Belfast's new £18m Metropolitan Arts Centre (MAC) remains on track to open its doors to the public "early next year", according to Northern Ireland arts minister Carál Ní Chuilín. Located in the city's Cathedral Quarter, the venue will replace the Old Museum Arts Centre and has received £10.76m from the Department for Culture, Arts and Leisure (DCAL). Facilities will comprise two black box performance spaces with seating capacity for 120

London-based artist Cecil Balmond has been selected to work with designer Charles Jencks on the creation of a new contemporary landmark to be located at Gretna, Scotland. The Star of Caledonia is the working title of Balmond's response to a design contest for "The Great Unknown" as part of The Gretna Landmark Project. Wide Open (South Scotland) will develop and produce the project for the Gretna Landmark Trust, which evolved

Engaging with Architecture Scheme 2011 - designed to support new projects that bring the public and architecture together - has been launched by the Arts Council Ireland (ACI). First developed in 2010 as a partnership response to government policy and ACI research, the scheme is now accepting bids until 21 July. Projects must take place by 31 March 2012. Waterford Festival of Architecture and Kinsale Arts Week were among funding

Plans to extend the Serpentine Gallery in Kensington Gardens, London, UK have been approved. The directors of the gallery chose architect Zaha Hadid to design and create the new gallery in 2010, and the extension is now scheduled to open in 2012. As part of the project, the Grade II-listed The Magazine building of the gallery will be renovated and extended to house collections. The project, to be known as

A new art gallery and youth hostel has officially opened in Berwick-upon-Tweed, following the completion of a £5m refurbishment of the Grade II-listed Dewar's Lane Granary. In addition to the exhibition space and 55-bed hostel, the six-storey property also includes a modern bistro; meeting and conference rooms; and an outdoor courtyard seating area. The Berwick Preservation Trust (BPT) led the restoration programme, with One North East and the government's now-defunct

Cambridge Arts Theatre has unveiled plans for Act Two - a £12m construction project that is to include a new foyer and performance spaces in a bid to safeguard its future. Proposals would bring about a series of improvements to the venue's front-of-house areas, with the potential for creating additional bar and catering income streams. A 200-seat studio theatre on the fourth floor of the property has also been proposed,

One of the largest public artworks commissioned in Northern Ireland - the 37.5m (123ft)-tall RISE - is nearing completion above Belfast's Broadway roundabout. The work has been produced by Nottingham-based artist Wolfgang Buttress and features two globes - one inside the other - to symbolise the rising of the sun. Rasharkin-based M Hasson and Sons has manufactured the 65,000 individual parts that comprise the globes, with construction work due for

A groundbreaking ceremony has been held to mark the start of construction work on a new home for the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York, US. The attraction has confirmed that it has already raised US$508m (£308m) towards the total US$720m (£436.5m) cost of the Renzo Piano-designed scheme. Forming part of a public-private regeneration of Manhattan, the new 200,000sq ft (18,581sq m) museum building is to be constructed

The Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) in Sydney, Australia, has announced that it is to reopen in March 2012, following a AU$53m (£34.2m, EUR39.2m, US$56.5m) overhaul. Work started on the redevelopment project last August, with architect Sam Marshall and the New South Wales Government Architect behind the design of the new-look attraction. An additional 4,500sq m (43,438sq ft) of space will be created as part of the project and will

Hepworth Wakefield - one of the largest purpose-built art attractions to open in the UK for around 50 years - has welcomed its first public visitors in West Yorkshire. Designed by David Chipperfield Architects, the £35m gallery is run by an independent trust and aims to commemorate the work of local-born sculptor Barbara Hepworth. The 5,000sq m (53,819sq ft) attraction also houses the city's permanent collection of 6,000 art works

A number of leisure schemes have been included among the 97 UK and European projects to be named as winners of the 2011 Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) Awards. The RIBA Awards are designed to recognise "architectural excellence" and comprised 89 properties in the UK and a further eight across the European Union. Among the 2011 winners is the new £112.8m home for the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford-upon-Avon,

A new multi-million euro cultural attraction - Museum Aan de Stroom (MAS) - has opened its doors to the public in Antwerp, Belgium, following a four-year construction process. Netherlands-based Neutelings Riedijk Architects was appointed by Antwerp City Council to design the new museum in 2000, with B-architecten chosen to lead the interior design. Covering a total surface area of 6,600sq m (71,042sq ft), the museum also features pavilions and a

London mayor Boris Johnson has announced that up to £60m has been secured towards the creation of a new 1km (0.6-mile) floating promenade along the north bank of the Thames. International architecture practice Gensler have drawn up designs for the London River Park scheme, which is to be financed by Venus Group of Singapore. A Memorandum of Understanding has now been signed between Gensler and the mayor in a deal

A gala performance of Arthur Miller's The Crucible has marked the unveiling of the new £18.1m Lyric Theatre in Belfast, Northern Ireland - two years after work commenced. Dublin-based architects O'Donnell and Tuomey were selected to design the new venue; one of 56 entries into an international competition held in 2003. Built by main contractor Gilbert Ash N.I., the Lyric Theatre is nearly three times larger than its predecessor and

Trustees of the Baltimore Museum of Art in Maryland, US, have revealed that Ziger/Snead Architects are to work on a US$24m (£14.4m, EUR16.2m) renovation of the attraction. It follows an extensive year-long procurement process for the scheme, which is scheduled to be completed in 2014 ahead of the museum's 100th anniversary. The renovation of Baltimore Museum of Art is to create "dynamic" new spaces for art and visitors, including enhancements

West Lothian Council (WLC) has announced the full reopening of the historic Burgh Halls in Linlithgow, which have undergone a major £5.2m redevelopment. The property has benefited from an extensive transformation and restoration of its features, with a new interactive display exploring its history available in the reception. Burgh Halls also features a gallery and the Glasshouse Café, while local community groups will also make use of the building. Malcolm

Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art senior curator Philip Long has been announced as the director of a new Victoria and Albert museum to be developed on Dundee's waterfront. Long, who also leads the National Galleries of Scotland's Artist Rooms project, will take on the responsibility for establishing the V&A at Dundee as an international centre for design. In addition to his role as senior curator at the Scottish National

Turner Contemporary, a new £17.4m gallery dedicated to the life of 19th century artist JMW Turner, has officially opened its doors to the public in Margate, Kent. Designed by David Chipperfield Architects, the attraction was opened by artist Tracey Emin, musician Jools Holland and local schoolchildren on 16 April. R Durtnell and Sons has delivered the building, which incorporates 750sq m (8,072sq ft) of gallery space across two floors. The

Cardiff's Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama (RWCMD) has announced that its new exhibition gallery - part of a £22.5m development - is to be called the Linbury Gallery. It comes after Lord and Lady Sainsbury of Preston Candover contributed £250,000 through the Linbury Trust as part of the RWCMD's fundraising campaign for the project. The RWCMD has already unveiled the new exhibition space, which is housing the Society

Amanda Levete Architects (AL_A) has been appointed to lead the Exhibition Road scheme at London's Victoria and Albert (V&A) Museum, following an international contest. The London-based practice held off six other shortlisted entries for the project, which is to include the creation of new galleries and a public courtyard for installations and events. An entrance to the attraction will also be created on Exhibition Road as part of the scheme,

A total of six schemes have been shortlisted from more than 340 entrants for the European Union (EU) Prize for Contemporary Architecture - the Mies van der Rohe Award. The award was first launched in 1987 and is co-funded by the EU Culture Programme and the Mies van der Rohe Foundation, with Stansted Airport among the previous winners. Among the shortlisted projects in the running for the EUR60,000 (£52,000) prize

Seven shortlisted design proposals for the Victoria and Albert (V&A) Museum's Exhibition Road project have gone on display at the attraction's Sackler Centre. The scheme will lead to the creation of a new purpose-built gallery for the museum to host a programme of temporary exhibitions, as well as a public courtyard and a new entrance. Amanda Levete Architects, Tony Fretton Architects and Jamie Fobert Architects - all based in London

A new US$5m (£3.1m) wing has been unveiled at the Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art in Winter Park, Florida, US. The attraction - home to a 'comprehensive' collection of Louis Comfort Tiffany materials - has received a 12,000sq ft (1,115sq m) extension as part of the scheme. Long-term public access will now be provided to the restored Daffodil Terrace from Louis Comfort's Long Island home at Laurelton Hall.

Plans for the multi-million pound extension of the Whitworth Art Gallery at the University of Manchester have been awarded £8m by the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF). The £12m MUMA-designed scheme will see the attraction's public space doubled in size, which will open up 396sq m (4,263sq ft) of new gallery space. A new North Wing will house a landscape gallery, exhibiting Whitworth Art Gallery's most important artworks, as well as

A groundbreaking ceremony is to be held on 18 February to mark the start of construction work on the new multi-million pound Leeds Arena. BAM Construction has been selected to build the Populous-designed venue, having already carried out preparatory work at the Claypit Lane site. When complete, the venue will be able to accommodate 13,500 spectators and is designed to ensure seats are no more than 68m (223ft) from the

A team comprising Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG), TNT Nuuk, Ramboll Nuuk and Arkitekti has been chosen to design a new national gallery in Greenland. BIG's concept for the 3,000sq m (32,292sq ft) Greenland National Gallery of Art was selected ahead of five rival entries, following a design competition. Located on a slope overlooking a fjord, the attraction will feature a combination of historical and contemporary artworks under one roof. Greenland

Museum of Old and New Art (MONA), a new 9,500sq m (102,257sq ft) attraction designed by Fender Katsalidis Architects, has opened in Tasmania, Australia. Located on a 3.5-hectare (8.6-acre) peninsula overlooking the Derwent River, the museum is a three-level building excavated into the cliff face adjacent to Hobart's waterfront. MONA boasts a total of 6,000sq m (64,583sq ft) of gallery space, which incorporates 1,300 sq m (13,993sq ft) of touring