The Natural Science Center in Greensboro, North Carolina, US, has announced it will open its SciQuarium in early summer this year, the first phase in a three stage investment programme to continue over the next three years. Natural Science Center employees, Moser-Mayer Phoenix & Associates and Cambridge Seven Associates have contributed to the design of the US$10m (7.5m euro, £6.3m) project, which is dominated by a 22,000sq ft aquarium. It

A new national museum will launch in Tartu, Estonia in late 2016. Located in the city's Raadi district, the Estonia National Museum (ENM) will be funded by the Estonian Government. Director of the museum, Estonian politician Tonis Lukas, said that he hoped to sign a building contract in the next few weeks with construction expected to begin in March 2013. Designed by architects Dan Dorell, Lina Ghotmeh and Tsuyoshi, the

The first phase of the National Afro-American Museum in Wilberforce, Ohio, US will be unveiled on 26 January, following an 18-month long revamp. To be opened in stages, the museum's first phase includes a renovated exhibition space, which will feature the new installation "How I Got Over." The mixed media exhibition will reflect the African American experience and focus on three themes of celebration, spirituality and protest. A second exhibition

The National WWII Museum in New Orleans, Louisiana, US, has launched the next phase of its US$300m (225m euro, £187m) expansion. The US Freedom Pavilion: The Boeing Centre, which cost US$35m (26m euro, £22m), tells the story of America's industrial capability during the war years and explores what it was like to participate in World War II on land, at sea or in the air. It showcases the macro artifacts

Ahead of its opening on 1 February, details of The View from the Shard visitor experience at London's tallest skyscraper have been revealed. The attraction's viewing platforms sit on levels 69 and 72 of the 1,016ft (310m) landmark building - developed by Sellar Property in association with LBQ Ltd as part of a £2bn regeneration project for the London Bridge area. Starting at the ground floor galleries, visitors to The

Pritzker Prize-winner architect Frank Gehry will make his Latin American debut in August with the opening of a new museum in Panama City. Located in the birth country of Canadian born Gehry's wife, Bertha, the new BioMuseo aims to educate about biodiversity and the raise awareness of the significance of the creation of the Isthmus of Panama. The museum is funded by the Amador foundation with scientific support by the

Dubai-based construction firm Arabtec Holdings has been awarded a US$653m contract to build the Abu Dhabi branch of France's Louvre museum, according to Reuters. Awarded by Abu Dhabi's Tourism Development and Investment Company, the contract will see construction begin immediately with the museum expected to open in 2015. Abu Dhabi Louvre was designed by French architect Jean Nouvel and will be located on the Saadiyat Island's Cultural District complex. The

An eco-friendly visitors’ centre in Bournemouth, UK, will showcase the history of the region – from the Stone Age to the present day – when it opens in time for summer. Construction is currently underway on the £1m Hengistbury Head Visitor Centre, which will house an exhibition space, a retail outlet and workspace for staff, volunteers and community groups. Green energy features will include a green roof, 16 photo-voltaic solar

Switzerland-based art gallery Hauser & Wirth has announced it will expand operations to derelict Durslade Farm in Somerset, UK come 2014. The gallery, which was founded in Zurich in 1992 by Iwan and Manuela Wirth and Ursula Hauser, represents emerging and established contemporary artists including Paul McCarthy, Roni Horn and Mary Heilmann. The Hauser & Wirth Somerset website states the gallery, which is expected to attract 40,000 visitors a year,

A Zaha Hadid-designed art gallery at Michigan State University opened its doors last month. The Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum will be an educational resource, as well as a community and cultural hub, and features work from Salvador Dali, Damien Hirst and Andy Warhol. “Great art deserves great architecture, and so does a great university," says MSU president, Lou Anna Simon. "The Broad Museum's bold concept and design reflect

Paris' famous Louvre museum and gallery is set to open a satellite gallery in Lens, Northern France next week. The Louvre-Lens will exhibit more than 200 artworks by masters including Botticelli, Raphael, Poussin, Rembrandt, Goya, Ingres and Delacroix at its 50-acre site, situated in a small mining town near Lille. Artworks will be displayed chronologically with different cultures and civilizations juxtaposed so classical Greek works might sit next to pieces

Cleveland Museum of Natural History in University Circle, Ohio is set for a US$125m transformation. The project, which was previously halted during the 2008 expansion, will see the demolition of half of its existing facility on the west side of Wade Oval, and adding two glassy new exhibit wings and a crystalline lobby. The renovations will be designed by architect Curt Fentress of Denver, whose previous work includes Denver's international

Abu Dhabi will play host to a US$340m (263m euro, £212m) sculpture constructed entirely from oil barrels. The Mastaba, set to be the world's biggest permanent sculpture, will be 150m (492ft) high and 225m (738ft) wide with 60-degree slanted walls. The attraction, created by Bulgarian-born artist Christo, is to be erected in Al Gharbia, 160km (100miles) south of the city of Abu Dhabi. The Mastaba will be made from 410,000

The US$185m (£116m, 114.5m euro) Perot Museum of Nature and Science in Dallas, US is set to open in December. Designed by Los Angeles-based architect Thom Mayne, the museum will feature five floors of public space with 11 permanent exhibit halls, including a children's museum and a hall to host travel exhibitions. The museum also houses an expansive glass-enclosed lobby and rooftop deck, a 3D digital cinema and an auditorium.

The Jewish Museum Berlin in the German capital has unveiled its latest extension - the Academy – designed by architect Daniel Libeskind. The 25,000sq ft (2,323sq m) Academy stands on the site of Berlin's one-time flower market. Located adjacent to the museum, it houses a library, archives and education centre and offers additional office, storage and support space for the museum. Daniel Libeskind's latest design links the building to the

The restoration of the Eastern Wing at the State Hermitage Museum, St Petersburg, Russia is set to be complete by 2014. The Eastern Wing previously belonged to the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation will be used for exhibiting art of the 19th-21st century. Located in the General Staff Building, the restoration project is a result of joint initiatives of the State Hermitage and the government of the Russian

Musée du Louvre in Paris, France and Fine Arts Museums in San Francisco, US are set to collaborate on a series of exhibitions over the next five years. The international accord includes plans to share significant works of art from both museums' collections with audiences in San Francisco and Paris. The partnership will see collaborations on publications, art conservation projects and public education programs. The two institutions will work together

The Asian Civilisations Museum is set to invest S$5.5m (US$4.5m, £2.8m, 3.5m euro) in expanding its building in Empress Place, Singapore. A new wing, which is expected to open in 2015, has been funded by the Hong Leong Foundation (HLF) and is being designed by Singaporean architects GreenhilLi Consultants. Surrounded by a light-filled atrium, and connecting to galleries on three floors, the new wing is a departure from the 19th

The Parrish Art Museum in Long Island, New York, US is set to unveil its new building on 10 November 2012. Spanning a 14-acre (5.7 hectare) site in the town of Water Mill, the new 34,400sq ft (3,195sq m), Herzog & de Meuron-designed museum will be twice the size of the existing facility in Southampton and about three miles away from it. It will be the first art museum built

RIBA Competitions has launched a two-stage Design Ideas Competition for the Great Fen Visitor Centre in Cambridgeshire. The competition is being promoted by the Great Fen - a partnership which comprises the Environment Agency, Huntingdonshire District Council, Middle Level Commissioners, Natural England and The Wildlife Trust. Great Fen plans to establish a £2m visitor centre at New Decoy Farm in Cambridgeshire and the competition is open to design teams based

Wellcome Collection in central London has unveiled a major £17.5m development project which will increase the attraction's available gallery space. Stirling Prize-winning architects Wilkinson Eyre will transform the venue, bringing new areas into public use and adding a dramatic new spiral staircase and interconnected galleries. The works were commissioned by the collection's owner, Wellcome Trust, as it strives to meet the demands posed by an increase in visitor numbers at

Norway's 90m euro (£73m US$116) contemporary art museum, the Astrup Fearnley Museum in Oslo, has opened to the public. The museum, designed by Italian architect Renzo Piano, is located on the edge of a fjord and is divided into two halves by water. Renzo Piano's previous work includes Beyeler Museum in Basel, the extension of the Morgan Library in New York and the Shard in London. The museum covers an

Construction work is to begin on Abu Dhabi Louvre, the first Louvre museum outside Paris, at the beginning of 2013. Ahmad Al Fahim, executive director of marketing at Tourism Development and Investment Company (TDIC), told the Gulf News that a construction company would be announced at the end of December. The museum is to be located on the Saadiyat Island's Cultural District complex, which will also feature a Frank Gehry-designed

Image: The Minnesota Children's Museum The Minnesota Children’s Museum is in line for a US$26m (£16m, 20m euro) revamp, which will include a physical adventure gallery, an entire floor dedicated to imagination and creativity and numerous galleries with content incorporating the latest research on early learning. Meyer Scherer & Rockcastle of Minneapolis have been appointed as design architects, who have more than 30 years’ experience designing spaces for children, including

Image: The museum will feature thousands of artefacts The new £35m Mary Rose Museum will open to the public in early 2013, slightly later than originally expected. Located at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, the new Wilkinson Eyre-designed attraction was first slated to open in autumn 2012, although no exact date had been set. Construction work on the iconic museum - undertaken by Warings Group - has been completed but the final

Image: The Rijksmuseum first opened in July 1885 Amsterdam's Rijksmuseum has announced it will open its doors to the public in April 2013 following the completion of a renovation and restoration programme lasting nearly 10 years. The new-look attraction will explore the history of the Netherlands from the Middle Ages to the present, with the EUR375m (US$471m, £297m) project led by architects Cruz y Ortiz. First opened in July 1885,

Plans to build a new £10.7m Dunfermline Museum and Art Gallery have been given the green light by the City of Dunfermline Area Committee. A public consultation will now begin on the plans which have been designed by architecture firm Richard Murphy Associates in partnership with Fife Council. Plans for the building include a landscaped entrance for the combined library, museum and art gallery and purpose-built museum exhibition and gallery