A radical ring-shaped aquatic centre with wellness facilities and outdoor green space – designed by Andrew Burges Architects, Grimshaw Architects and McGregor Coxall – is to be built in Parramatta, Australia. The centre, which will be nestled into parkland surroundings and cover a total area of approximately 18,000sq ft (1,670sq m), will feature a 10-lane, 50m outdoor pool, a 25m indoor pool and facilities for individuals learning to swim, as

Porto-based architectural firm Miguel Cardoso Architecto, together with Madeirian designer Nini Andrade Silva, have created a boutique hotel in a 19th century manor house in the Portuguese city of Porto. The 68-bedroom Vila Foz Hotel & Spa is set in Porto’s Foz neighbourhood, and includes a spa dedicated to serenity and wellbeing. Within the manor house hotel, Miguel Cardoso Architecto was responsible for the painstaking restoration, as well as building

Destination spa Lefay will open a luxury eco spa resort in the Italian Dolomites on 1 August. Located in the ski area of Madonna di Campiglio, Lefay Resort & Spa Dolomiti features 88 suites and 22 branded residences, as well as a 5,000sq m Lefay spa – one of the largest spas in the Alpine region. The resort was designed by architect Hugo Demetz, who used traditional materials such as

The Global Wellness Summit (GWS) team has announced that designer Bill Bensley will deliver a keynote speech on hospitality design and sustainability at this year's summit in Hong Kong (15-17 October). Bensley's keynote will challenge delegates to rethink how hotels and resorts are designed and built, by posing questions he believes that the conscientious traveller of the future will be asking, such as: Does this hotel respect its environment? Does

COMO Metropolitan hotel in London has opened ten luxury residences, offering private apartment-style accommodation adjacent to the hotel and opposite Hyde Park. The Residences offer the same five-star facilities and service as the hotel, which is a one-minute walk away, including access to the hotel's holistic wellness centre, COMO Shambhala Urban Escape. Inside, designer Linzi Coppick of Forme UK has prioritised a sense of home. Natural daylight floods the apartments,

The opening date for the Four Seasons Philadelphia has been set for 12 August. The property was originally scheduled to open in Q3 2018. The 219-bed hotel, located atop the 1,121ft (342m) Comcast Technology Center in Philadelphia’s downtown, offers views from the 48th to 56th floors. Set above it, the spa will include seven treatment rooms and an indoor infinity pool. The 17,321sq ft facility will encompass the entire 57th

The Grade II listed, 17th century Grantley Hall hotel and wellness retreat will reopen today (6 July) near Ripon, UK. The property has undergone extensive renovation work over a three-and-a-half year period, with design by owner Valeria Sykes and now has a high-end gym, spa and a range of restaurants. The overarching vision is for the hotel to become one of Europe's top gym, spa, and wellness facilities. The property

Hyatt Hotels will bring the Alila brand to Europe for the first time by putting its name to the Golf Resort La Gruyère to create the Alila La Gruyère resort, which is set to open in Switzerland in 2023. Overlooking a picturesque lake, Alila La Gruyère will offer an 85-bed hotel and wellness retreat as well as a golf course by Robert Trent Jones Jr and a range of residences.

Piscina & Wellness Barcelona (PWB) has launched an international contest for architecture students to conceptualise a new aquatic centre. According to the company, the future leisure facility will be designed for public bathing and will occupy a tract of land on Barcelona’s waterfront, between “Drassanes Quay and the Rambla del Mar of the Port Vell”. “The space includes a large area of water, thus providing the possibility of even imagining

International wellness consultancy, development and management firm GOCO Hospitality is working on a wellness resort in a heritage property in Kazakhstan that was once one of the most advanced sanatoriums during the Soviet era. Now, the Foundation of the First President of the Republic of Kazakhstan has entrusted GOCO Hospitality to develop the property into a next-generation wellness resort. Due to have its soft opening in July 2020, GOCO Life

The Langley, A Luxury Collection Hotel in Buckinghamshire, England has opened its doors, following an extensive six-year renovation project. The hotel has been restored and designed in partnership with Dennis Irvine Studio. Built between 1756 and 1760, the main Langley Park House is a grand Palladian mansion situated within iconic Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown-designed gardens. The building has been refurbished to allow historic original features to shine, reflecting the natural setting

New York-based architects, CetraRuddy, have transformed the New Jersey Bell building – an Art Deco high-rise originally designed by architect Ralph Walker – into a series of upscale apartments. The architects' intervention saw the Jazz Age landmark, which is situated at 540 Broad Street in downtown Newark, New Jersey, converted into 260 housing units. The building also has strong wellness elements, including a fitness and yoga centre, a library, a

Six Senses will open a new resort in the land of fire and ice for its next development: Six Senses Össurá Valley. Designed to be a hub for people passionate about nature, wellness, and adventure, the resort will be located on 4,000 acres (1,619 hectares) of privately-owned land in Svínhólar near Lóni. The first phase of the project will see the opening of a 70-guestroom resort and private cottages dotted

Architecture practice UNStudio and its tech division, UNSense, have revealed an ambitious plan to turn Karle Town Centre (KTC) in Bangalore, India, into a tech campus and futuristic garden city, powered by Internet of Things (IoT) technology. The Project is being undertaken for developer Karle Infra. The 72-acre redevelopment, designed to create a work:live community based around health, culture and greenspace, will see KTC transformed with the addition of a

Sir David Adjaye's first residential skyscraper in the US – 130 William – has topped out in New York's Financial District. Developed by the Lightstone Group, the 66-storey building will boast a plethora of wellness facilities, including a gym with an adjoining a yoga room and workout terrace, and a spa with three pools, a sauna, and a massage room. The 224-apartment property will also have a basketball court, a

New York-based architecture firm Diller Scofidio + Renfro (DS+R) have unveiled the first series of renderings of "The Tide", a linear park planned for London's Greenwich Peninsula. The future leisure area will comprise 500 hectares of Thameside public realm and feature an array of contemporary art installations, sculpture gardens, terraces, and promenades. The space will also play host to a number of audio wellness portals (designed by BeBox), eateries, and

Rising 61 storeys above the thriving Back Bay neighbourhood, the all-new Four Seasons Hotel One Dalton Street, Boston is due to open shortly in one of America's most historic cities, complete with a full-floor spa. The soaring glass skyscraper – now the city's third tallest building at 724 feet or 220 metres – was designed by Harry Cobb of Pei Cobb Freed & Partners in collaboration with Gary Johnson of

Mandarin Oriental, Lago di Como opened this week, following the renovation of the historic lakefront property. The hotel is located in Blevio, and is surrounded by natural beauty, enjoying a private, serene setting on the sunlit shores of the lake, nestled within verdant botanical gardens. Mandarin Oriental acquired the resort, which was previously CastaDiva Resort & Spa, last year. The 19th Century Villa Roccabruna is at the heart of the

One Wall Street, a 56-storey Art Deco skyscraper in Manhattan, New York, is undergoing an extensive refurbishment and will soon be home to a series of luxury condos as well as a 74,000 sq ft (6,900 sq m) Life Time Fitness-branded wellness centre. The limestone building, which was designed by prolific 20th-century architect Ralph Walker and acquired by Macklowe Properties in 2014, will comprise 566 studio- to four-bedroom apartments, in

Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group will manage a second luxury hotel in Istanbul, Turkey. The project, which also features branded residences, is scheduled to open in 2022. UNStudio from Amsterdam has been appointed as the masterplanner and architect. The new development comprises three standalone towers and is located in the exclusive Etiler residential area, close to the city’s central business district. One of the towers will house Mandarin Oriental Etiler, Istanbul

Retirement community developer PegasusLife is gearing up to launch a collection of 'later living' residences in Tetbury – a picturesque village in the Cotswolds, UK. Called the "Steepleton", the property, which was designed by British studio Proctor and Matthews Architects, comprises nine buildings, each housing 133 one-to three-bedroom flats. According to PegasusLife, Steepleton's "layout draws on the idea of ancient settlements, with a farmstead at the centre and a variety

Lifestyle company Equinox has announced that its first short-stay hospitality venture – the long-gestating Equinox Hotel at 35 Hudson Yards – will throw open its doors in June. The innovative project, which has been making waves since it was first announced in 2016, will feature an array of health-centric offerings, such as rooms with amenities devised to increase sleep wellness, and private fitness sessions led by professional trainers and nutritionists.

Family-owned COMO Hotels and Resorts will open its first hotel in continental Europe next month, the COMO Castello del Nero in Italy. The Tuscan hotel will be the fifteenth property in the Group’s global portfolio. The 740-acre historic estate is situated in the Chianti wine region of Italy, a 30-minute drive from Florence and Siena. At the heart of the estate is a 12th century castello, featuring 50 rooms and

Hyatt has opened Miraval Austin in Texas, US, the brand’s second wellness resort to open outside of its flagship property in Tucson, Arizona, US. Set on 220 acres in Texas Hill Country overlooking Lake Travis, Miraval Austin was previously the Travaasa Austin Resort, which was acquired by Miraval in December 2016, just before Hyatt acquired Miraval in January 2017. Offering 117 guestrooms and suites, a Life in Balance Spa, a

US-based design studio SALT + BONES have completed a wellness renovation of The Casa Madrona Hotel and Spa in Sausalito, California. The overhaul, which – the architects said – was inspired both by the sea and by "the materials of luxury yachts" – saw the creation of a lobby, courtyard, and nine wellness guest rooms, as well as a three-treatment-room spa. A fitness suite will also be added to the

Interdisciplinary architecture firm Sasaki Associates have released images of their proposal to change the face of Hongkou stadium in Shanghai, China. The future 50,000-seat sports complex will feature a number of wellness-focused green spaces, recreational amenities, and VIP clubs, plus a "cantilevered restaurant" offering panoramic views of the Shanghai skyline. A museum memorialising Hongkou's role as China's first professional soccer arena will also be added to the venue's facilities. Sasaki's

Luxury group Italian Hospitality Collection (IHC) has opened Le Massif, its first resort in the Aosta Valley. Designed by Italian architects Fabrizio Gandolfo and Inart Studio, the alpine property, which comprises a hotel and off-site chalet in Courmayeur, is located in the shadow of Mont Blanc and features 80 rooms and suites, a fitness centre, two gourmet restaurants – Cervo Rosso Steakhouse and Chetif – and two bars. According to