An internal nine-storey atrium, designed in the style of a Fabergé egg, is at the heart of designs for the proposed new Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Moscow, Russia, which have been unveiled by architects HOK. The 250-room, five-star property, which will be situated on the city's Tverskaya Road, is to be housed in a renovated 19th century manor house and features an 'upside-down' design that will invite visitors to check-in

A new multi-screen cinema and restaurants could be created on the site of a former livestock market in Hereford if a development agreement is given the green light by the local authority. Herefordshire Council's cabinet is to consider proposals for the first phase of a new retail quarter put forward by the ESG joint venture company, which was established by the council in a bid to regenerate a 100-acre (40.5-hectare)

Plans for the £1bn transformation of Coventry city centre may need to be reconsidered after the government announced that the city's 1950s Retail Market has been awarded Grade II-listed status. The market, which was built in 1957 and designed by Coventry City Council's (CCC) Architects Department, features a number of East German murals and has been described as an important part of England's architectural heritage by English Heritage. Deborah Porter,

A public inquiry has got underway to examine plans for the £150m mixed-use redevelopment of Lancaster's canal corridor, after the scheme was called in by the government earlier this year. The Castle View project, which was given the green light by Lancaster City Council in October, is facing opposition from English Heritage as the proposals include the demolition of 19th century buildings. Proposals drawn up by Centros, the London-based urban

Southend United Football Club (SUFC) has announced that it is planning to include a casino as part of a new 22,000-seat stadium development at Fossetts Farm in Essex. The £46m scheme, which was given the go-ahead by the government last September after being called in for a public inquiry, has now been altered to incorporate the proposed casino, as well as a new football academy and a retail development. According

Plans for a new 15-hectare (37.1-acre) mixed-use development, which will result in the creation of a new business quarter for the centre of Coventry, are to be put to the city council's Development Forum. Friargate Coventry, which is the development vehicle for Cannon Cannon Kirk, is behind the office-led scheme, and also includes two new hotels, restaurants, bars and retail units. The project also includes new public spaces, as well

Birmingham's historic Jewellery Quarter is set to receive an extensive refurbishment after plans for the £160m St Georges scheme were given the go-ahead by the Birmingham City Council (BCC). The first phase of the 6.8-acre (2.8-hectare) mixed-use scheme, which is the largest development in the Jewellery Quarter for more than 200 years, includes the £55m transformation of the former Kettleworks factory into office and retail space and a 60m (197ft)

Plans for the £48m development of a new leisure complex on the site of the Tropicana centre in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, have been put on hold until early 2010 due to the recession. The Lifestation@Tropicana project, which was approved by North Somerset Council's (NSC) West Area planning committee in October, had been set to get underway later this year as part of a wider scheme to revamp the town's seafront. However,

A new visitor attraction, based on the English Premiership football club Manchester United, has opened at The Venetian Macao-Resort-hotel in the Chinese special administrative region of Macau. The £1.5m, 1,000sq m indoor attraction was designed by UK-based MET Studio. The walk-through attraction offers guests a number of interactive stations as well as exhibits portraying the history of the club. Facilities at the attraction also include a large retail area.

New plans for the radical mixed-use redevelopment of London's Grade II-listed Commonwealth Institute building in Holland Park have angered heritage groups. The designs have been submitted to the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea Council (RBK&C) by the Office of Metropolitan Architecture (OMA), with the intention of converting the building into a possible new home for the Design Museum. The redevelopment, led by developers Chelsfield Partners, includes the removal of

Plans for the 100,000sq ft mixed-use regeneration of Greenwich Market in London, part of the Maritime Greenwich World Heritage Site, have been submitted to the London Borough of Greenwich. Designed by Hopkins Architects, the scheme is part of the redevelopment of Greenwich Town Centre. Among plans for the 0.7-hectare (1.7-acre) site are a 100-bed boutique hotel, shops and studios under a newly covered market square. The site is owned by

Plans for the £1bn transformation of the former Ferrier Estate and neighbouring Kidbrooke area in south-east London, have been approved by Greenwich Council and will include an array of leisure facilities. As part of the Kidbrooke Vision masterplan, Thomas Tallis secondary school will be redeveloped to include a dual-use gymnastics centre, martial arts dojo, a flood lit all-weather sports pitch and a six-court sports hall, designed for county and regional

Plans for a major new leisure-led development at the Elland Road stadium in Leeds, West Yorkshire, home to Leeds United Football Club (LUFC), have been given the green light by Leeds City Council (LCC). The council has passed a resolution to award full planning consent for the scheme, which will be linked to the venue's existing East Stand but does not involve increasing the stadium's 40,000-seat capacity. Designed by London-based

Taunton Dean Borough Council (TDBC) has appointed St Modwen as its preferred development partner for the £270m regeneration of a 6.7-hectare (17-acre) brownfield site in the centre of Taunton, Somerset. The Firepool scheme, which will create a new commercial centre for the town over a 12-year period, will form the first phase of Project Taunton – one of the largest town centre regeneration schemes in south west England, covering a

A new £23m indoor hub for skiing and snowboarding, which has been constructed on the site of the former Hemel Ski Slope in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, is to open on 6 May. The Snow Centre, which has been built by UK-based company Sir Robert McAlpine, incorporates a 160m (525ft) main slope suitable for skiers of all abilities, a 100m (328ft) lesson slope, a Snow and Rock retail outlet, a café

Development of the £13.5m mixed-use regeneration scheme at Rotherhithe, Canada Water, have moved a step closer with the appointment of a construction firm by Southwark Council. Contractors ISG Jackson have been signed to build the 3,165sq m library building, which will sit aside a new public space called the Dean Porters Plaza.The development is part of the Canada Water masterplan and is a key regeneration project for the council. The

Essex County Cricket Club's (ECCC) plans for the £85m redevelopment of The County Ground in Chelmsford are set go before a public inquiry after the government decided to call in the scheme. The scheme will see the complete overhaul of cricketing facilities at the County Ground, including a new pavilion, a new media centre and conference suites, as well as increasing the venue's capacity from 5,800 to around 7,500 seats.

A £150m scheme designed to transform the centre of Altrincham, Greater Manchester, is back on track after property firm Nikal acquired the remaining shares in the joint venture for an undisclosed sum. The future of the mixed-use development had been thrown into doubt following the collapse of the David McLean Group, the North Wales-based developer which entered administration in late 2008. Plans for the Altair scheme includes a 3,000-seat ice

St Modwen, the developer behind the proposed £100m regeneration of Bognor Regis, West Sussex, has been granted permission to put the scheme on hold for three years due to the economic downturn. Arun District Council approved a request from the company to delay the submission of a planning application for the project until the property market improves, although all other elements of the scheme will remain the same. Initial plans

Chesterfield Football Club's (CFC) plans to build a new £13m stadium at Whittingham Moor have taken a step forward after the club acquired 10 acres (4.05 hectares) of land from Wilson Bowden Developments (WBD). The new 10,500-seat stadium forms part of a wider regeneration scheme, which also includes a Tesco superstore and a mixed-use retail and business development on the the former Dema Glass industrial site. Planning permission was granted

Plans for the £180m transformation of a historic market in Canning Town, east London, have been given the green light by the London Thames Gateway Development Corporation (LTGDC). The 680,000sq ft (63,174sq m) regeneration of Rathbone Market will be one of the first projects as part of a wider redevelopment masterplan for the Canning Town area, incorporating a new market square and 49,000sq ft (4,552sq m) of retail space and

Genr8 Developments has been selected from a shortlist of three companies to lead the regeneration of the 1.2 million sq ft (111,484sq m) Central Business District in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire. International urban designers Gehl Architects and RHWL were appointed by Genr8 to draw up plans for the scheme, which includes 60,000sq ft (5,574sq m) of leisure and retail space, 250 hotel bedrooms and 230,000sq ft (21,368sq m) of public space. The

Proposals for a major mixed-use development in Tenby, Pembrokeshire, have been put forward by Dovey Estates in a bid to revitalise the seaside town's eastern gateway. At the heart of the scheme is the redevelopment of the Royal Gatehouse Hotel, which was severely damaged by fire last year, as well as adjacent properties including the Royal Playhouse Cinema and the Royal Lion Hotel. Under plans for the project, the exterior

Plans for a major mixed-use development on the site of the former Ram Brewery in Wandsworth, south west London, have been called in by communities secretary Hazel Blears. The £1bn scheme, which is led by investment and development company Minerva, received planning consent from Wandsworth Council in December 2008, as well as being given the backing of London mayor Boris Johnson. A riverside walk, two public squares and a viewing

The £4bn eco-dome designs for the Battersea Power Station in London are being re-considered after various consultations found the scheme to impede on world heritage views of the Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey. Real Estate Opportunities – which has a 67 per cent stake in the site's owner Treasury Holdings – appointed New York-based architect Rafael Viñoly to design the masterplan in April 2008. The design was based on

Cardiff Airport has unveiled plans for the extensive refurbishment of its terminal building as part of a comprehensive review into the facility's status as Wales' national airport. In addition to the terminal revamp, the airport has also undergone a brand review that has resulted in the renaming of the airport as Cardiff Airport/Maes Awyr Caerdydd and the creation of a new logo. Work on the terminal building will include new

The City of Edinburgh Council (CEC) has approved an outline planning application for the £850m transformation of a 13-acre (5.3-hectare) site in the heart of the city. Under plans for the new St James Quarter, the existing 1970s St James Shopping Centre and adjacent New St Andrew's House will be demolished to make way for a new retail and leisure development. A new 150-bedroom luxury hotel, an apart-hotel, restaurants and