Swissôtel Hotels & Resorts is continuing its expansion at the crossroads of Southwest Asia and Europe with a new deluxe hotel in Baku, Azerbaijan. Scheduled to open in 2015, Swissôtel Baku is currently under construction and will open in time for the first European Olympic Games. Designed by architectural firm Kreatif Mimarlik, the mixed use complex consists of two towers set upon a shared podium which will accommodate businesses, retail

Denmark is the latest Scandinavian country to propose an indoor ski resort. The Skidome Denmark project, to be based in the city of Randers, proposes more than 3kms (1.8m) of indoor and outdoor slopes and a freestyle park. There are also plans for a hotel, restaurant and retail outlets on an area of just over 1m sq ft (93 000sq m). Danish architectural firm, CEBRA were responsible for the design

The new £31m Olympia pool in Dundee, Scotland, is about to open its doors as part of the ongoing investment into Dundee's waterfront. The new centre, which opens its doors to the public next week, features a 50m, variable depth pool, four water slides, a gym and a café. Two of the slides feature digital projection technology, meaning that the image will appear in front of the sliders face as

Not content to fall behind its neighbouring countries in the race to build the world's tallest skyscrapers, Indonesia is planning to construct a US$2bn (£1,27bn €1,49bn) tower in Jakarta's Sudirman Central Business District. Designed by Smallwood, Reynolds, Stewart, Stewart Architects (SRSSA), the tower - to be called Signature Tower - will have a height of 638m (2,093 ft) encompassing 111 storeys. The project includes a 300-room luxury hotel occupying 25

The city of Perth in Western Australia is currently building a A$2,6bn (£1,57bn, €1,83bn, US$2,46bn) waterfront development which it hopes will return the city's focus to the iconic Swan River. Called Elizabeth Quay - to honour Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II's royal visit there in 2011 - the project covers a 10 hectare (24,7 acre) site including a 2,7 hectare (6,67 acre) inlet on the edge of the Central Business

Two separate construction projects, one in Australia and another in South Africa, have made claims to become the tallest building in the southern hemisphere. The projects, which are proposals at present, have received provisional backing from their respective government authorities. The city of Melbourne in the State of Victoria, Australia hopes to build a 388m (1,272 ft) tower rising 108 stories, while the South African project - to be constructed

Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Ruler of Dubai has announced that a new district will be created in Dubai, dedicated to developing the Emirate’s fashion, design and luxury sectors. The “Dubai Design District” will be adjacent to the Business Bay area of Dubai. The district is expected to become a full service commercial hub for design industry-related organizations, brands, and supporting enterprises within the value chain. It will feature a

A new £5m (US$7.55m, €5.83m) watersport development has been launched on the Colwyn Bay waterfront in north Wales. The development features the new Porth Eirias building, which has been constructed on a one hectare (107,639sq ft, 10,000 sq m) platform on top of a groyne. Built by local company Wynne Construction, it will provide a hub for watersport activities in Colwyn Bay and will include a bistro, café, changing areas

York City Football Club and York City Knights Rugby League Club are set to share a new stadium following construction of a £90m (US$137.1m, €106m) development, which will include a brand new 6,000-seat facility. Planning permission was sought by Oakgate PLC in respect of a new retail development being built close to the site. The stadium design permits expansion to 12,000-seats should the need arise, following York’s recent promotion to

Real estate company Silverstein Properties has secured financing to construct an 82-storey tower in Manhattan, New York, US that will include a Four Seasons hotel and private residences. At 926ft (282m) the property will be one of the tallest residential towers in Downtown Manhattan offering visitors panoramic views of the Midtown skyline and New York Harbor. Located at Park Place and Church Street in Tribeca, Four Seasons Hotel and Private

Bristol City FC has appointed a project manager for the proposed redevelopment of their stadium at Ashton Gate - a back up option should its plans to build a new £60m stadium at Ashton Vale fall through. Capita Symonds has been appointed to the £40m redevelopment that would comprise new stands and pitch widening, which would be expected to be complete by the 2016/17 season. The Wedlock and Williams stands

A £35m retail and leisure development, IntoOutdoors, has received planning permission for a location near Stratford-Upon-Avon on the banks of the River Avon. Owner and developer Eagle One will create a 45-unit retail centre, outdoor leisure pursuits and holiday lodges within its 125-acre site near the A44 and A46 trunk roads junction. The project will break ground this year and is expected to be completed by summer 2014. In addition

New York's One World Trade Center has offered a sneak preview of the panoramic views of the city visitors will see when its observation deck opens in 2015. The skyscraper in Lower Manhattan will be the tallest in the Western Hemisphere when it reaches its final height of 1,776ft. The Hettema Group, in partnership with Legends, have been selected to design and produce the observation deck experience, which will occupy

Concept designs have been revealed for a £10.5m visitor centre and hostel at the Hadrian's Wall World Heritage Site in Northumberland National Park. Newcastle architects Jane Darbyshire and David Kendall (JDDK Architects) have been appointed to explore the initial concepts for The Sill, which will replace existing facilities built in the 1960s. The building will act as a hub for visitors to explore more than 400sq miles of national park,

Ocean Park Hong Kong will likely move ahead with plans to build an all-weather water park at Tai Shue Wan earlier than anticipated, due to a government loan of HK$2.3bn (US$296m, 229m euro, £196m). Announced in the financial secretary's February budget speech, the purpose of the loan is to spur on the project and stimulate Hong Kong's tourism economy - one of the mainstays of its economy. The loan is

Fairmont Hotels & Resorts has unveiled plans for a new development that includes a luxury hotel, spa and branded residences in Istanbul, Turkey that will open in 2016. The 210-room hotel will be joined by branded residences and is part of the Quasar Istanbul complex, a new mixed-use development in the Sisli district. The Quasar Istanbul complex will comprise of two 41-storey towers that will sit above a four-storey office

New sport-inspired mixed-use development The:Square3, which will consist of three towers of gold, silver and bronze, is expected to open in Berlin in 2017. Located near the Olympic sports centre and Europe's largest urban nature reserve, The:Square3 urban quarter will offer hotels, 1,000 apartments, educational facilities and sport-themed retail experiences all in one place. Conceived by Berlin-based developer Moritz Gruppg and designed by architects, LAVA, the 146,000sq m (1.5m sq

Disney has unveiled the first image of Shanghai Disneyland Resort, at its annual meeting of shareholders this month. Set to open in 2015, the resort will include 225-acre theme park Shanghai Disneyland, two themed hotels and 16,000sq m (495,000sq ft) of retail, dining and entertainment, recreational facilities and a lake. The Enchanted Storybook Castle will be the centrepiece of the theme park and will be surrounded by themed lands. Walt

Zaha Hadid Architects has revealed plans to transform a former textile factory in Belgrade, Serbia into a 94,000sq m (1m sq ft) mixed use leisure development. Greek company Lamda Development, which bought the Beko factory in 2007, appointed EPR Architects as hotel consultants. Located near Kalemegdan Castle, overlooking the junction of Sava and Danube Rivers, the Beko site will house a luxury boutique hotel, a congress centre along with residential,

Tonbridge is one step closer to getting a new leisure and community centre, shops and a cinema for its town centre, with the council signing a legal agreement with Sainsbury's for the redevelopment. The purpose of the regeneration is to stimulate the town's economic vitality, attracting new retailers to the area and shoppers back to the city centre, creating new jobs in the process. Tonbridge & Malling Borough Council and

Plans for a new £50m leisure and retail development - designed by architects Marchini Curran Associates (MCA) - are to be considered by Daventry District Council (DDC). Developer Henry Boot said the Mulberry Place development in Daventry town centre would include 100,000 sq ft of town centre retail and leisure space, a six-screen cinema, together with an 80,000 sq ft food store and 40,000 sq ft of bulky goods on

Construction work of Center Parcs' new £250m village in Bedfordshire is on schedule for a spring 2014 opening. The company has now revealed the first artist's impressions and a 3D 'fly through' video of the Woburn Forest site, which will be Center Parcs' fifth UK village. The holiday village will comprise 625 forest lodges, a 75 bedroom hotel and an Aqua Sana-branded spa with six associated spa suites and two

Plans have been unveiled to turn the former Loudoun Castle theme park site in East Ayrshire, Scotland, into an environmentally-friendly, £300m golf resort. Project management company Vicon UK has joined forces with investor FML to launch the ambitious masterplan, which proposes a world class championship standard 18-hole golf course, club house and educational golf academy as well as a new whisky distillery, homes, retail and a food and drink 'centre

Animation studio DreamWorks – behind films such as Madagascar, Shrek and How to Train Your Dragon – has revealed it has entered a partnership to open three family theme parks across Russia by 2015. At 35m tall – the height of a 13-storey building – the entertainment attractions will be the largest indoor theme parks in Europe and will open in St Petersburg, Moscow and Yekaterinburg. Russian property developer REGIONS

London's BBC Television Centre in White City is to be redeveleoped into a cultural quarter that will include a hotel, entertainment and leisure facilities and public open space. For the first time, the television centre will be opened up to the public with the famous forecourt remodelled into new retail, leisure and entertainment areas. Property developer Stanhope is responsible for the project, which will see the main circular building, known

US-based football club New York Cosmos has submitted a proposal to the State of New York to build a new stadium, with an estimated cost of US$400m (300.7m euro, £252m). The 25,000-seat Cosmos stadium would be located at Belmont Park, Nassau County, Long Island along with a youth soccer field and a 4.3-acre public park. The privately funded Elmont Town Crossings project will be led by Turner Construction, which provided

The capital city of Arizona, US will be receiving a new addition to its skyline in the form of a 430ft (131m) high Phoenix Tower. Developer Novawest LLC and Danish architecture firm Bjark Ingels Group (BIG) unveiled plans for the observation tower, which will be located in downtown Phoenix on the Science and Technology campus. The principle feature of the tower - which will have a total floor space of