The Shed – the long-awaited movable events space and one of the crowning structures of the Hudson Yards development – has finally opened to the public. The multi-use arts venue, which was co-designed by Rockwell Group and Diller Scofidio+Renfro (DS+R) kicked off its events programme with The Soundtrack of America, a five-night concert celebrating African-American music. The production was conceived and developed by British filmmaker Steve McQueen in collaboration with

OPEN Architecture have transformed five decommissioned oil containers into the Tank Museum Shanghai – an art gallery and exhibition complex. The new 60,000 sq m attraction, which is situated near an airfield that was active in the 1920s and '30s, also includes a landscaped concourse and "urban forest", as well as retail shops and restaurants. "While paying tribute to the site's industrial past," the architects outlined in a statement, "the

A new interactive exhibition space, courtesy of US design studio Snarkitecture, has opened in the thriving Hudson Yards development in Manhattan, New York. Called Snark Park, the new 6,000sq ft (557sq m) space will put on three major experiences per year, starting with its first installation, Lost and Found – a grid-like ‘forest’ made up of columns of various heights that emerge from the ground which aims to encourage visitors

A new cultural centre that incorporates an art museum, science centre, a book mall, and a youth centre has finished construction in Shenzhen, China. Designed by architects Mecanoo, the Longgang Cultural Centre is located along a long, narrow strip in the city and is comprised of four angular red buildings, each housing one of its four main elements. The art museum showcases a number of public artworks on its upper

The Green Ark, Belgium's winning concept for the 2020 World Expo in Dubai, will function as both an exhibit of biophilic architecture and an illustration of the country's green future. Designed by Belgian bureaux Vincent Callebaut Architectures and Assar Architects, the future building will feature merchandise shops, a brasserie, terrace, and a naturally ventilated agora. Set to be constructed from sustainable materials, the Ark will also have an oasis-like garden

Japanese architect Arata Isozaki has been named this year's recipient of the Pritzker Prize – widely considered the highest honour in the world of architecture. Isozaki, 88, has enjoyed a six-decades-long career that goes back to postwar Japan. An early populariser of Metabolism – a postmodernist architecture style developed in the 1960s – Isozaki drew influence from diverse cultures, including "the Islamic world, villages in the deep mountains of China,

Architecture bureau RKW Architektur (RKW) have unveiled renderings of the "Neue Deutsche Oper am Rhein" (New Opera on the Rhine) – multifunctional art, culture, and hospitality venue proposed for the Rhine embankment promenade in Düsseldorf, Germany. If approved, the riverside opera house – shaped to reflect the city's cosmopolitan history – will feature a built-in 310-room hotel, a 1,500-seat audience hall, a top-floor swimming pool, and multiple dining areas. In

Chinese architecture practice OPEN have unveiled renderings of the Chapel of Sound – a cavernous amphitheatre currently under construction north of Beijing, outside the city of Chengde. The 790 sq m, roofless structure – shaped to resemble the curvilinear appearance of mollusc shells and human ears – will function as a concert venue and community space. The Chapel will also feature as a kind of temple to nature, providing panoramic

Scandinavian architecture practice Henning Larsen have been tapped to expand the Opéra Bastille – the largest opera house in Paris. The renovated structure will feature an extended foyer, an 800-seat concert hall, workshop facilities, and a public garden path with links to the Viaduc des Arts and the rue de Lyons. First proposed in 2017 in response to a competition announced by France's Ministry of Culture and Communication, the new

The National Portrait Gallery (NPG) in London has released details of its redevelopment plans, which entail a new entrance, new public galleries in the building’s East Wing and a new learning space. Jamie Fobert Architects (JFA) have designed the plans with help from architectural conservation specialists Purcell. Three windows in the current facade turned into doorways, taking pressure off the existing main entrance and allowing for disabled and non-disabled access

New York-based architecture practice Diller Scofidio + Renfro (DS+R) have released the first concept designs for the long-anticipated London Centre for Music. Set to become the newest addition to London's Culture Mile – an array of institutes and landmarks situated around St. Paul's Cathedral – the Centre for Music will feature a 2000-person capacity, surround-seating concert hall designed by Nagata Acoustics; a multi-tiered foyer with extensive public galleries and event

Transdisciplinary designer and musician Kanye West has donated US$10m (€8.7m, £7.7m) to help fund the still unfinished Roden Crater – an atmospheric complex situated within a 400,000-year-old volcano in Arizona. Designed by American artist James Turrell in the 1970s, the subterranean space, which – some have said – can induce altered states of consciousness, features a series of passageways, chambers, and amphitheatres. Along with Turrell's iconic Skyspaces, Roden Crater has

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

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

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

Steven Chilton Architects (SCA) have unveiled the first set of renderings for their mesmerising Puzzle Ball Theatre in Guangzhou, China. The 2,000-seat conceptual structure, which – if constructed – would serve as a venue for performances by Belgian drama company Dragone, is inspired by Chinese puzzle balls. These objects, which often appeared in Victorian-era cabinets of curiosities, are made from a single block of ivory and feature intricate tracery and

MO Museum, a new modern art museum, has opened in Vilnius, Lithuania showcasing the 4,000-strong private collection of local philanthropists Viktoras and Danguole Butkus. Viktoras Butkus sold his biotechnology firm, Fermentas, to Thermo Fisher Scientific in 2010, which gave the couple "the financial platform to bring the concept to life", he said. Describing their vision as being to create a "museum without walls", the couple has been advised by Lithuanian

Finnish studio PES-Architects have won a competition to design what’s been described as a "future-oriented" urban "archipelago" in Turku, Finland. Dubbed "Luoto" (skerry), the estimated €500m (US$571m, £435m) project will see the coastal city gain a 170,000 sq m experience centre, which will include a multipurpose sports arena, hotel, chapel, residences, and office space, as well a number of entertainment and retail facilities. The new destination, which PES says will

The Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) has unveiled plans to create two interconnected sites at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park – a brand-new museum at Stratford Waterfront, and a new collection and research centre at Here East. Describing the move as "revolutionising how its collection of art is accessed and explored", the project has been named V&A East. The V&A's main site is located in Kensington, London and is the

German architectural firm Henn Architekten has been tapped to head up the redesign of the Gasteig, Europe’s largest cultural centre. Henn will spearhead the attraction's expansion, which will see the 30-year-old building gain a rooftop restaurant, multiple learning areas, and a 'cultural stage' atrium, which will feature as a multifunctional gathering and events space and accommodate up to 1,000 guests. The company nabbed the commission after beating out Stuttgart studios

Work has began on an expansion project which will more than double the size of the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego (MCASD) in California. Designed by Selldorf Architects, the expansion will include the renovation of the existing 35,000-sq ft (3,252sq m) original complex, which was initially designed by renowned California architect Irving Gill. The museum’s entrance will also be reorientated, which has caused some controversy in architectural circles. The

The Sarah Campbell Blaffer Foundation Centre for Conservation at Museum Fine Arts, Houston (MFAH) in Texas has reopened as part of the second phase of the institution's US$450m (€395.5m, £351.5m) redevelopment, designed by Lake|Flato Architects. The new centre sits across the road from MFAH’s curatorial offices and includes 23,796sq ft (2,211sq m) of conservation studios and support space and will now allow the museum to bring together various art conversation

A team led by Canadian brothers and entrepreneurs Etienne and Frédéric Morin-Bordeleau have unveiled plans to create a multifunctional arts and events space from eight MR-63 subway cars. The new three-storey structure, which has garnered the support of the Société de transport de Montréal (STM), will feature a cafe, microbrewery, restaurant, auditorium, and various gallery and exhibition spaces. According to the project team, the venue is expected to "enrich the

The Arts District in El Paso, Texas is to welcome a new addition in the form of the El Paso Children’s Museum, which will sit between the El Paso Museum of History and the El Paso Museum of Art. Norway-based architectural practice Snøhetta have been selected to design the new museum, which will aim to engage children and families from El Paso, Ciudad Juarez, the American southwest, and the nearby

Battersea Power Station Development Company (BPSDC) has released details of three new attractions planned for the iconic London building, which is currently under renovation. The additions will include a large events venue, a 109 metre-high glass elevator which travels up one of the famous chimneys and a 250-person capacity immersive space in a former control room. All three spaces will open as part of the second phase of the building's

The Mecanoo-designed National Kaohsiung Centre for the Arts, hailed as the "largest performing arts centre in the world" has opened in Taiwan. Impressively, the massive steel structure – which takes visual cues from Banyan trees and the sinuous hulls of ships – is home to a 1,981-seat concert hall, a 2,236-seat opera house, 1,210-seat playhouse, and a 434-seat recital hall. The arts hub, which is located in the vicinity of

A dramatic mountain-top arts centre has been built in the Yanshan mountains in China. The Hilltop Gallery – also known as the Phoenix Valley Summit Art Centre – was designed by the Chinese architecture studio, deep Architects (DA). The undulating structure follows the topography of the mountainside and has been built in concrete, bamboo, and terracotta. The 2,600 sq m building has a ballroom, theatre, open cooking area, lounge and