International architects Snøhetta have unveiled a concept design for the Arctic circle's first ever energy-positive hotel. Situated at the foot of the Svartisen glacier that runs through Meløy, northern Norway, the project, called Svart, will consume around 85 per cent less energy than a modern Norwegian hotel, and produce its own power. The design has been developed by Snøhetta in collaboration with sustainable tourism agency Arctic Adventure of Norway; engineering

A fundraising campaign has been launched following the announcement of plans to build a US$130m (€106m, £93.2m aquarium development in Sarasota, Florida. Called the Mote Science Education Aquarium, Massachusetts-based architecture firm CambridgeSeven are behind the plans, which will cover 110,000sq ft (10,000sq m) – more than doubling the size of the existing Mote Aquarium. In addition to aquatic displays across 3.8 million litres of water, the aquarium will offer interactive

Sports and leisure specialists FaulknerBrowns Architects have submitted a planning application for a major new indoor snow centre and leisure destination in Swindon, UK. Plans for the destination include a 2,00sq m (21,500sq ft) snow centre featuring two real-snow slopes; a 12-screen cinema with the largest IMAX screen in the UK; a bowling alley; an indoor trampolining centre; a 130-room hotel; and a variety of shops, bars and restaurants. The

Plans have been revealed for an 80m-long river crossing in a historic Chinese town, designed by Dutch architects MVRDV as “a landmark for fostering daily life and social activities”. The firm has won a competition for the Dawn Bridge project, which will connect the old town of Zhujiajiao, near Shanghai, with new residential developments. Conceived as a 24m-wide dual crossing for vehicles and pedestrians, the bridge will be separated along

Hotel Crescent Court, a luxury hotel in Dallas, Texas, has reopened its spa and fitness centre after completing a multi-million-dollar refurbishment. The hotel, which is currently undergoing extensive refurbishment work worth US$30m (£21.2m, €24.1m) – including the complete redesign of its guest rooms, suites, lobby, and bar – unveiled its new spa and fitness centre earlier this month. The spa features 16 treatments rooms, women’s and men’s lounges, relaxation rooms,

A formal opening has been held for the Sheikh Abdullah Al Salem Cultural Centre (SAASCC) in Kuwait – a mammoth cultural district for the country described as the largest museum project in the world. A dramatic light show on Monday (5 February) marked the launch of the attraction, which has been designed by local architects SSH and British creative agency Cultural Innovations. Situated on a 13-hectare site in the Al-Sha’ab

Dutch designers UNStudio and German practice HPP Architects have joined forces to deliver four skyscrapers and a new urban quarter in the heart of Frankfurt. In 2015, development firm Groß & Partner acquired a 16,000sq m (172,200sq ft) plot on Junghofstraße, which had been inaccessible for nearly half a century. UNStudio won the architecture competition for the project, called FOUR Frankfurt, the following year. HPP have now been added to

Chicago developer Related Midwest has revealed the first renderings of the 680ft (207m) skyscraper it is planning for the city, which will include an Equinox hotel and fitness club. Details of the 58-storey project were revealed last week at a public meeting. The tower – which will flank the Kennedy Expressway at 725 W Randolph Street – will include 165 guest rooms, a spa and 370 rental apartments. At ground

London’s Westminster Abbey, one of the UK’s most visited tourist attractions, is undergoing work on a new museum, marking the first addition to the visitor experience at the historic site since 1745. The £23m (US$32m, €26m) museum, named the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Galleries, will be located inside the triforium – a loft-like space above the arches of the nave of a church – some 70ft (21m) above the Abbey's floor.

London’s National Portrait Gallery has appointed architecture firms Jamie Fobert and Purcell to deliver the British institution’s £35.5m (US$50.2m, €40.2m) transformation. Called ‘Inspiring People: Transforming our National Portrait Gallery,’ the plans from the London-based practices mark the largest ever development for the Victorian-era National Portrait Gallery since it opened in 1896. The decision follows an international selection process to find the best candidates, with Jamie Fobert – who recently celebrated

The Laboratory for Visionary Architecture (LAVA) has completed work on a sustainable and inclusive sports-focused youth hostel in Bayreuth, Germany, conceived as a new model of “international, innovative and integrative” design. The distinctively Y-shaped JH Bayreuth is located on a 3,800sq m (40,000sq ft) landscaped site between Bayreuth’s city centre and university. Its expansive grounds feature sports fields, adventure playgrounds, volleyball terraces are gardens. Interior and exterior spaces interweave across

Following the success of the Le Blanc Spa Resort Cancun, Palace Resorts has opened its second Le Blanc Spa Resort in Los Cabos, Mexico, designed by architect Roberto Elias of Elias Estudio, with interiors by Francois Frossard of Francois Frossard Design. The 373-bedroom resort includes four buildings that curve toward the ocean, and has been inspired by the unique flora and fauna of Los Cabos, as well as the climate,

An unremarkable office building in Fuzhou, China, has been transformed by the Yiduan Shanghai International Design studio into a striking restaurant set within “a magical bamboo forest”. The 2,000sq m (21,500sq ft) Shandao Restaurant features a dramatic and unifying tile facade designed to draw the attention of passers-by. Inside, winding pathways across five floors and a mezzanine level lead to dining areas separated by multi-layered bamboo partitions. A lobby, banqueting

Sir Tim Smit’s Eden Project is making a giant leap to realising its first overseas attraction, following a trade meeting between the British and Chinese governments. During the three-day trade mission to promote Prime Minister Theresa May’s vision for a “global Britain”, David Hardland, Eden Project chief executive signed an agreement with Zhao Lintao of China Jinmao Holdings, setting out terms for a future development in Qingdao. Including the design,

Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts has signed a deal with Indian property company Embassy Group to open a new luxury hotel and private residences in Bengaluru, one of India's fastest growing cities. Located within Embassy ONE, a mixed-use development featuring commercial office space and premium retail outlets, the hotel is set to open later this year. The 230-room Four Seasons Hotel Bengaluru at Embassy ONE has been designed by HKS

The University of Portsmouth has unveiled ambitious plans for a sustainable sports facility designed by architecture practice FaulknerBrowns. The complex, located on the corner of Portsmouth’s Ravelin Park, is the first major phase of the university’s £400m (US$569m, €455m) estate development masterplan, which aims to reshape its city centre campus to enhance the student experience and establish a public-facing presence in the city centre. The proposals – developed to “promote

British architect Amanda Levete has won the 2018 AJ/AR Jane Drew Prize, which celebrates individuals who have raised the profile of women in architecture through their work. Levete – who won the 1999 RIBA Stirling Prize for the Lord’s Media Centre, alongside her then-husband and business partner Jan Kaplický – is the founder of AL_A, a studio who have received acclaim for public projects such as Lisbon’s Museum of Art,

Sports architecture firm Populous will design a 365-day stadium for Didier Drogba’s US football franchise Phoneix Rising FC, which has ambitions of joining Major League Soccer (MLS). Local design firm Gould Evans will collaborate on the project, which the club has described as “a world-class venue that serves fans and the broader Phoenix community as a full-scale entertainment destination”. Phoenix Rising FC is co-owned by former Chelsea and Ivory Coast

The Serpentine Pavilion programme – one of the highlights of the UK's architectural calendar – is coming to Beijing in 2018. A major international agreement has been struck between Chinese retail giant WF Central and the Serpentine Galleries, which organises the long-running annual pavilion showcase in London’s Kensington Gardens. The inaugural pavilion has been designed by Chinese firm JIAKUN Architects, and it is set to open in May on the

British architecture studio SimpsonHaugh have completed a renovation of one of Belgium’s most important cultural landmarks, the Queen Elisabeth Hall in Antwerp. The concert venue had its soft launch over a year ago – and has since picked up a nomination for Cultural Building of the Year – but has only just officially opened. It is located within the Elisabeth Centre, a 19th-century Art Nouveau cultural complex that includes Antwerp

Acclaimed Japanese architect Sejima Kazuyo has been appointed the newest member of the Pritzker Prize Jury, tasked with selecting the next winner of architecture’s most prestigious accolade. Sejima, who won the Pritzker Prize in 2010, is the co-founder of Tokyo studio SANAA, which she has led alongside fellow laureate Nishizawa Ryue since 1995. Their buildings together include the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art in Kanazawa, Japan; the Rolex Learning

A boutique health club exploring how lighting and design impact the effectiveness of your workout has opened in Beirut, Lebanon. Health club brand U Energy commissioned local practice Rabih Geha Architects to design the 1,200sq m (12,900sq ft) underground project as “a place to provide respite from the hectic nature of daily life” in the city. In order to encourage connection and interaction, the gym – which includes weightlifting areas,

ACTVENTURE, the multi-million-dollar leisure and lifestyle mega-destination underway on the Sunshine Coast of Australia, is eyeing a rollout to the United Arab Emirates. US practice Thinkwell Group designed the plan for the AU$400m (US$305m, €280.7m, £243m) Queensland venture, with Canadian waterpark specialist WhiteWater West working on the waterpark. Members of ACTVENTURE’s advisory board – including Talal Najibi, executive chair of Najibi Investments, WhiteWater CEO Geoff Chutter, Joe Zenas, CEO of

David Beckham has launched his long-awaited Major League Soccer team in Miami today (29 January). The former England captain had exercised an option in his contract with former side LA Galaxy to buy an expansion franchise in 2014. The team, which has yet to be named, will play at a new 25,000-seat stadium in the city's Overton neighbourhood. Designed by sports architects Populous, the ground will be lighter and airier

Montage Hotels & Resorts has announced plans to open and operate a spa resort in Sonoma County, at the heart of California's wine country. Montage Healdsburg – a property owned by Ohana Real Estate Investors and developed by The Robert Green Company – will feature 130 guestrooms and will have a focus on wellness and food. Exact resort details are yet to be confirmed, but facilities include a large Spa

Four Seasons will open a flagship hotel and spa in Philadelphia, US, in Q3 of this year. Set in the historic city’s tallest tower – the 60-storey Comcast Technology Center – the new Four Seasons Hotel Philadelphia at Comcast Center will include 219 bedrooms on the 48th to 56th floors. Above the hotel, the 57th-floor spa will include seven treatment rooms and an indoor infinity pool. The tower – a

Finnish architecture and firm Futudesign has won an invited competition to transform part of Eliel Saarinen’s Helsinki Central Railway Station into a hotel. Developer Exilion Management and hospitality operator Scandic Hotels are seeking ideas for how to breathe new life into the underutilised eastern administrative wing of the station, which was completed in 1914. Futudesign’s winning proposal, called ‘Hermes’, takes advantage of the grand, high interiors originally designed by Saarinen