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

A major new art gallery currently being developed in Wakefield - The Hepworth Wakefield - is scheduled to open its doors to the public on 21 May. Wakefield Council said the launch of the David Chipperfield Architects-designed waterfront attraction would provide a milestone in the regeneration of the area. Laing O'Rourke is building the new gallery, which will feature an auditorium, learning areas and a garden alongside displays of historic

Work has been completed on a new £12m purpose-built venue in Leeds, which will provide a new home for Northern Ballet and Phoenix Dance Theatre. Wates Construction built the new six-storey building, which has been designed by Strategic Design Alliance - a partnership between Leeds City Council and Jacobs Architecture. Housing one of the largest dance rehearsal spaces outside London, the venue features seven dance studios - including a 230-seat

Plans have been unveiled for the proposed new Broad Art Foundation Museum in Los Angeles. The three-storey structure, scheduled to open in winter 2012/2013 with construction beginning later this year, will be home to two important collections of postwar and contemporary art assembled by philanthropists Eli and Edythe Broad. It will also house The Broad Art Foundation's lending library, where works from the 2,000-piece Broad Collections are made available to

Newcastle-based Surgo Construction has been appointed to deliver a £4.75m restoration of the city's Theatre Royal ahead of its 175th anniversary in 2012. Work is to be undertaken between March and September in order to restore the auditorium to Frank Matcham's original 1901 design. The scheme will also include selective demolition of post-Matcham interior features; repairs to the roof; and the restoration of screens, partitions and barriers. Surgo Construction will

The Scottish Government has revealed that it will invest nearly £5m in the V&A at Dundee development over the next two years. Japan-based architect Kengo Kuma is behind the design of the new attraction, which is to be developed at Craig Harbour as part of a wider regeneration of the city's waterfront. The funding will now allow the project partners - Dundee City Council; the Universities of Dundee and Abertay

Plans for the development of a new £4.7m youth centre in Luton, Bedfordshire, are to move forward after the government confirmed capital funding towards the scheme. TOKKO - designed by Max Rengifo of AStudio Architecture - will feature a climbing wall; performance spaces; a games and IT area; and multi-use studios. Training and counselling rooms; a rooftop zen garden; a beauty and fashion studio are also proposed, along with a

Diller Scofidio + Renfro's designs for the Broad Art Foundation - a new contemporary art museum in Los Angeles, US - have been unveiled. Located on Grand Avenue, the three-storey attraction will feature a honeycomb "veil" that wraps around the building and will house around 2,000 works. The 120,000sq ft (11,148sq m) museum will feature 40,000sq ft (3,716sq m) of column-free gallery space and a lecture hall seating up to

A US$36m (£23.2m, €27.8m) museum in St Petersburg, Florida, US - dedicated to the work of Spanish artist Salvador Dali - is to open on 11 January. The Dali Museum has been designed by Yann Weymouth of HOK Architects to include more than 900 triangular-shaped glass panels. More than 2,100 works by the artist, including nearly 100 oil paintings, will be on show at the attraction - the largest collection

A historic 1930s cinema in Tenbury Wells, Worcestershire - recognised as having a unique art deco interior - has received a £680,000 grant. The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) is providing support towards the repair and conservation of the Grade II-listed Regal Cinema. A two-year programme of community activities is also proposed for the venue, which was acquired by Tenbury Town Council in 1972. Anne Jenkins, head of the HLF for

Ditchling Museum - an attraction in East Sussex housing a number of works by early 20th century artists - has received £835,600 from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF). The grant will provide 34 per cent of the total cost of plans to revamp the museum and its collections, including the creation of new education spaces. A wider programme of activities, events and workshops are also planned, while the cart lodge

Margate's Turner Contemporary, a new £17.4m gallery dedicated to artist JMW Turner, has been officially handed over by Kent County Council (KCC). Construction work is now complete at the David Chipperfield-designed attraction, which been transferred over to the trust that will operate the venue. The handover comes after it was confirmed that Turner Contemporary will open its doors on 16 April 2011. R Durtnell and Sons has delivered the new

The new £21m Robert Burns Birthplace Museum (RBBM) has been unveiled by the National Trust of Scotland (NTS) in Alloway, Ayrshire. A 500sq m (5,382sq ft) exhibition space includes four areas - Identity, Inspiration, Fame and Creative Work - to explore the bard's life. The museum, which replaces the former Burns National Heritage Park, brings together a number of sites in Alloway with a connection to Burns. NTS has worked