Fresh off the back of revamping New York's Times Square and designing a major museum celebrating Europe’s oldest cave paintings, architecture studio Snøhetta have completed something rather more intimate: a new range of ready-made mobile cabins. Called Gapahuk, the simple structure is designed to fit into nearly any scenery – from mountains to forest or by the sea. The product has been designed for Rindalshytter, Norway’s leading producer of leisure

International consulting firm Linser Hospitality has been engaged to develop the extensive health and wellness programming for the Kemeri Park project in Jurmula, Latvia. The development includes both a five-star luxury hotel – set in a grand, historically significant building – and a four-star medical clinic situated a few hundred meters away, as well as a regeneration of the surrounding village into a wellness community. Linser Hospitality will be responsible

A team led by landscape architecture studio Grant Associates with WilkinsonEyre has won an international competition to design a 41 hectare Friendship Park in northern China’s first and largest ‘eco city’. At the heart of the landscape will be a conservatory complex comprising five glass biomes, each housing tropical plant collections and water gardens. A wetland centre, an urban dock, play areas, an event lawn and amphitheatre will also be

Barack and Michelle Obama, the former president and first lady of the United States, have today (4 May) unveiled the design of the planned Obama Presidential Center on Chicago’s South Side. Designed by Todd Williams Billie Tsien Architects, the complex will be formed of a museum dedicated to Obama’s presidency, a library of his archives and a forum to advance the Obama Foundation’s public mission to promote global progress. Visitors

Canadian hospitality group Fairmont Hotels & Resorts is continuing its global expansion strategy with the opening of a hotel in Istanbul, Turkey. The 209-room Fairmont Quasar is located in Mecidiyeköy, one of Istanbul’s business quarters on the western side of city. It is housed in the wider Quasar Istanbul complex, which occupies a site once home to a liquor factory designed by the French architect Robert Mallet Stevens – parts

Architect Carl Galioto, the managing principal of HOK’s New York and Philadelphia offices, has been named the practice’s new president. Galioto, who also serves on HOK’s board of directors and leads its technical board, will now work directly with HOK chair and CEO Bill Hellmuth, himself promoted last year, to lead the global design, architecture, engineering and planning firm. “Carl is extremely well-qualified to assume this position,” said Hellmuth. “In

Following hot on the heels of electric cars, solar-storing roof tiles, and the super-fast Hyperloop transport system, billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk has begun work on yet another city-shaping concept: a network of underground of tunnels that will ease congestion in gridlocked cities. Musk has founded a new firm, drily named The Boring Company, to develop the concept – with the first tunnel network visualised for Los Angeles. A video has

Thirty years after it first opened, Center Parcs has unveiled its new Forest Spa concept at its 1,500sq m (16,146sq ft) Sherwood Forest location in England, showcasing 26 new spa experiences in a completely redesigned two-storey spa. “This is not just a refurbishment, but an evolution of our brand,” said Sue Goddard, group leisure manager. “We don’t want to wait until our spa concept shows its age – we want

There are more opportunities for leisure architects and designers working in China and Hong Kong than ever before, according to the creative director of the annual Design Shanghai event. Ross Urwin told CLAD that “leisure is undoubtedly the area of expansion in China at the moment.” “I have worked with different hospitality brands here, and their lifestyle offerings are changing massively,” he said. “Leisure is the key driver. Whether it

David Chipperfield has overcome stiff competition to win the high-profile design competition to create a 1,000-capacity concert hall in Edinburgh. Adjaye Associates, Richard Murphy, Allies & Morrison, Barozzi Veiga and KPMB were all in contention for the commission, but the vision outlined by Chipperfield's practice was enough to sway the developers of the £45m (US$58.1m, €53.2m) venue; the city’s first new performance building in 100 years. The concert hall has

The architect behind the American Museum of Natural History's hotly-anticipated new wing has made a passionate plea for investment in science education, saying: "You've got people denying climate change. It's a crisis." In an exclusive interview with CLAD, Jeanne Gang talks about her work with the museum, the masterplan and dolphin sanctuary she is creating for the Baltimore National Aquarium, Studio Gang's temporary installation for the National Building Museum and

Sports architecture practice Populous have completed the redevelopment of the Warner Stand at the world famous Lord’s Cricket Ground in London. Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), the owner of the ground, tasked the architects with designing a stand that delivers an enhanced spectator experience, hosts significantly upgraded facilities and “ensures Lord’s retains its competitive advantage as the premier and most prestigious ground in the world to play and watch international cricket.”

US design studios AvroKO and Meyer Davis have won prestigious prizes at the 2017 James Beard Foundation Restaurant Design Awards. The former were recognised for their work designing Californian-Japanese bistro SingleThread in Healdsburg, California, which was named the best new restaurant with a capacity of 75 Seats and Under. The latter triumphed in the category for 76 Seats and Over, with their design for Italian seafood and pasta eatery St.

“Endless political wrangling” is responsible for the likely abandonment of London’s Garden Bridge project, its designer Thomas Heatherwick has claimed. Last week London mayor Sadiq Khan said his office will not guarantee to underwrite the bridge’s operational and maintenance costs, if private funding and commercial operations can not cover them. Planning permissions for the bridge require such a commitment from the mayor. In a letter to Lord Mervyn Davies, chair

Danish architecture studio C.F. Møller have won a commission to design a landmark skyscraper for the city of Västerå, Sweden, featuring a panoramic garden wrapped around the 15th floor. Overlooking Lake Mälaren, the project is conceived as an apartment block, meeting space and “significant destination” for the district of Lilludden – complete with bars, restaurants and a public square. The 15,700sq m (169,000sq ft) building will have an elliptical footprint

Hospitality giant Hyatt’s plan to build the largest hotel in the Pacific Northwest is taking shape in downtown Seattle. Construction work is advancing on the 45-storey, 500ft tall (152.4m) Hyatt Regency Seattle, which will be composed of two primary volumes: a semi-detached, eight-floor podium and a striking “ethereal” tower housing the hotel’s 1,260-rooms. Designed by LMN Architects, the 1.4 million sq ft mixed-use building is inspired by a diverse mix

The committee hoping to bring the Olympic Games to Los Angeles in 2024 has released new renderings of Valley Sports Park – the district that would host several events at the tournament if the city’s bid is successful. In keeping with LA’s sustainability-first and low-risk pitch for the Games, the Valley Sports Park is comprised of temporary facilities combined with existing venues, both set against a backdrop of the Santa

Here are some of the stories that appeared on CLAD this week, from a spectacular cantilevered skybridge in Dubai to stadium seats made from palm trees. Monday • Kengo Kuma’s US$33.5m US$33.5m (€31.3m, £26.2m) expansion of Portland’s Japanese Garden, celebrated as one of the most authentic of its kind gardens outside Japan, has opened to the public. Read here. • Japanese architecture practice Nikken Sekkei are designing “a timeless new

The architecture industry must address its diversity, gender, and equity issues by embracing fresh voices from all walks of life, former US first lady Michelle Obama has said. Speaking in conversation with the president of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Thomas Vonier at the organisation’s annual conference, Obama urged those working in the profession to communicate what their work is about "So many kids don't even know what an

The Sydney authority responsible for developing vast swathes of new public realm for the city has released its proposal for a one-hectare public park, an expanded waterfront walkway, a public pier and a new Harbour cove. The Barangaroo Delivery Authority, on behalf of the New South Wales government, is planning the attractions to complete Barangaroo South – Sydney's largest urban renewal project since the 2000 Olympics. Development firm Lendlease will

Architecture studio Allied Works have drafted plans for an ambitious US$50m (£38.6m, €45.7m) upgrade for the stadium belonging to Major League Soccer (MLS) franchise the Portland Timbers. The privately financed project would see the capacity of Providence Park expanded by 4,000 and would add a 93-foot high covered structure to the east side of the stadium. Four new levels will be added to the expanded east side – three of

The mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has formally withdrawn his support for a Thomas Heatherwick-designed Garden Bridge across the River Thames; bringing a likely end to a project that has fiercely split opinion. In a letter to Lord Mervyn Davies, chair of the Garden Bridge Trust, which has been overseeing the controversial crossing, Khan said the lack of all the necessary land use agreements and a significant funding shortfall mean

Dubai-based Emaar Hospitality Group, the hospitality and leisure arm of Emaar Properties, has announced plans to open six new hotels in the Middle East. The new properties in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Egypt will be operated under the Group's luxury brands – the premium luxury Address Hotels + Resorts and the upscale lifestyle Vida Hotels and Resorts. Among the new hotels will be the Address Marassi Beach Resort and Address

A 2,850sq m ESPA spa will be part of the One&Only Sanya, set to open later this year. The first One&Only in China, One&Only Sanya will open in Q4 2017. The 190-bedroom resort is designed by architect Jean-Michel Gathy and will be situated among 40 acres of palm trees with views of the South China Sea. The ESPA spa will be set in a secluded garden area, and include an

The government of Canada and Quebec municipality have each pledged to invest US$4.4m (€4m, £3.4m) for the construction of a large-scale aqua-gym complex in the town of Dolbeau-Mistassini, the government of which will fund the same amount. The facility will feature nn indoor waterpark, including a shallow pool, slides and water games; a six-corridor pool; two diving areas; a sauna; two mezzanines; and a gymnasium. "Cultural and recreational infrastructure helps

South Korean architecture studio Heerim Architects and Planners are reportedly in line to design Qatar’s 40,000-capacity Fifth Precinct Stadium, which will host matches up to the quarter-final stage at the 2022 FIFA World Cup. According to Reuters, the practice said in a stock exchange statement on Tuesday (25 April) that it has agreed a US$16.2m (€14.8m, £12.6m) design and engineering services contract for the project. A joint venture of Qatar’s

Art and lighting collective teamLab have designed a multi-sensory interactive experience for diners at one of Tokyo's most exclusive new beef restaurants. Sagaya, located in Ginza district, welcomes just eight customers per day to try its 12-course meals and “indulge themselves in a multi-sensory experience of taste, smell, and the scenic beauty of Japan.” The immersive space combines with ceramic art and real-time projections onto the tables and walls of