New York design studio Snarkitecture have once again revived The Beach, their popular installation involving an indoor seaside experience and an ocean of plastic balls. Sydney is the latest destination to host the piece, which doubles as an artwork and an attraction and was first created in 2015 for the National Building Museum in Washington D.C – where it attracted 200,000 visitors in just two months. Taking cues from the

Robert Konieczny, the principal of Polish architecture studio KWK Promes, has described how he won the World Architecture Festival’s 2016 Building of the Year prize by creating a museum that doubles as a “city-forming” public space for the people of Szczecin, Poland. The National Museum and Dialogue Centre Przelomy – which explores the city’s history of Nazi occupation, resistance against post-war Soviet communist authority, and eventual transition to democracy –

The British Film Institute (BFI) has confirmed Thailand’s PACE Development Corporation is its preferred bidder to fund its planned International Centre for Film, TV and the Moving Image on London’s South Bank. A BFI representative told CLAD the organisation is “now in contract negotiations” with the developer, which impressed “following a procurement process for process to test the market for investors.” The institute wants to create a flagship national home

Developers around the world are increasingly looking to the skies, with more buildings over 200m (656ft) completed in 2016 than in any other year. In its review of the year, the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) has determined that 128 buildings of 200m height or greater were completed around the world – a marking the third year running the record has been broken. The figure represents a

The opening of the hotly-anticipated Bristol Arena will be delayed by two years after the relationship between the main contractor and the council broke down over cost. According to a statement made by Bristol City Council, the local authority and Bouygues UK decided to “part ways” as a “price cannot be reached”. Last April, it was revealed that the Populous-designed venue – which is going to be used for sport

Wonderland – Dubai’s first theme park which closed its doors in 2013 – will be resurrected after developers revealed plans for a AED1.8bn (US$490m, €460m, £402m) redevelopment of the abandoned attraction. To be executed in three phases, Ento Capital Management is in charge of the redevelopment, which is scheduled to start in Q1 2017, with work taking three years to complete. As part of the redevelopment masterplan by Forrec, the

New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art has delayed plans to redevelop its southwest wing by as long as seven years, as the famous institution aims to get its finances in order. Deficits have led the museum to cut US$31m (€29.1m, £25.4m) from its annual operating budget, something it has achieved with voluntary buyouts and layoffs, also increasing retail revenue in its stores. With the museum trying to balance its books

US Major League Soccer (MLS) franchise Los Angeles FC have released new images of their forthcoming stadium, designed by architects and engineers Gensler. The images reveal new perspectives of the Banc of California Stadium, and particularly its semi-transparent curving roof, which will make the building an instantly recognisable landmark for driver’s passing on the adjacent freeway. Ground was broken on the US$250m (€234.8m, £204.5m) project in August 2016, and construction

Plans for a £1.3bn (US$1.6bn, €1.5bn) tidal lagoon in Welsh city Swansea have been backed by a government-commissioned independent review, with a number of conclusions suggesting further development across the UK if the project is a success. The innovative renewable energy scheme, which will be the world’s first tidal lagoon to generate clean electricity, has a large leisure component – including an oyster hatchery attraction and watersport centre designed by

Chinese architecture and design firm Golucci International have completed a Shanghai hot pot restaurant inspired by Asia’s spa heritage. Si-Pu Nabe, located in the Tianshan neighbourhood, has been designed as an intimate space where diners can choose either to reflect in isolation or socialise in a relaxed atmosphere. To provide a platform for contemplation, the restaurant has no public areas and instead consists of 27 private dining rooms of various

A major new spa designed by Blainey North has opened in Crown Towers Perth, Australia. Crown Spa boasts 13 opulent, aqua-hued treatment rooms, vitality pools tiled in gold and platinum, spa tables designed by Gharieni, marble showers and curtained relaxation zones. Reminiscent of traditional Roman bath houses, North drew inspiration from the refraction of light underwater when looking up towards the sun, to create an oasis and provide a relaxing

Situated overlooking the Hudson River and with sweeping views of Manhattan, urban spa resort and hotel SoJo Spa Club will welcome its first guests this month. Billed as an "eight-storey slice of heaven on the Hudson," the 240,000sq ft (22,297sq m) riverside retreat includes 60,000sq ft (5,574sq m) of wellness space spread over three floors. The spa itself features 17 treatment rooms across 7,000sq ft (650sq m): two couple’s rooms,

New York’s American Museum of Natural History has unveiled new details for its US$340m (€319m, £277m) Gilder Center – a massive development intended to expand the institution’s role for scientific research and education. Adding a 21st century facelift to the 150-year-old museum, the development is being designed by Studio Gang Architects under the leadership of Jeanne Gang, with exhibit design by Ralph Appelbaum Associates and a new design for a

Factory, the flagship arts building for the north of England designed by Rem Koolhaas’ Office for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA), has been granted planning approval by Manchester City Council. Construction will begin in Q1 2017 on the large-scale venue, which has been designed to reflect the “extraordinary creative vision and breadth of Manchester’s cultural life”. Ellen van Loon and OMA founder Rem Koolhaas are leading the project. The £110m (US$137.2m, €129.6m)

Premier League football club Chelsea has seen its application to build a new £500m (US$614.6m, €585.3m) stadium approved by the local council. The London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham have give the green light to the structure, which will be built on the site of the club’s current Stamford Bridge ground. Herzog & de Meuron – the architect behind the innovative Nouveau Stade de Bordeaux, which was used for Euro

Soeters Van Eldonk will oversee a “large-scale renovation project” of the Amsterdam ArenA, which will innovate with energy by using repurposed car batteries as a back-up system. The home to Ajax – the most famous and successful Dutch football team – will undergo its most ambitious revamp since it opened in 1996 as part of its Project ArenA 2020 strategy. Project ArenA 2020 will occur in three stages. The first

George Lucas’s long-held dream to build a museum celebrating the art of storytelling may finally come to fruition, with the Hollywood director closing in on an agreement to construct the complex in Los Angeles’ Exposition Park. The long-running saga – which has seen the project beset by legal battles and location changes – took a surprising twist last month when Lucas unveiled alternative designs for the museum in LA and

Dubai developer Nakheel and leading Thai hotel group Centara Hotels have signed a joint venture agreement to create a AED500m (US$136m, €129m, £112m) beachfront resort at Deira Islands in Dubai. The two companies will develop an upscale resort on a prime stretch of beach on Deira Islands – a new, 15.3sq km (5.9sq mile), world-class tourism, leisure, retail and entertainment hub that will include a spa and fitness centre. Nakheel’s

One of Europe’s most significant new cultural buildings will open to the public today (11 January), with a special concert for 1,000 lucky ticket winners. The Hamburg Elbphilharmonie, by Swiss architecture studio Herzog & de Meuron, is formed of a shimmering glass covered volume – consisting of 1,100 individual panes – sat atop the original brick structure of an industrial warehouse on the city’s harbour-side. The structure is home to

Museo Atlántico – Europe’s first underwater museum – has been inaugurated as British underwater sculptor Jason deCaires Taylor’s creation of more than 300 works opens 12m (39ft) below the surface of the Atlantic Ocean. Located just off the coast of Lanzarote, Taylor’s sculptures are made from specialised marine cement that is 20 times more durable than normal construction cement and impervious to saltwater. Installed between February and December 2016, a

The windswept beaches of Toronto, Canada are set to once again host a seasonal design spectacle, with the eight winners of the third annual Winter Stations Design Competition revealed today (10 January). Entrants were tasked with designing “playful” temporary installations – based around the beaches’ lifeguard stations – that can draw people to brave the chilly outdoors and interact with the icy environment. The theme of the contest this time

A new museum dedicated to the founding fathers of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) opened in Dubai on Saturday (7 January). Located on the waterfront of the emirate, the wavy design of the Etihad (Union) Museum is inspired by the shape of a manuscript, with its seven tapering columns emulating the seven pens used to sign the 1971 Union agreement that created the UAE. The project design team, led by

Artist Nayan Kulkarni has installed a 75m-long (250ft) rotor blade in the centre of Hull – the first in a series of temporary installations marking its year as UK City of Culture. Commissioned in partnership with Siemens and with the support of Green Port Hull, “Blade” is part of Look Up – a year-long programme for Hull 2017 that will feature a number of artists creating works designed to look

The architecture firm behind Minnesota Vikings’ US$1.1bn (£905.9m, €1bn) US Bank Stadium has been appointed by Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise the Texas Rangers to design a new ballpark. HKS will develop a design for the venue to include a retractable roof for climate control. It will also have a capacity of 42,000, down from the 50,000 spectators Texas Rangers’ can accommodate at its current Globe Life stadium, with fans

Global luxury brand JW Marriott Hotels & Resorts has debuted its Marco Island Beach Resort in southwest Florida, USA, following a $320 million (€303m, £260m) renovation and conversion project. Two phases of a three-part makeover have been completed at the 726-room Balinese-styled resort, which features two championship golf courses, indoor and outdoor dining and a spa. In autumn this year, the hotel will open an adults-only tower offering a rooftop

The Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group have commissioned interior designer Joyce Wang to lead a multi-million-pound restoration of its European flagship, the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, London. Wang – who previously oversaw the recent renovation of The Landmark Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong – will create the overall design concept for the Edwardian hotel’s 181 rooms, suites and public areas. She has taken her inspiration from the building’s park-side location, the glamorous