News
2017: A look ahead
Top leisure buildings to look out for in 2017
Zeitz MOCAA
Architect: Heatherwick Studio
Location: Cape Town, South Africa
Opening: September 2017
Designer Thomas Heatherwick's studio is transforming the historic Grain Silo Complex in Cape Town, South Africa. The design teams have converted the structure into a home for the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (MOCAA) and a 28-bedroom five-star hotel.
Mercedes-Benz Stadium
Architect: HOK
Location: Atlanta, USA
Opening: June 2017
With a capacity of 83,000 people, this US$1.4bn stadium for the Atlanta Falcons will be the largest in the National Football League (NFL). According to architects HOK, it “will set a new standard in stadium design and fan experience.” Innovative features include the world’s first eight-petal polymer retractable roof, an enormous 360 degree HD video screen and a surrounding edible garden created by Atlanta-based urban designers HGOR. The stadium has already been selected as the host venue for the 2019 Super Bowl.
Seoul Skygarden
Architect: MVRDV
Location: Seoul, South Korea
Opening: August 2017
A 45-year old overpass in the heart of the South Korean capital is being transformed into a verdant garden in the sky. The project will provide the city with a 938m long (3,077ft) public park, featuring cafés, flower shops, markets, libraries and greenhouses. In total, 254 different types of trees, shrubs and flowers will be planted. MVRDV have said their vision is to create a green, attractive and accessible neighbourhood for Seoul’s citizens.
American Copper Buildings
Architect: SHoP Architects
Location: New York, USA
Opening: Early 2017
Two bold residential towers are taking shape on New York’s East River. Clad in copper that will eventually turn green, they reach 41 and 48 storeys in height and are connected by a skybridge that houses a swimming pool 300ft above the ground. The upper halves of both structures lean outwards, creating the impression they are dancing. Leisure amenities include a fitness centre, climbing wall, spa, rooftop deck and infinity pool.
LEGO House
Architect: Bjarke Ingels Group
Location: Billund, Denmark
Opening: Second half of 2017
Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) have designed this celebration of all things LEGO as a three-dimensional village of interlocking buildings and spaces. The structure will consist of 21 huge LEGO-style bricks, built on top of one another. Non-paying members of the public will be able to enter a 2,000sq m (21,000sq ft) covered square containing a café, a restaurant and a LEGO store.
Bürgenstock Resort
Designer: MKV Design
Location: Bürgenstock Mountain, Switzerland
Opening: Throughout 2017
Perched high on a mountain-top in Lucerne, this huge, newly-renovated resort promises to be extremely atmospheric when fully open. The project includes over 30 buildings, including three hotels, 12 restaurants and bars and the 10,000sq m Alpine Spa. Architects including Matteo Thun have created new facilities for the resort.
King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture
Architect: Snøhetta
Location: Dhahrab, Saudi Arabia
Opening: Early 2017
Fresh off the back of 2016’s opening of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, Snøhetta will celebrate the completion of this, their biggest ever project. The complex will house Saudi Arabia’s first public cinemas plus a library, concert hall, exhibition hall and lifelong learning centre.
LivNordic Spa at the Katara Beach Club
Designer: Studio HBA
Location: Doha, Qatar
Opening: Early 2017
LivNordic Spa & Wellness is preparing to open its new two-storey, 4,600sq m (49,514sq ft) spa in the Katara Cultural Village in Doha, Qatar. The facility will cover two club floors, with the ground floor for men and the first floor for women. Designed by Studio HBA’s Gillian Docherty, the spa makes use of natural materials including stone, and timber features throughout its design.
Louvre Abu Dhabi
Architect: Atelier Jean Nouvel
Location: Saadiyat Cultural District, Abu Dhabi
Opening: Mid to late 2017
This much-anticipated and much-delayed project – intended as a new cultural landmark for Abu Dhabi – is set to finally open this year on Saadiyat Island, which is being comprehensively developed as a new arts district for the emirate. The Louvre’s architect, Jean Nouvel, recently explained how the museum’s intricately-patterned dome will allow “a rain of light” to enter, with spots of light appearing “at different rhythms depending on the geometry” of the structure’s skin.
Astana Expo City
Architect: Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture (AS+GG)
Location: Astana, Kazakhstan
Opening: June 2017
This year an international exposition will take place in Astana, Kazakhstan. In preparation, architecture studio AS+GG were commissioned to design a masterplan for the city, reflecting the Expo theme of ‘Future Energy’. The 174 ha project features pavilions; shopping, socio-cultural, civic facilities; and new public parks, all showcasing alternative forms of energy.
Design Society
Architect: Maki and Associates
Location: Shenzhèn, China
Opening: October 2017
The studio of Japanese architect Fumihiko Maki have designed this groundbreaking design museum, which was initiated by Chinese cultural organisation Design Society in collaboration with the V&A. Maki’s design centres around three cantilevered volumes on a deconstructed plinth. A green public roof will allow visitors to look towards the surrounding mountains, sea and urban landscape.
Victoria and Albert Museum - Exhibition Road
Architect: Amanda Levete Architects (AL_A)
Location: London, UK
Opening: March 2017
London’s Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) museum will soon boast a new entrance, courtyard and underground gallery designed by architecture studio AL_A. The Exhibition Road Building Project is the V&A’s largest architectural scheme in the last 100 years. In reference to the decorative ceramics in the museum’s collection, 14,500 porcelain tiles created in 13 different patterns are being laid to create the “world’s first” porcelain courtyard.
