground-level courtyards of Indonesian and Balinese homes. It provides a flexible stage where guests and locals

Designer Jean-Michel Gathy has created a 3D origami-inspired feature wall for Four Seasons ' spa sanctuary in its upcoming hotel in Japan – called Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo at Otemachi. Dominating the spa lobby, the flowing paper structure appears to billow and sweep outwards and has been designed to calm guests as they enter the spa. Gathy’s work is inspired by Japanese fashion designer Issey Miyake’s flowing fabrics, as captured

Niall McLaughlin Architects have been chosen to design a new, multi-purpose auditorium and public space for London's Somerset House arts centre. Designed and built by Sir William Chambers during the mid-to-late 1770s, the current neoclassical building has a rich history and courtyards that are described as being among the most beautiful in Europe. With the building already home to a creative community and a variety of different exhibition and events

The Arctic Bath Hotel and Spa, designed by Bertil Harström, Johan Krauppi and Annkathrin Lundqvist, has opened on the Lule River near the small village of Harads in Swedish Lapland. First announced in 2017, it was conceived to be a year-round Arctic wellness destination that will float on the water during the summer and be frozen into the ice during the winter. The 12-room hotel is inspired by the era

Lyons with Aspect Studios, have transformed a car park in Melbourne, Australia, into a 10,000sq m (107,600sq ft) urban park with nine distinct areas and two levels of car parking retained underneath. Prahran Square was conceived to provide much needed new open public space in the Prahran suburb of the city, which has the second-lowest amount in the state of Victoria. it combines a park, a square and a network