Pioneering British leisure architect Peter Sargent has died at his home in Florida. Sargent was one of the founding partners of sports and leisure architectural practice Sargent & Potiriadis (S&P), along with business partner Mark Potiriadis. The pair were among a small group of creative thinkers who transformed leisure architecture from the late 1970s onwards, with the creation of innovative sports facilities, leisure pools, health and fitness facilities and mixed-use

A host of leading international architects are in the running to create a concept design for a new Centre for Music in the City of London. Snøhetta, Diller Scofidio + Renfro and the firms led by Amanda Levete, Frank Gehry, Norman Foster and Renzo Piano have all been shortlisted in the international competition for the concert hall; billed as “a state-of-the-art building of acoustic and visual excellence.” In May, the

Hotel giant Marriott International has opened its latest spa hotel in China’s financial and commercial capital, Shanghai. W Shanghai, The Bund is located in the heart of the city, overlooking the Huangpu River, and features 374 bedrooms and an Away-branded luxury spa. Owned by Sinar Mas Group, the property will be operated under Marriott’s W Hotels Worldwide arm. Designed by UK-based G.A Design, the hotel has been created as a

Stadiums of the future may include permanent residential facilities and places of work if they adopt an innovative, community-focused vision put forward by Populous. The architectural practice behind the Olympic Stadiums in Sydney and London has imagined the ‘Stadium of Tomorrow’ for the July issue of National Geographic magazine. Part of the vision includes making stadiums “seven days a week, 365 days a year” venues, with residential and office facilities

The iconic Hôtel de Crillon in Paris, France has re-opened after undergoing a four-year, €176m (US$200m, £150m) restoration. Dating back to the 18th century, the historic property will be operated by Rosewood Hotels & Resorts and now houses 78 rooms, 36 suites and 10 signature suites. Led by architect Richard Martinet, the redevelopment involved every aspect of the building – including the restoration of the landmark façade and grand reception

The World Architecture Festival has today (7 July) unveiled the largest ever shortlist for its Building of the Year competition. WAF – one of the only global design festivals to combine conferences, networking and awards – is holding its tenth anniversary edition from 15-17 November in Berlin, and has celebrated by compiling a 434-strong shortlist for the contest across 18 categories: including Mixed-Use, Housing and Religion. Leisure architecture will be

UPDATE: Studio Gang's interactive installation for the National Building Museum’s 2017 Summer Block Series opened to the public yesterday (6 July) in Washington D.C. The intricate structure, called Hive, is formed entirely by 2,700 wound interlocking paper tubes of different sizes – from several inches to 10ft high. They feature a reflective silver exterior and vivid magenta interior, “creating a spectacular visual contrast with the museum’s historic nineteenth-century interior and

A ‘southern gourmet’-style restaurant inspired by the Grammy-winning Zac Brown Band, and a barbershop owned by rapper and activist Killer Mike will be part of the “transformed” Philips Arena – home to NBA franchise the Atlanta Hawks. Country music legend Zac Brown – the lead singer of the eponymous band – has helped to design the Zac Brown Social Club, which will treat fans to a “fully-immersive” dining experience that

A constantly evolving installation that adapts to heat, sunlight and the number of visitors has opened at the Museum of Modern Art’s (MoMA) sister institution in Long Island City. Jenny Sabin Studio have created 'Lumen' in the courtyard of MoMA PS1 as part of the annual Young Architects Program, which offers emerging architectural talent the opportunity to design and present innovative temporary, outdoor installations. The structure, on display until 4

Twelve Architects’ proposals to redevelop Bodmin Jail into a new hotel, visitor attraction and teaching facility have been granted planning consent following a unanimous decision by Cornwall Council. The Grade II listed jail currently operates as an attraction and venue on Britain’s Cornish coast, but many of the buildings are in a ruinous state. Twelve Architects scheme will see the complete refurbishment of the two wings of derelict cell blocks

Wellness continues to infiltrate industries and disciplines, and now is gaining traction in the architecture, engineering, and construction fields. With spa and wellness clients searching for authenticity in their experiences, it stands to reason that they are going to start looking deeper than the service menu or room décor. Millennials, especially, are seeking businesses that demonstrate a commitment to myriad social issues, including the environment, sustainable business practices, and the

Dutch design agency NorthernLight has completed the design phase for the redevelopment of Sochi’s Olympic Village, which is turning its former media centre from the 2014 Winter Olympics into a science and art park. Connecting science and art, the unique addition is the “crossover of an art biennale and science gallery”, according to NorthernLight. With 40,000sq m (430,500sq ft) of exhibition space, the Sirius Art and Science Park will develop

The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has called on practices around the globe to submit their projects for consideration for its 2018 International Prize, which aims to celebrate the world’s best new building. The prestigious accolade is open to any registered architect in the world and is awarded to a building of any size, type or budget completed within the past two years. According to RIBA, “the winning building

US National Football League (NFL) franchise the Atlanta Falcons has released a new video showing the final stages of construction work on their US$1.5bn (€1.3bn, £1.1bn) stadium. The Mercedes-Benz Stadium, designed by sports architects HOK, is scheduled to officially open on 26 August for a Falcons preseason game against the Arizona Cardinals. The video, filmed in May, shows construction workers adding the finishing touches to the structure’s unique eight-petal plastic

Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas has announced plans to open its first resort in Switzerland. Upon completion, the 47–bedroom Six Senses Crans-Montana will operate under a long-term management agreement with 1875 Finance. The resort located in the prominent ski areas of Valais, two hours from Geneva. Wellness offerings at the resort include a 22,000 square foot (2,000 square meter) spa specialising in alpine treatments, gym and fitness studio, pool and

London practice Twelve Architects have been granted unanimous approval by the local government of Russia’s fourth-largest city to “reinvent the retail mall” with a new 120,000sq m (1.3 million sq ft) leisure destination. The Cosmonavtov Mall will anchor the regeneration of Ekaterinburg's former industrial centre, which is being transformed with new commercial and retail buildings for the city's 1.5 million population. Twelve Architects’ scheme replaces the simple, single-entrance boxes that

The Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group has signed a management contract for a new signature hotel and branded residences being built in the mixed-use Melbourne tower designed by Zaha Hadid Architects. Mandarin Oriental, Melbourne will feature 196 guestrooms and suites “designed to reflect local culture, together with features inspired by the company’s heritage.” The group will also manage 148 residences, located on the tower’s upper floors. Leisure amenities will include an

Fairmont Hotels & Resorts has began work on a new spa resort at Sunset Bay on the southwest coast of Saint Lucia in the Lesser Antilles. The 120-bedroom Fairmont Saint Lucia – expected to open in late 2019 – will be spread across 25 acres and feature a 1,870ft private beach. As well as the 120 hotel rooms, there will be 40 private residential villas, all designed by architects WATG

The first design images have been released showing Tadao Ando’s plans to convert Paris’ historic Bourse de la Commerce building into a new contemporary art museum for the collection of billionaire businessman François Pinault. The Bourse, built in the 19th-century by architect François-Joseph Bélanger, is a circular structure topped with a high glass dome located close to the recently revamped Les Halles culture centre. Ando plans to install a 9m

After 15 months of renovation and an investment of €6m (US$6.8m, £5.3m), The Relais Bernard Loiseau in Saulieu, France has opened its 1,500sq m (16,146sq ft) four-storey wellness centre. Designed by the Claude Correia architecture agency, the facility includes a ground floor garden level with two ‘worlds’ designed to provide an intense and varied stimulation of the five senses. The ‘multisensorial zone' includes a phlebology area, effervescent beach, massage alcoves,

The Westin Los Cabos Resort & Spa on the Baja California Sur peninsula in Mexico has reopened following a radical redevelopment which has seen all 243 guest rooms being converted into 147 beach-facing “villas.” Designed by architect Javier Sordo Madaleno, the resort will now offer accommodation across a selection of studio and two-bedroom spaces – described as villas. As a result, the resort has been repositioned to accommodate extended stays,

Architecture and design firms Woods Bagot, Seventh Wave, UN Studio and Jouin Manku are designing an AUS$800m (US$612m, €538m, £472.5m) mixed-use tower complex in Melbourne. Australian development firm QICGRE is leading the 80 Collins scheme, and has pledged to create “a once-in-a-generation transformation that cements the position of Melbourne’s famed Collins Street as one of the world’s premier boulevards for luxury retail and commerce.” Scheduled for completion in 2020, the

Danish architecture studio Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects (SHL) have unveiled their “transformative design” for one of Scandinavia's largest retail destinations: the Fisketorvet - Copenhagen Mall. The firm have been appointed to update the 17-year old shopping centre into “a welcoming urban locality fitting for one of the world's most livable cities.” Their development plans include creating 15,000sq m (161,400sq ft) of space for retail, restaurants and leisure, as well as

Work has started on a new green public corridor in Tainan that will replace a derelict shopping mall with a man-made lagoon. The city’s mayor, William Lai, launched the ground breaking on the Tainan Axis, which has been designed by international architects MVRDV and local firms The Urbanist Collaborative and LLJ Architects. The development is centred around the abandoned China-Town Mall – described by the architects as “the rotten tooth

Music fans can now get a taste of what it would be like to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, with a new US$14m (€12.3m, £10.8m) visitor experience at the iconic Cleveland, Ohio, attraction set to launch on Saturday (1 July). The I.M Pei-designed Hall of Fame is currently undergoing a multi-year transformation led by BRC Imagination Arts. In addition to its new Power of Rock

Major League Soccer (MLS) franchise DC United has secured a US$25m (£19.3m, €22m) funding package to make its soon-to-be-built new stadium more energy efficient. The package has been agreed with the mayor of Washington DC Muriel Bowser and the Department of Energy and Environment (DOEE). Funding will go towards the installation of energy efficient equipment at the 20,000-capacity Audi Field venue, such as 884kw solar panels and stormwater retention system.

Toronto Zoo is about to open its CA$18m (US$13.6m, €12.1m, £10.7m) Wildlife Health Centre – a brand new high-tech zoo hospital and laboratory with visitor facilities for the public. The zoo held an official opening ceremony for the 50,000sq ft (4,645sq m) centre on 26 June, with the facility opening to the public on Saturday (1 July). Once open, visitors will be able to access a public viewing area, which