Funding for the planned World Trade Center performing arts complex in New York has taken another major step forward, with the award of a multi-million dollar grant from the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation and the US Department of Housing and Urban Development. The grant of US$89m (€78.11m, £70.11) to the Ronald O.Perelman Center for the Performing Arts takes funding raised to 82 per cent of its total construction costs. Major

Municipal officials have greenlit plans to build Tyram Lakes – an eco-friendly wellness resort in South Yorkshire, UK. Designed by British firm Baca Architects, the estimated £20m (US$25.4m, €22.3m) retreat, which will be situated on 65 acres of lakes in the Humberside Peatlands, will comprise 325 floating lodges and 104 guestrooms. Each lodge will have a rooftop garden fitted with solar panels as well as built-in filtration systems that will

John Cora – a former senior executive of The Walt Disney Company – has announced plans to create "Elysium City", a sustainable development and entertainment district in western Spain. Set to rise in rural Castilblanco, Extremadura – in the heart what has been described as a "Spanish Siberia" – the new property will reportedly comprise a 40,000-capacity sports arena, a mega-casino, a theme park, and a marina, as well as

The State Farm Arena in downtown Atlanta has fully reopened, following a US$192.5m (€169m, £152m) renovation project which has transformed the 20-year-old indoor venue. Completed in phases, the redevelopment has been driven by Tony Ressler, owner of the Atlanta Hawks NBA franchise, which is the arena's primary tenant. Ressler acquired the Hawks in 2015 and made upgrading the venue, formerly called Philips Arena, a priority focus in his plans to

MAD Architects' Nanjing Zendai Himalayas Centre (NZHC) – a mixed-use development inspired by the highest mountain range in the world – is on track for completion in 2020. First conceived in 2012, the 560,000 sq m complex – which is located in Nanjing, China – was designed to represent what MAD have described as the Chinese concept of "shanshui", a merging of "humanity and nature". Once complete, the property will

Qatar’s Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC) has revealed the renderings for Lusail Stadium – one of the many multipurpose venues that will host the 2022 FIFA World Cup games. Designed by London-based architecture firm Foster + Partners, the 80,000-seat arena – the eighth World Cup structure to be unveiled by the SC – features a number of visual motifs derived from the Arabian Gulf's ancient artisanal cultures. The

American architecture studio Perkins + Will have released renderings of Destination Crenshaw – an outdoor cultural museum set to rise in South Los Angeles. Designed in collaboration with Studio MLA, the community-driven attraction will be both a memorial and a public art space, celebrating the distinctive and varied contributions made by African-Americans to Los Angeles over the past century. Spanning 1.1 miles (1770 metres) between 48th and 60th streets in

Global luxury hotelier Jumeirah Group has opened doors on the Saadiyat Island Resort – a seaside wellness getaway located in Abu Dhabi. Created by Australian architecture firm DBI Design, the 293-room beachfront hotel features seven restaurants, 15 treatment rooms, three outdoor pools, and multiple fitness facilities, as well as a tennis court, golf club, and the UAE's first Bodyism Wellness Centre. Wellbeing amenities in the spa include saunas, hydrotherapy pools,

Work on Bjarke Ingels Group’s (BIG) Panda House at the Copenhagen Zoo is in full swing and is expected to be completed in time for the bears' arrival next spring. The unique 2,500 sq m enclosure, which is shaped like the famous dualistic yin-yang symbol, will house two giant pandas in two distinct habitats. A hybrid environment, the €20m (US$22m, £17m) exhibit will feature a hilly terrain of Nordic plants,

The Hôtel de Berri, a former townhouse newly outfitted by French art director and interior designer Philippe Renaud, has opened in Paris. The upscale hotel – once the abode of the creme de la creme of the city's Belle Epoque and Beaux Arts-periods – is located a stone’s throw from the Champs Elysées and features 75 rooms and 35 suites. Other amenities include the Le Schiap restaurant, the Le Bizaz

Denmark-based urban planning and architecture practice Lendager Group have won a contest to build the UN17 Village, a residential community which incorporates all "17 of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals". The future 400-home complex, which is set to rise in Copenhagen – arguably the world’s most eco-friendly city – will be built with upcycled waste and nontoxic materials, such as glass, concrete, and wood. According to Aarstiderne Arkitekter, who

The Six Senses Maxwell, a hotel designed by French architect and interior designer Jacques Garcia, has opened its doors in Singapore. The renovated 14-storey, colonial-era building – erstwhile a nutmeg plantation – features 138 rooms and suites; a "social library" furnished with tropical plants; a French-style brasserie; two bars; and a fitness studio. Additional amenities include a rooftop garden and an 82 ft (25-metre) lap pool custom-made by Belgian lifestyle

The David Chipperfield-designed Park Terrace Hotel has opened at the scenic Bryant Park, long considered the 'town square' of Midtown Manhattan. Featuring 226 guestrooms created by New York interior design studio Stonehill & Taylor, the 13-storey hotel, which stands on the southwest corner of Bryant Park, also includes a lounge, outdoor terrace, restaurant, sauna, and fitness suite. Partially financed by the US Immigration Fund’s EB-5 Program, the new home away

Chinese starchitects MAD have released images of their newest project – a spiral staircase and observation deck in Rotterdam. Set to rise in the city’s historic Katendrecht peninsula, once the site of one of Europe’s oldest Chinatowns, the structure will be built as an extension of Rotterdam's Fenix Warehouse II, which is currently being transformed into a migration history museum. In a statement, the Netherlands-based Droom en Daad Foundation –

Health and wellness-focused hospitality brand Fusion has teamed up with Alba Vietnam to operate two of the company’s hotels. The resorts – Alba Wellness Hue and Thanh Tan Hot Springs Hotel – are both situated in the foothills of the Truong Son Mountains on the site of a mineral-rich natural spring which has been called a "Holy Grail". Designed by architects Romain Duval, Anh Vu, and Minh Pham, Alba Hue

Dutch architecture practice UNStudio have unveiled renderings for the Lyric Theatre Complex – an expansive cultural venue currently being constructed in Hong Kong's West Kowloon Cultural District. The mammoth complex, which will occupy roughly 41,000 sq m of the city’s waterfront, will include a 1,450-seat Lyric Theatre inspired by European "Baroque-era" extravagance; a 600-seat Medium Theatre for smaller-scale productions; and a 270-seat Studio Theatre for intimate performances. The arts facility

International colour authority Pantone has announced a "sociable and spirited" shade as the Colour of the Year for 2019. The company, which said it made the selection in "reaction to the onslaught of digital technology and social media" described PANTONE 16-1546 Living Coral as representing intimacy and the "need for optimism and joyful pursuits". Commenting on the announcement, Leatrice Eiseman, executive director at the Pantone Color Institute, said: "Colour is

Marriott International’s W Hotels has opened the W Costa Rica – Reserva Conchal, the first W Hotel in the country, which also includes the first full-service bar located inside an Away Spa. Located within a 2,300-acre nature reserve near an internationally-renowned surf spot, the W Costa Rica includes 150 bedrooms, all designed with the beauty of the natural area – including the nearby beach and jungle – in mind. The

London-based architecture and interior design studio Michaelis Boyd have completed work on Casa Pastor and Plaza Pastor – two interconnected Mexican restaurants at the recently opened retail destination Coal Drops Yard. The restaurants, which feature a varied menu inspired by the time its founders spent in Mexico City, were designed to pay "homage to the vibrancy of Mexico". In a statement, Michaelis Boyd said that Casa Pastor – an 80-cover,

Architecture studio HBA London (HBA) have designed the Amadria Park Capital, a boutique hotel in the centre of Zagreb, Croatia. The newly opened establishment, which was co-developed by the Ugo Group, occupies the former site of a Roaring Twenties-era bank and features 109 rooms and 3 suites. Each guestroom is also furnished with artwork curated by HBA and Muzeo Iconographic Design. Other amenities at Amadria Park Capital include a restaurant

Finnish ice hockey team Helsingin IFK (HIFK) are helming a development team to build what is projected to become one of Finland’s most popular leisure attractions: Garden Helsinki. The complex, major parts of which will be situated "almost entirely underground", will feature a number of sports, hospitality, and recreational facilities including an 11,000-seat indoor arena, 200-room hotel, ice rink, gym, hotel, and spa. On-site restaurants and residential apartments will also

Architecture firm Spratley & Partners have completed a multi-million-pound renovation on the historic Heckfield Place estate, in Hampshire, UK. Formerly a conference centre and wedding venue - and home to Horace Walpole, the 4th Earl of Orford in the 18th century - the Grade II listed Georgian house has been transformed into a lavish country hotel. It boasts 38 bedrooms, six Signature rooms and one two-bedroom cottage, each designed to

The first European iteration of The Standard Hotels franchise is gearing up to debut in London inside a Brutalist structure that once housed offices for the local city council. Formerly known as the Camden Town Hall Annexe, the 1970s-era concrete complex – located opposite London’s St Pancras and King Cross stations – will soon be transformed into a 266-room, 184,000 sq ft (170,940 sq m) luxury destination. The architects responsible

A concert hall designed by architecture firm Studio Seilern is slated to debut next year in Andermatt, Switzerland. Erstwhile a wartime bunker, the 1,412 sq m auditorium – once complete – will be able to accommodate major orchestral ensembles and seat up to 700 guests. The hall is being built in the centre of the Andermatt resort village, a wellness destination which boasts attractions like the Chedi Andermatt, a retreat

A former union club for naval officers in Berlin is to be converted into a new city museum for the German capital. Designed by architectural practice Adept, Stadtmuseum Berlin at 'Marinehaus' will be "a cultural pivot that anchors the museum in the neighbourhood through exhibitions, workshops and as a community centre for the locals", according to the architects. Renderings show that the 7,800sq m (84,000sq ft) building's existing floors will

Kampung Admiralty, a community-centred mixed-use development in Singapore, has won the World Architecture Festival Building of the Year 2018. Designed by WOHA Architects, the 11-storey structure, which is reportedly the first integrated facility in Singapore to provide housing for retirees, features a biophilic rainforest and includes residences, restaurants, and medical centres. Describing the Admiralty as an "elevated village green", the firm said: "The close proximity to healthcare, social, commercial, and

Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise Oakland Athletics has revealed detailed designs for an ambitious waterfront stadium. Designed by Danish architect Bjarke Ingels and his BIG practice, the 34,000-capacity stadium is being planned for a site at Port of Oakland’s Howard Terminal. The expansive project includes two connecting elements. The site of the MLB team's current stadium, the Coliseum – where the club has played since 1968 – will be redeveloped