Employment within the UK creative industries sector – which includes museums, galleries and architecture – has increased five times faster than the national average since 2011, according to the latest figures published by the Department for Culture Media and Sport. The Creative Industries: Focus on Employment report builds on the findings of the Creative Industries Economic Estimates published in January this year which revealed the creative industries contribute more than

A number of famous names are among the 13 firms in the running to design new galleries at London’s Science Museum as the site looks to evolve. Zaha Hadid, Amanda Levete and Haworth Tompkins are all vying for a shot at shaping the two new galleries – a maths area due to open in 2016 and a medicine offering to follow two years later. Hadid has been shortlisted for the

MET Studio has been appointed to design three out of the six total galleries at the new-build 14,000sq m (150,700sq ft) Museum of Environmental Sciences (Museo de Ciencias Ambientales – MCA) in Western Mexico which expects to attract up to half a million visitors a year. The project, set to break ground in 2015, is to form part of a cultural quarter, situated close to the University of Guadalajara and

A huge 200,000sq ft (18,580sq m) aquarium will open in late 2015 as part of a US$175m (€128m, £103m) entertainment complex in Arizona, US, with work to start in August later this year. A part of the Odysea in the Desert leisure complex, OdySea Aquarium will cover 16 acres of land and will sit over two floors, accommodating up to 15,000 visitors daily and creating around 250 permanent jobs. The

Danish architectural practice, Bjarke Ingles Group (BIG) has won a contest to expand the world famous head quarters of luxury watch maker Audemars Piguet in Vallée de Joux, Switzerland, to include a new design museum. The 2,373 sq m (7,785 sq ft) pavillion will be built to match the story-telling purpose of the structure, which aims to open as a museum dedicated to Audemars Piguet’s history. Seeing off fierce competition

The San Francisco 49ers American football side has released a raft of new details ahead of the scheduled opening of the team’s new US$1.2bn (€881m, £715m) Levi’s Stadium, including a new museum dedicated to the team. As the project nears completion, the team has revealed details of a 20,000sq ft (1,858sq m) 49ers Museum, which will be open daily and will give fans the chance to use a pass-and-kick simulator,

The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) has awarded a £4.42m (US$7.4m, €5.4m) grant to restore Pitzhanger Manor, West London, to turn it into a tourist attraction. The former home of architect Sir John Soane, will undergo a major redevelopment in a bid to turn the building into a “world class attraction”. The project, led by Ealing Council, will include a full restoration of the manor, upgrading the 1939 art gallery extension

Niall McLaughlin Architects (NMA) and Purcell have won a competition to build a new national museum for religion and religious art at Auckland Castle, County Durham. Auckland Castle, considered to be the third most historically-significant ecclesiastical complex in Europe, is in the process of being transformed into a major visitor attraction by its owner, businessman and philanthropist, Jonathan Ruffer. Shortlisted for the 2013 Stirling Prize, NMA will be heading up

The Babcock Galleries at The National Museum of the Royal Navy in Portsmouth Historic Dockyard have opened to the public following a £4.5m renovation. The opening coincides with the centenary of the First World War, with the Galleries house to host a new permanent exhibition which explores 100 years of life in the Navy and the personal stories from those who served at sea. The project, led by architects Purcell

The National Galleries of Scotland has announced that Gareth Hoskins Architects (GHA) has been appointed to oversee a major redevelopment project at the Scottish National Gallery, Edinburgh. Over the next four years, the Scottish National Gallery (SNG) will undergo a major transformation, led by newly-appointed GHA. The Glasgow-based practice beat several other finalists to seal the overhaul, including LDN Architects, Malcolm Fraser Architects, John McAslan + Partners, MUMA and Page/Park.

The Natural History Museum (NHM) has announced Niall McLaughlin Architects, in collaboration with Kim Wilkie, as the winners of their Civic Realm competition to redesign the grounds of the London attraction. Niall McLaughlin was chosen from a shortlist of five architectural practices also including Stanton Williams Architects, Grant Associates, Land Use Consultants and BIG. The Civic Realm competition was launched to help address visitor engagement, care of the collection and

The Geffrye Museum has named Wright & Wright Architects to lead the design of its £14m (€17m, US$23m) development scheme. The project will create new spaces for the museum’s collections and library – set to feature a gallery, cafe and conference facilities as well as a rejuvenation of the current public spaces. A planning application will be submitted by 2016 and the opening of the redeveloped museum is set for

A museum charting the history of National Socialism in Germany has launched an open design contest for its £14m ($23.5m, €17m) expansion project. The Obersalzberg Centre of Documentation in Berchtesgaden, Germany is located close to Adolf Hitler’s now-demolished Kehlsteinhaus – or Eagle’s Nest – mountain retreat. The museum opened in 1999 and attracts 160,000 visitors per year. The expansion project will refurbish the existing 675sq m (7,266sq ft) building and

Zurich-based architects Gruppe, have been announced as the winners of a competition organised by the Architecture Foundation and the Museum of London (MOL). The winning design was chosen from more than 70 entries from around the world: competitors were asked to create a structure which encourages interaction between visitors. Called the the House of Muses, the plywood structure is modelled on a pillar from an imaginary monument and is inspired

Work has been completed on the US$425m (€307m, £254m) Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) by Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA) in South Korea. ZHA won an international design competition for the project back in 2007 and the scheme has finally come to fruition, having opened in time to host Seoul Fashion Week at the end of March. The 86,574sq m (931,874sq ft) DDP comprises a design museum, educational facilities, a sky lounge

A heritage row has erupted over plans to build a permanent home and museum for the Nobel prize – the first in the award’s 114-year history. The new headquarters threaten two historic buildings with demolition and a group of more than 5,000 has formed in protest of the plans. Under the proposals, a 25,000sq m (269,000sq ft) facility will open in 2018. The new centre will house nearly all Nobel’s

Legendary 19th century engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel – creator of UK landmarks like Bristol’s Clifton suspension bridge – is to be the subject of a new £7m ($11.6m, €8.5m) museum celebrating his work. The attraction, Being Brunel, will sit next to the SS Great Britain ship museum in Bristol, which centres on another of Brunel’s famous creations. It will be built within the historic Great Western Steamship Company dockyard and

The Herzog and de Meuron-designed Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM) launched recently in Miami’s new Museum Park, featuring 200,000sq ft (18,581sq m) of exhibition space. As well as permanent and temporary galleries, PAMM features a shop, café, auditorium, education centre and offices. It also features vertical gardens by French botanist Patrick Blanc. The building sits on an elevated platform and below a canopy; tropical plants and vegetation will be planted

America’s National Civil Rights Museum, the converted motel where Martin Luther King Jr was assassinated, reopened its doors on Saturday – the day after the 46th anniversary of King’s death – following an extensive redevelopment. The Memphis museum has undergone a US$27.5m (€20m, £16.8m) renovation – the culmination of 18-months’ construction led by architects Self+Tucker – to complete the remodelling of the 23-year-old attraction. Now boasting 52,000sq ft (4,831sq m)

Ambitious proposals to redevelop the Grade II listed Brighton Hippodrome into a leisure complex have been backed by English Heritage, which said this could be the “final chance” to save the 117-year-old structure. Alaska Development Consultants, working on behalf of an institutional client of Helix Property Advisors, has submitted a planning application to Brighton & Hove City Council to redevelop the theatre into a leisure complex housing an eight-screen Vue

Renovations to the roof and structure of a historic Grade II-listed lido in Reading, UK, may take place while delays in the planning process of a £3m (US$4.9m, €3.6m) spa complex continue. Redevelopment of the dilapidated King’s Meadow Baths into a spa has attracted significant interest – with high volumes of planning inquiries – since the council selected the complex as its preferred choice for the renovation in October, putting

The Catalina Island Museum is moving to the Ada Blanche Wrigley Schreiner Building – four times the size of their rented Avalon Casino accommodation – on Santa Catalina Island, California. Scheduled to open in 2015, the private, non-profit museum bought the land for US$1.9m (€1.3m, £1.1m) with funds from private donations. The new 11,000sq ft (1,021sq m) building will cost US$6m (€4.3m, £3.5m). Founded in 1953, the museum has always

The £8bn mixed-use development at Battersea Power Station is gathering steam, with developers revealing the latest images of the project and announcing prices for the first tranche of dwellings to go on sale. The power station is at the heart of the Battersea Power Station Development Company’s (BPSDC) 40-acre project that will create 18 acres of new public space, including a six-acre public park, approximately 200 shops and restaurants, plus

Eco sculptor Jason deCaires Taylor is looking to use underwater sculpturing to help boost coral reef environments, while also bringing a new form of experience to the attractions industry. Developing underwater museums, through the use of sculptures installed on coral reef beds, Taylor is helping to transform languishing environments, as well as relieving strain by opening up new options for tourists among heavily populated hot-spots. Taylor has so far opened

Cambridge University’s Museum of Zoology is to undergo a complete redevelopment after receiving a grant of £1.8m ($3m €2.2m) from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF). The funding will support £4.8m ($7.9m €5.8m) plans to redevelop the Museum of Zoology with new displays showcasing the animal kingdom, as well as new stores to preserve its outstanding collections for future display and expand the museum’s learning programmes, reaching out to wider audiences

A new museum memorial centre acting as a leading light for leisure restoration projects could be in line to receive two design awards. The National Mining Memorial Centre at the National Mining Museum Scotland has been nominated for a Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland (RIAS) award, as well as an Edinburgh Architectural Association (EAA) award in the Small Projects category. Located at the Lady Victoria Colliery, Newtongrange, the centre