Architects Wilkinson Eyre are to create a new visitor attraction in the form of a massive biome complex, near Reykjavik. The Aldin Biomes have just received planning permission and when complete, will showcase a tropical environment and local food production methods, as well as a range of wellness offerings, including barfus walks and yoga. The 48,000sq ft structures, designed for client Spor í sandinn, have been conceived as a major

A 170,000sq ft (51,816sq m) vertical aquarium is one of the ideas being considered for a proposed 500ft-high (152m) observation tower at the centre of a development project on the California coast at San Diego. Seaport San Diego, a US$2.4bn (€2.15bn, £1.93bn) scheme that encompasses 70 acres of land and water along Harbor Drive, is currently in the initial planning stages with architects Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) and developers 1HWY1.

The first installation of the Museum of Underwater Art – a series of inter-tidal and fully submerged galleries planned for the Great Barrier Reef region of Queensland, Australia – is due to open in December on the coast at Townsville. Ocean Siren will be a solar-powered sculpture of a young girl, which uses live temperature data supplied by the Australian Institute of Marine Science to give a visual representation of

A spectacular light and sound event has launched in Townsville, north-eastern Queensland in Australia. Halo, which is created by Sydney-based AGB Events, will run in the evenings until 4 August, and is being staged in conjunction with the inaugural North Australian Festival of Arts. The event will see Castle Hill, which looms above the city, lit up with a dramatic light and sound show for five minutes, every 20 minutes.

The Horniman Museum and Gardens in London is seeking feedback on concept plans produced by Studio Egret West that are designed to make the museum more accessible, enhance the visitor experience and develop more income-generating opportunities. Overlooking Dulwich in south-east London, the Grade II*-listed building opened in 1901 and houses around 350,000 objects, artefacts and specimens from around the world, with galleries that include anthropology, natural history, music and an

Cultural heritage has become the latest focus for Microsoft in its AI for Good portfolio – a five-year commitment to using artificial intelligence to tackle some of society's biggest challenges. The project will create opportunities for designers and architects to collaborate on projects impacting facilities. "As we have learned more about the dimensions that make up cultural heritage, we've concluded that preserving cultural heritage isn't something that is solely nice

Virgin Galactic believes it has the necessary financial muscle to achieve commercialisation of its space tourism flights, after merging with investment partnership Social Capital Hedosophia (SCH). The transaction, which is due to complete during the second half of 2019, will deliver US$1.3bn (€1.16bn, £1.04bn) of equity to Virgin Galactic, made up of US$1bn (€890m, £800m) in common stock of the combined company (at US$10 per share) and up to US$300m

New Zealand's Auckland Zoo has revealed a timetable for opening each part of its new South East Asia Jungle Track project ‒ a NZ$58m (US$39m, €34.6m, £31m) investment that's part of the zoo's wider 10-year, NZ$150m (US$100.9m, €89.5m, £80.4m) evolution programme, funded by Auckland Council. The zoo has worked with Studio Hansen Roberts on the design of the South East Asia Jungle Track, with NZ Strong (builders), Jacobs Engineering and

One of the Middle East's biggest aquariums, the National Aquarium in Abu Dhabi, is on track to open in 2020 as a cornerstone of upcoming mixed-use destination, Al Qana. The development, by Al Barakah International Investment (BII) and Abu Dhabi Municipality, will welcome a million visitors a year when complete. The 7,000sq m (22,965sq ft), aquarium will be home to 33,000 responsibly- and ethically-sourced marine creatures to highlight the importance

Architects who love Lego will be able to treat their families to a Lego holiday experience when a new Lego waterpark opens in Italy in 2020. Gardaland has announced plans to open Europe's first Lego-branded waterpark, designed by Merlin Magic Making, with the multi-million dollar development set to open its doors next year. Aimed at families with children aged two to twelve, the new addition to the Italian theme park

The Museum of London has revealed the designs for its new home in West Smithfield, with the development scheme laying out a 24-hour cultural hub in the heart of the British capital. Described as one of the largest cultural projects in Europe, the design process has been led by Stanton Williams and Asif Kahn, with Julian Harrap Architects also involved. Celebrating the existing architecture of the Westfield site, which is

CLAD has learned that the South Korean government plans to trigger a building boom in the museums and cultural sector, with the construction of 140 new museums and 46 new art galleries by 2023. The policy was announced by the country's Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism. The move is part of a new five-year plan aimed at making Korean art and artefacts more accessible and doubling the proportion of

OMA have released images of their latest design for the New Museum of Contemporary Art expansion in Manhattan, New York which has been in the planning stages since May 2016. Set to rise at 235 Bowery, next to the recently completed SANAA-designed flagship, the future structure will more than double the museum's capacity, adding 937 sq m of exhibition space. The US$63m (€55.3m, £49.5m) extension will also add an 80-cover

Integrated design practice Snøhetta have teamed up with AECOM and WCIT Architecture to redesign the Neal S. Blaisdell Center in Honolulu, Hawaii. The new masterplan will see the 22-acre cultural venue expanded to include a concert hall, exhibition centre, and sports pavilion. The complex will also feature a number of outdoor spaces – such as ponds, gardens, and rivulets – all of which will follow what the design team have

A new world-class museum project documenting the Roman history of the city of York, UK, will be part of a proposed £150m (US$190.5m, €167.5m) city centre redevelopment called the Roman Quarter. The York Archeological Trust is partnering with York-based property developers North Star, DC Architecture and hotel operator Native to deliver the project in Rougier Street. Three buildings will be demolished to make way for the development, enabling the 33,000sq

The first stage in the preparation of a planning application for the proposed Eden Project North in the UK has been completed, with the submission of an Environmental Impact Assessment Scoping Report to Lancaster City Council. Designed by Grimshaw Architects, the £85m (US$108m, €95.6m) development will see a series of mussel-shaped pavilions capable of housing a variety of environments built on the seafront at Morecambe, Lancashire. In the latest information

The Frank Lloyd Wright Trust has announced plans to build a visitor centre at the architect’s former home and studio in Oak Park, Illinois. Set to expand the property’s indoor and outdoor capacity by more than 20,000 sq ft (1,858 sq m), the future annexe will comprise a reception hall, ticketing area, shop, education centre, and conference room. The landmark will also feature an entry plaza, which will double as

Danish architect Bjarke Ingels has announced plans to create an 18-storey pagoda at Tivoli Gardens theme park in Copenhagen, Denmark. The new structure, which will be built as an extension to the park’s 126-year-old Tivoli Castle, will house the H. C. Andersen Hotel (named after Danish fairytale writer, Hans Christian Andersen). Calling the project a “hybrid”, Ingels also said it would bridge Copenhagen’s “past and present”, serving as an “archive

Germany's Circus Roncalli has replaced its live animals with holograms to raise awareness of animal cruelty in the industry. The Circus, which has been touring since 1976, previously featured animals such as elephants and horses performing tricks and stunts for the viewing audience. Now the circus has done away with these animal performances, instead using 3D holograms projected into the ringmaster's circle.

Japanese architect Junya Ishigami has created a shingle-covered Serpentine Pavilion that draws on the ancient building cultures of Cumbria, UK. Situated on the grounds of The Serpentine Gallery in London's Kensington Gardens, the artwork features a 61-tonne slate canopy and is supported by a series of white poles. “This is an attempt to supplement traditional architecture with modern methodologies and concepts, to create in this place an expanse of scenery

The opening of the new Humboldt Forum museum in Berlin has been delayed until 2020 due to construction delays. Housed inside a reconstructed Prussian palace in the east of the city, the museum – which is named after the explorer and polymath Alexander von Humboldt – was due to open in September 2019. However, in a status update, it was admitted "it would be unrealistic to expect the building to

The Andermatt Concert Hall (ACH) – a 650-capacity arts venue said to be the ‘first major purpose-built concert hall in any Alpine ski village’ has officially opened its doors. Designed by Studio Seilern Architects and constructed by BESIX Group, the new facility is situated in Andermatt, Switzerland, and can accomodate orchestras of up to 75 people. Kahle Acoustics were responsible for sound engineering, while dUCKS scéno served as the theatre

Austrian practice Pumar Architekten have won an international competition to create a new aquarium at Vienna’s Tiergarten Schönbrunn – the world’s oldest zoo. According to the architects, the new facility will feature a below-ground visitor’s centre with a path leading through a mangrove garden to a large shark tank. The aquarium’s exterior facilities – set to be created by local studio dieLandschaftsplaner – will be shaped to simulate Alpine scenery,

Pace Gallery’s new Manhattan headquarters is set to open its doors on 14 September. Designed by New York-based architecture firm Bonetti/Kozerski (B/K), and situated on 540 West 25th Street in Chelsea, the 75,000 sq ft (6,967 sq m) flagship will boast a volcanic stone façade and feature five new indoor and outdoor galleries, a library, and a performance hall. Once open, the space, which is being developed by Weinberg Properties,

Construction of the new Richard Gilder Center for Science, Education and Innovation at the American Museum of Natural History in New York has begun, following delays caused by a lawsuit brought by a community group. The hotly anticipated new wing of the museum – a projected US$383m (€338m, £301m), 230,000sq ft (70,104sq m) project – has been designed by Studio Gang Architects, with the intention of improving visitor circulation to

A telescope that once belonged to Sir Isaac Newton, the microscope used by Robert Hooke to create the captivating drawings of insects and plants in his book Micrographia, and a range of objects commissioned by England's King George III upon his coronation, are among the exhibits at a new permanent gallery in London's Science Museum. The Science City 1550–1800: The Linbury Gallery exhibition, which is due to open in September,

Proposals for a world-class automotive museum in the heart of the English countryside have moved a step further towards realisation with the awarding of outline planning permission. The Mullin Automotive Park will be situated over 63 hectares at the disused Enstone airfield near Chipping Norton in The Cotswolds, UK. It would provide public access to view the classic car collection of US businessman Peter Mullin, founder of M Financial Group,