Architecture and design news:
attractions & entertainment
£61m Pompidou-Metz opens
by Luke Tuchscherer | 13 May 2010
Centre Pompidou-Metz, the offshoot of Paris’s famous Pompidou Centre, has opened in France. The 70.8m euro (£60.8m,US$89m) new centre, located in the north eastern city of Metz, is the first provincial branch of the famous art gallery. Owned by Communauté d’Agglomération de Metz Métropole, the building was designed by Japan-based Shigeru Ban Architects (SBA) in partnership with French architect Jean de Gastines. The centre will boast paintings, sculptures, installations, graphic
New lease of life for Northampton 'lighthouse'
by Martin Nash | 22 Apr 2010
The former Express Lift Tower in Northampton, UK, is the subject of a planning application to Northampton Borough Council which seeks to turn the 418.1ft (127.45m) structure into a tourist attraction. The proposal, by local developer Peter Sullivan, would see alterations to the tower involving the provision of a high level maintenance gantry and panoramic lift on its external surface, with a two-storey visitor centre at its base. The latter
Expansion planned for LA museum
by Martin Nash | 22 Apr 2010
The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County is to add a 3.5 acre, USS$30m park - the North Campus - to its site on Exposition Boulevard in Los Angeles, US. Scheduled to open in July 2011, North Campus - a collaboration between the museum itself; Jorge de la Cal, AIA, of CO Architects, Don Webb of the Cordell Corporation; and Mia Lehrer + Associates - will increase the visitor
Plant life theme park opens in France
by Martin Nash | 13 Apr 2010
Almost exactly 12 years after the idea was originally mooted, the first theme park in Europe devoted to plant life has opened near Angers in France's north western Anjou region. Terra Botanica is an €83m (£73m, US$113m) edutainment concept inviting visitors to discover the world of plant life - be it symbolic, historic, geographic, economic, scientific or aesthetic - through a series of displays, animated sets and interactive attractions set
NC Museum of Art to open extension this month
by Tom Walker | 07 Apr 2010
The North Carolina Museum of Art in Raleigh, US, will open its 127,000sq ft (11,800sq m) extension to the public on 24 April. The new single-storey building, designed by New York-based Thomas Phifer of Thomas Phifer and Partners, was created specifically to showcase the gallery's permanent collection of more than 5,000 pieces of art spanning antiquity to the present day. Surrounded by sculpture gardens and pools, the expansion project will
Record-breaking waterpark scheduled for Ukraine
by Martin Nash | 30 Mar 2010
The city of Donetsk in the Ukraine is soon to be home to what is claimed to be the largest aluminium-domed waterpark in the world. Scheduled to open in August 2011, the dome over the Royal Marine Aquapark - a joint venture between the city of Donetsk and a consortium of private sector investors - is being built by Oakville, Ontario, Canada-based OpenAire, a specialist in retractable roofing systems. At
Contractor appointed for Miami Science Museum
by Luke Tuchscherer | 25 Mar 2010
Contractors have been appointed for the US$275m (£172m, 188m euro) Miami Science Museum in Florida, US. Boston-based Suffolk Construction and San Francisco-based Webcor Builders have been awarded the contracts to develop the museum, which was designed by British firm Grimshaw Architects. The 250,000sq ft museum will boast a 35,000sq ft aquarium, a planetarium and 55,000sq ft of indoor and outdoor exhibition space. It will be part of a new Miami
£9.25m boost for Giant's Causeway plans
by Pete Hayman | 23 Mar 2010
Plans for the development of a new £18.5m visitor centre at the Giant's Causeway, Northern Ireland, have received a £9.25m boost from the Northern Ireland Tourist Board (NITB). The funding announcement comes after the tourism agency reached an agreement with the National Trust (NT), which owns the attraction and plans to enhance the World Heritage Site's visitor experience. Dublin-based architects heneghan.peng are behind the designs for the new visitor centre,
Mayor of London opens new Greenwich attraction
by Martin Nash | 22 Mar 2010
Discover Greenwich, a new £6m cultural centre at the Old Royal Naval College on London's Thames riverside, has been opened by London Mayor, Boris Johnson. The new venue - scheduled to open to the public on 23 March and aiming to attract 1m visitors a year - uses state of the art interpretation techniques, never been seen before historic objects, rare artefacts, film footage and models in permanent and temporary
Jodrell Bank unveils visitor centre plans
by Pete Hayman | 12 Mar 2010
Plans have been submitted to Cheshire East Council (CEC) for the creation of a new discovery centre at the University of Manchester's (UM) Jodrell Bank Observatory. The 'live science' visitor attraction aims to attract thousands of extra visitors to the observatory, showcasing research 'as it happens' and inspire a future generation of young scientists. Jodrell Bank's 1,000sq m (10,764sq ft) discover centre will include a Planet Pavilion entrance building, with
US firm to design two landmark Chinese tourism projects
by Martin Nash | 11 Mar 2010
St. Louis, US-based PGAV Destinations has won contracts to undertake the planning and design of Zhuhai Ocean World and the expansion of the Terracotta Warriors Museum, both in China. The Ocean World project is being developed by the Chimelong Group - which operates theme parks, animal safari parks, waterparks, and hotels in Guangzhou's Panyu district - as part of its Hengqin Island Development. When completed it will become the largest
New-look People's History Museum reopens
by Pete Hayman | 09 Mar 2010
A museum exploring the role of working-class people in the development of democracy in Britain from the early 18th century to the present day has officially reopened in Manchester. Unveiled by health secretary and MP for Leigh Andy Burnham, the People's History Museum has benefited from an extensive £12.5m redevelopment project. The attraction boasts 1,384sq m (4,541sq ft) of exhibition space and nearly 1,500 artefacts on display, while a purpose-built
Floods close Madeira Story Centre
by Tom Walker | 23 Feb 2010
The Madeira Story Centre in Funchal, Madeira, has been forced to close due to the heavy flooding on the island. The site, the island's first visitor centre, features exhibition spaces housed in a number of buildings and include a storyline of João Gonçalves Zarco's discovery of the Madeiran archipelago in 1418. The attraction was opened in 2005 by Blandy Group at a cost of around €6.4m (£4.5m. US$8.5m). The construction
Thinkwell wins Seoul Grand Park competition
by Martin Nash | 14 Jan 2010
Multi-media company Thinkwell has conceived and developed the winning entry in an international competition designed to revitalise Seoul Grand Park in South Korea. Seoul Grand Park is a 560-hectare site containing two zoos, The Seoul Museum of Modern Art, the SeoulLand amusement park and a rose garden. The Seoul Metropolitan Government sponsored the competition to gather ideas for improving the public space for citizens and to better position it as
Design competition announced for Dundee V&A
by Martin Nash | 12 Jan 2010
An international architectural competition is being launched to deliver a landmark building for The V&A at Dundee, a new centre of 21st century design for Scotland. The structure will occupy a site at the centre of Dundee's redeveloped waterfront area, sitting just to the south of Craig Harbour on a site to be created projecting out into the River Tay. Mike Galloway, Dundee City Council's director of city development said:
Work underway on Mary Rose scheme
by Pete Hayman | 15 Dec 2009
Demolition work has started on the Mary Rose Ship Hall in Portsmouth, Hampshire, which is making way for the development of a new £35m museum dedicated to the historic Tudor warship. The ship itself at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard was withdrawn from public view on 20 September to allow work to start, which will see a boat-shaped museum building built over the dry dock containing the Mary Rose. A team including
Zayed National Museum to open in 2013
by Luke Tuchscherer | 10 Dec 2009
A new museum in Abu Dhabi, being built under advisement from the British Museum, is to open 2013. The Zayed National Museum, which is being developed by the Tourism Development & Investment Company (TDIC), is to be the cornerstone of the Saadiyat Island Cultural District. Designed by London's Foster + Partners, the 12,000sq m (130,000sq ft) museum is named after Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the late founder and
Revamp underway at MOSI
by Tom Walker | 10 Dec 2009
Work has begun on a £7m redevelopment project on the Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI) in Manchester. The project is being led by architects Buttress Fuller Alsop Williams and funded jointly by the European Regional Development Fund, North West Development Agency (NWDA), DCMS, Garfield Weston and a number of other trusts and foundations. The improvement works will include the removal of the metal ramps at the heart of the
Foster hails £97m Titanic scheme progress
by Pete Hayman | 10 Dec 2009
Northern Ireland tourism minister Arlene Foster has welcomed the "good progress" being made on the new £97m visitor attraction, which will be located in the centre of Belfast's Titanic Quarter. The Titanic Signature Building, which was designed by a team of international firms, including Eric Kuhn Associates, RFR and Event Communications, will tell the story of the city's association with the ill-fated luxury liner. Located at the head of the
Berlin's Neues Museum opens
by Luke Tuchscherer | 10 Dec 2009
The Neues Museum in Berlin, Germany has officially opened its doors for the first time in 70 years after a 212m euro (£192m) redevelopment project. The museum, which originally opened in 1855, was closed at the outbreak of World War II in 1939 and was subsequently damaged by bombing raids. British architect David Chipperfield’s refurbishment involved the reworking of the exhibition spaces, with modern design replacing the parts of the
Work begins on US$12m Natchitoches visitor attraction
by Luke Tuchscherer | 09 Dec 2009
Work has begun on the US$12m (£7.36m) Louisiana State Sports Hall of Fame and Regional History Museum in Natchitoches, US. The Sports Hall of Fame will feature a collection of memorabilia donated by 250 Louisiana sports figures, while the history museum will operate as part of the Louisiana State Museum system and will focus on the contributions of the diverse cultures that have shaped the state. The 28,000sq ft building
430m euro leisure complex planned for Dundalk
by Luke Tuchscherer | 24 Nov 2009
An application for a 430m euro (£387.4m) snow complex in Dundalk, Ireland, is to be submitted to Louth County Council. The Altitude project - proposed by local firm Innovative Leisure Systems and the UK-based Briton Engineering – will include a ski slope and nursery slopes; a 100-bedroom family hostel; a 110,000sq ft indoor concert arena; an 80,000sq ft leisure zone, which includes a cinema and bowling alley; and a 40,000sq
Work begins on US$185m Dallas museum
by Luke Tuchscherer | 24 Nov 2009
Work has begun on the new US$185m Perot Museum of Science & Nature in Dallas, Texas. The museum’s new home, designed by Thom Mayne of LA-based architects Morphosis, is being built at Victory Park in downtown Dallas. Chair of the museum’s board, Frank-Paul King, said: “The groundbreaking of the Perot Museum of Nature & Science is the next major milestone toward opening the doors to a world-class facility, one designed
University of California Berkeley scraps museum plans
by Luke Tuchscherer | 24 Nov 2009
The University of California Berkeley in the US has scrapped its US$143m plans for a new museum. The plans to build a new home for its Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive were designed by Tokyo-based architect Toyo Ito, but the university has not been able to raise the funds. The school only managed to raise about US$81m of the US$200m target and blamed the economic downturn. However, the
Mivan wins two new museum projects
by Martin Nash | 19 Nov 2009
Interiors and theming company Mivan has secured two major museum fit-out projects - the new £4.4m Glasgow Riverside Museum contract and a £1.6m project at the Museum of the Order of St John in Clerkenwell, London. The Glasgow project will be Mivan's largest assignment since it worked on the Museum of Islamic Art in Doha, Qatar and the company will be supplying and installing a range of exhibition systems, street
BRC Imagination Arts wins major global design projects
by Luke Tuchscherer | 18 Nov 2009
BRC Imagination Arts, the US design firm, has won contracts for several global visitor attractions, including two pavilions at the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai, China. BRC will be designing the USA Pavilion and the Information & Communications Pavilions for the Expo. Two US projects comprise master planning work and exhibition updates at Kennedy Space Centre - including the Exploration Space exhibit that is due to open early next year
Revamp on the cards for Lake Superior Zoo
by Luke Tuchscherer | 18 Nov 2009
Lake Superior Zoo in Duluth, Minnesota, US, is developing a master plan for the future. The Zoological Society - with funding from the State Legislature's Legacy Amendment Arts and Culture Heritage Fund - has commissioned Studio Hanson/Roberts, the zoological planning and design consultants to develop the plan. One of the priorities of the plan will be a strategy to regain accreditation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and to
Weston pier revamp reaches landmark
by Tom Walker | 02 Nov 2009
Work has started on erecting the frame of the new Pavilion building on The Grand Pier in Weston-super-Mare. More than 100 tonnes of steel per week will be used to form the structure of the new building, which has been designed by Bristol-based architect, Angus Meek. In total more than 1,100 tonnes of steel is being supplied by local firm Hayley Engineering for the project. Pier owner Kerry Michael said,
New-look Ashmolean Museum set to reopen
by Pete Hayman | 02 Nov 2009
The Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology in Oxford is set to reopen on 7 November, following the completion of a major £61m redevelopment at the attraction. A new 10,000sq m (107,639sq ft) building - designed by London-based Rick Mather Architects - has been built to double the museum's existing display space and will comprise 39 new galleries, including four temporary exhibition spaces. Exhibition design company Metaphor has worked alongside
Hotel and waterpark planned for Mt. Pleasant, MI
by Luke Tuchscherer | 22 Oct 2009
The Soaring Eagle Inn & Conference Centre in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan, US is to be demolished and a new hotel and waterpark built in its place. The inn is owned by the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe, whose Migizi Economic Development Company announced the news. The three-star, 120-bedroom hotel will boast a bar and a restaurant that will overlook the existing golf course, as well as the 45,000sq ft indoor waterpark.
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