urban news
Aman sister brand Janu debuts in Tokyo with four-floor urban wellness retreat
by Megan Whitby | 14 Mar 2024
Janu – Aman’s highly-anticipated sister brand – has opened its inaugural hotel in Tokyo, marking the first in its pipeline of 13 properties across city, country and coastal destinations. Meaning ‘soul’ in Sanskrit, Janu was first announced in 2020 and is a hotel, residence and lifestyle brand based on social connection, equilibrium and human interaction. With 122 rooms and suites, Janu Tokyo and has opened among a landmark building designed
Studio A+ realises striking urban hot springs retreat in China's Shanxi Province
by Megan Whitby | 09 Feb 2024
Architecture and interior design firm Studio A+ has revealed the design inspiration behind its recent boutique hotel and hot springs retreat project in Fengxi New City, Shanxi Province, China. Founded by Min Wang in 2007, the studio’s vision was to create a property that represents a seamless fusion of city life and nature, providing guests with a peaceful and refined sanctuary. The architectural approach to Mu Feng Yue Hot Spring
Othership CEO envisions its urban bathhouses in every city in North America
by Megan Whitby | 02 Feb 2024
Urban wellness brand Othership has ambitions to expand its social bathhouse concept throughout North America, according to CEO and co-founder Robbie Bent. The company’s city destinations combine contrast bathing, breathwork and guided emotional regulation to create a space for people to connect with themselves and their community. Offering 28 different classes, Othership hosts large-scale sauna and ice-bath classes that blend elements of Aufguss sauna with group therapy modalities including visualisation,
Tonik Associates designs new suburban model for high-end Third Space health and wellness club
by Kath Hudson | 18 Dec 2023
KSL-owned Third Space has unveiled its latest club in Wimbledon, south-west London. The development marks the first of many forays into residential locations for the operator, following the recent securing of a loan facility of £88.5m. This is the ninth club from the premium fitness operator which has four further openings slated for residential areas of London in the next two years: Battersea, Clapham Junction and Wood Wharf in 2024
Conscious wellbeing inspires Knightsbridge’s newest urban retreat, The Hvn
by Megan Whitby | 16 Oct 2023
A new urban wellness retreat is set to launch in Knightsbridge, London, backed by a trio of professionals from the beauty and medical fields, including ex-Aromatherapy Associates interim CEO Muriel Zingraff. Designed for conscious wellbeing, The Hvn will launch on 17 October. The two-level facility will operate with a 360˚ integrated approach using heritage therapies – including traditional Indian, Japanese and Chinese medicines – functional medicine and medical aesthetics, acupuncture,
bbspa_Group to realise urban destination spa inside Sardinian football stadium
by Megan Whitby | 24 Mar 2023
International spa and wellness consultancy bbspa_Group has been appointed by Italian football club Cagliari Calcio to create an urban destination spa inside the club’s upcoming new stadium. Cagliari Arena will open with a 4,000sq m spa rooted in Sardinian healing traditions, following an agreement between Cagliari Calcio, industrial holding company Costim, bbspa_Group and Snow Group (of which bbspa_Group is a shareholder). With a capacity of 25,000 seats, the stadium will
World Spa’s expansive 50,000sq ft urban bathhouse and wellness club opens in Brooklyn
by Megan Whitby | 12 Dec 2022
New York’s bustling borough of Brooklyn has become home to a brand new 50,000sq ft (44,645sq m) day spa offering an array of global bathing practices. The newly-launched facility features one of the largest co-ed hydrothermal bathing areas in New York and offers bathing practices from across Europe, Russia, Turkey, Finland and Japan. BK Developers and RYBAK Development co-created the destination, working with Feng Shui consultants and Design for Leisure
Therme Group plans US$200m urban wellbeing resort in South Korea
by Megan Whitby | 23 Nov 2022
Thermal wellbeing organisation and developer Therme Group has partnered with the Incheon Free Economic Zone (IFEZ) to create a year-round wellbeing destination in the South Korean city of Incheon. Therme has announced that it’s working with the mayor of Incheon Metropolitan City Yoo Jeong-bok and IFEZ commissioner Kim Jin-yong to build a wellbeing resort that can welcome upwards of one million people per year. Therme creates natural urban oases for
Healthy cities conference to discuss diversity and inclusivity in urban planning and design
by Tom Walker | 05 Oct 2022
A conference held in London this month will discuss the "next frontier" in health- and wellness-based urban design and civic architecture. The Healthy City Design 2022 International Congress & Exhibition – held from 10 to 11 October 2022 – will take place at the Royal College of Physicians, London, UK and will also be streamed virtually online. Organised by Salus Global Knowledge Exchange, in collaboration with The Helen Hamlyn Centre
AIDarchitecten creates Urban spa sanctuary inspired by renowned apothecary in former monastery
by Megan Whitby | 29 Oct 2021
A 15th-century monastery and chapel in Belgium’s capital city of Antwerp is being transformed into a new five-star hotel and botanical spa; Botanic Sanctuary Antwerp. Developer IRET Development is working to retain the location’s identity and create an urban retreat that brings together a sense of the building’s history with contemporary sensibilities and sustainable design. So far, the sensitive restoration project has sought to strip away the fripperies of times
Canyon Ranch’s first urban wellness club to debut in Texas in 2023
by Megan Whitby | 23 Sep 2021
US wellness lifestyle brand Canyon Ranch is curating a members-only urban wellness club concept to help its guests lead healthier happier lives. The 26,000sq ft spa and fitness location will open within the US$250m (€213.4m, £183m) mixed-use development Crescent Fort Worth Development in Fort Worth, Texas. Crescent Fort Worth is being developed by Crescent Real Estate, a company owned by John Goff – the chair and owner of Canyon Ranch.
Heatherwick's Little Island – an 'urban park on stilts' – opens on Hudson River
by Tom Walker | 09 Jun 2021
Little Island, an urban park built on stilts on the Hudson River in New York City, has opened to the public. Designed by Heatherwick Studio, in partnership with Arup and Mathews Nielsen Landscape Architects (MNLA), the 1.1-hectare (11,000sq m) park and performance venue features 540 metres of pathways and a range of performance spaces. Little Island’s distinct exterior is supported by 132 "tulip-like" concrete piles. Each tulip’s shape is unique
First glimpse of Manchester's new urban park by Studio Egret West
by Tom Walker | 04 Jun 2021
New images have been released of what will become the first new public park in Manchester, UK, in more than 100 years. Called Mayfield Park, the new urban green space has been designed by landscape architects Studio Egret West. It will be part of the £1.4bn Mayfield regeneration scheme – one of the largest in the UK – led by the Mayfield Partnership, a public-private venture comprising regeneration specialist U+I,
AZPML and UKST win competition to design Korean Museum of Urbanism and Architecture
by Tom Walker | 09 Dec 2020
Architects AZPML and UKST have secured the commission to design the Korean Museum of Urbanism and Architecture (KMUA), a £31.4m project in Sejong, South Korea. The competition was organised by the National Agency for Administrative City Construction (NAACC), which is looking to establish a museum exploring the history and the development of the built environment across the country. With a total floor area of 17,050sq m, the museum will be
Delos partners with TPP Capital to advance access to health and wellbeing solutions in urban communities
by Megan Whitby | 08 Dec 2020
Global wellness real estate and technology company Delos is collaborating with TPP Capital Management Group (TPP) – a Black-led social impact private equity fund manager and healthcare real estate development firm – to advance health and wellness through buildings in urban communities. The partnership will first work to transform Tioga District in North Philadelphia, US, with evidence-based healthy building strategies and solutions. The district has an 85.5 per cent Black
Sydney's urban beach complex, by Andrew Burges and Grimshaw, to be completed late 2020
by Tom Walker | 28 Jul 2020
Construction work on Gunyama Park Aquatic and Recreation Centre in Sydney, Australia, is expected to be completed in late 2020. The City of Sydney, which owns the centre, said that the COVID-19 pandemic had caused delays to works and it now expects the facility to open by the end of the year. When complete, Gunyama Park will be the biggest aquatic complex built in Sydney since the 2000 Olympic Games.
Eureka! reveals new designs for Eureka! Mersey – construction to begin in 2021
by Tom Walker | 30 Jun 2020
New concept designs and visuals have been released for the Eureka! Mersey project – a £11.75m children's visitor attraction being developed in Liverpool, UK. The science and discovery centre is being developed by Eureka! – the national children's museum – in partnership with Merseytravel, the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority and Wirral Council. Designed by a team led by K2 Architects, the £11.75m science attraction is set to take over
Permission granted for £150m four-layer subterranean health and wellbeing hub in London
by Megan Whitby | 07 May 2020
London’s Westminster City Council has approved developer Reef Group’s plans to invest over £150m (US$185.3m, €171.4m) in Cavendish Square, transforming the space into a subterranean mixed-use destination, with a focus on healthcare and wellbeing. Claimed to be London’s first subterranean health and wellbeing destination, the 280,000sq ft (26,000sq m) destination will deliver specialist facilities for London’s private healthcare sector. Currently an underground park, the existing structure will be reused and
First glimpses of urban spa at world’s first super-boutique hotel
by Megan Whitby | 03 Apr 2020
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
Urban Prairie Architectural Collaborative convert brick warehouse into vast bouldering gym
by Stu Robarts | 23 Mar 2020
Urban Prairie Architectural Collaborative (UPAC) have converted a large brick-built warehouse in Kansas City, Missouri, into a bouldering gym with a variety of other fitness facilities. Sequence Climb was the result of a two-year search across the US for the right building by founders Graham and Dara Hess. The 20,000sq ft (1,900sq m) warehouse that they settled on not only provides ample room, but also features a barrel roof under
MVRDV create urban lagoon and park in remains of old shopping mall
by Stu Robarts | 17 Mar 2020
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
Vertigo's "urban forest" of LED bars animates public square
by Stu Robarts | 02 Mar 2020
Digital art group Vertigo have created a new audio-visual installation that reacts to the movement of viewers and passersby, animating a public square with flashing LEDs. The artwork. called Echelon, is located at the foot of London’s Centre Point building and was curated by cultural placemaking agency Futurecity for Almacantar, a development company that is rejuvenating the brutalist building. It takes the form of a 12m (39ft) equilateral triangle of
MVRDV design "urban living room" with lush greenery and organic, stacked terraces
by Stu Robarts | 21 Feb 2020
MVRDV is one of two finalists in a competition to design the Shimao ShenKong International Centre, with a proposal that combines stacked terraces, curved organic forms and lush greenery. The competition sought designs for a municipal facility for Universiade New Town in China that would accommodate a variety of different amenities and green spaces. MVRDV'S 101,300sq m (1 million sq ft) Shenzhen Terraces proposal was conceived as a new urban
C.F. Møller is creating a waterfront ecovillage with green urban surroundings in Denmark
by Stu Robarts | 21 Feb 2020
Already the architect developing the Sundsholmerne ecovillage on the waterfront of the new Stigsborg district in Aalborg, Denmark, C.F. Møller has now also been chosen to create its surrounding green space. The Sundsholmerne sustainable community is part of the 54ha (133ac) Stigsborg Waterfront project, which is transforming old industrial sites into new neighbourhoods. Covering 5,000sq m (54,000sq ft), Sundsholmerne will feature a variety of housing with communal facilities that will
Buro Ehring's Hidden Stadium concept is an urban micro-city
by Stu Robarts | 29 Jan 2020
Buro Ehring 's concept for a stadium with a sunken pitch that is hidden by an eclectic group of buildings surrounding it has won the ' Staydium: Stadiums that live beyond sports ' design competition. The competition brief was to create a conceptual design for a stadium for Montpellier, France, that could be used for international events beyond just sports. It sought to find ideas for ways in which the
SHoP Architects urban farm doubles as a cultural hub
by Stu Robarts | 10 Jan 2020
SHoP Architects has designed an urban farm and cultural hub for Washington, DC, that is aimed at providing an economic driver, a community resource and a space for events. The Well at Oxon Run is being created for local food justice organisation DC Greens, which sourced a new location following the closure of another urban farm it was running in 2018. It will see the transformation of an underutilised 50,000sq
Blueroom and Urban Crossovers envisage innovative and sustainable port regeneration
by Stu Robarts | 29 Dec 2019
Blueroom and Urban Crossovers have created a conceptual proposal for reactivating the Rijnhaven port area in Rotterdam, Netherlands, that would use innovative approaches to tackle the environmental and climate challenges. The Rotterdam Next Level! development is designed to be attractive and accessible for all, but also to be a unique urban typology that is CO2 and energy neutral, eliminates waste, increases biodiversity and builds a strong community. Buildings would be
Allies and Morrison design green and urban lakefront neighbourhood in Toronto
by Stu Robarts | 07 Nov 2019
Allies and Morrison has designed the masterplan for a new urban lakefront neighbourhood in Toronto with areas with greenery and water, public spaces and mixed-use promenades. The Humber Bay Shores site is located to the west of Toronto city centre and the Humber River and is intended to form part of a new high-density centre in the city. Currently empty, the triangular, 11.5ha (28ac) site is positioned between one of
Gym, pool, bars and restaurants complete the mix in MVRDV-designed urban redevelopment
by Stu Robarts | 18 Oct 2019
MVRDV has completed the WERK12 mixed-use building in Munich, Germany, with elements that can be adapted for use by different tenants. The 7,700sq m (83,000sq ft) development has a varied group of tenants, including restaurants and bars on the ground floor a three-storey gym with a one-storey swimming pool on the middle floors and offices at the top. The façade was designed in collaboration with local artists Christian Engelmann and
Gustafson Porter + Bowman's Parque Central opens on former Valencia rail yard
by Stu Robarts | 17 Oct 2019
The first phase of a new 23ha (2,500,000sq ft) urban park designed by landscape architect Gustafson Porter + Bowman and built on the site of former railway lines and industrial land has opened in Valencia, Spain. Parque Central is part of a larger project in the city that will see train lines moved underground to free up a total of 66ha (7,100,000sq ft) of land. The reclaimed land will be
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