US-based health club chain Equinox has revealed plans to open two new properties in London. The premium operator, which opened its first UK club in the capital’s upmarket Kensington area in 2012, said the two new clubs are part of plans for a “continued expansion throughout London in the coming years”. The first of the new clubs, located at 12 St. James’s Street in central London, is set to open

Kengo Kuma has urged architects and developers to locate new museums in the centre of communities to better connect them with local life. Speaking exclusively to CLAD, the Japanese architect explained that his first priority when designing a new museum is to “pick up an experience of the place.” “The role of architects in the 21st century is to create a link between people and art,” he said. “We should

International hospitality interior design firm Hirsch Bedner Associates (HBA) have announced a major expansion into Western Europe with the opening of one new office in London and investment in another, which will focus on bespoke, high-concept boutique projects. In addition to opening the new division, the firm have also appointed a new principal to its main London office. Matt White, who has 25 years of luxury hospitality design experience, including

Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA) are to build a cultural and research complex for a Unesco World Heritage site in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia. The firm have won first prize in the competition to build the Urban Heritage Administration Centre, which will incorporate a permanent exhibition gallery, library, lecture hall, educational and meeting spaces and a scientific institution for conducting field research for ongoing digs in the Wadi Hanifah valley. The 8,780sq

Shreyas Yoga Retreat in India has opened a new 20,000sq ft (1,858sq m) partially submerged spa, designed by Akshay and Aditi Heranjal from Purple Ink Studio. Anaha, the Spa at Shreyas includes a main building that descend below the earth, with the light and air movement planned from a series of sunken courts. Facilities include four dedicated ayurveda therapy rooms, two rooms for mud therapy, and a separate naturotherapy section.

New York studio Selldorf Architects will lead a major upgrade and expansion of art museum and research institution The Frick Collection. Originally housed primarily in the New York residence of industrialist and art patron Henry Clay Frick – who left his vast collection of old master paintings to the institution – the Frick Collection now encompasses several buildings, wings and gardens that have not undergone a significant upgrade in almost

A documentary has been released tracking Pritzker Prize-winning architect Jean Nouvel around the world as he explains and reflects on key buildings in his career – both built and under construction. The 15-minute film, called Jean Nouvel: Reflections, was directed by filmmaker Matt Tyrnauer, who was given exclusive access to follow Nouvel on visits to several building sites where his projects are taking shape. Among the buildings featured are a

Here are some of the stories that appeared on CLAD this week, from the latest organic leisure design from MAD Architects to Richard Meier’s thoughts on private developers and public space. Monday • Lebanese French Architect Hala Wardé wins competition for modern, contemporary art museum in the heart of Beirut, Lebanon. Read here. • A coalition of American and Italian researchers can turn any window into a daytime power source.

The developers of 3D digital modelling software VUCITY have designed a new experience to showcase the technology: a virtual reality Top Gear-style challenge. Users sit in a chair, put on an Oculus Rift headset and proceed steer a race car through a virtual reality model of central London that is accurate to within 15cm and includes landmarks such as London Bridge, St Paul’s Cathedral and Renzo Piano's Shard. The technology

Footballing trio Rio Ferdinand, Mark Noble and Bobby Zamora have launched an innovative urban regeneration model designed to use sport and leisure to bring new life to communities. The Legacy Foundation was formed to build new developments in the UK with high-quality social, affordable, rented and privately-owned homes. Community and sporting facilities are central to the project and are the main hook to raise aspirations, wellbeing and quality of life

Interior designer Andre Fu has completed a restaurant by a lagoon for Grand Hyatt’s new Sanya resort in Hainan, China. The design of the two-storey site, called Yu Cun, is inspired by the kitchens of the floating homes of the local Dan minority and creates a relaxed fine-dining experience. The layout includes three private dining rooms and eight private pavilions nestled along the lagoon. The structures are formed of bronzed

Nicholas Garrison – lead architect for the Statue of Liberty’s new museum on its home of Liberty Island – has said he wants his vision to “inspire people” just as the famous monument has for more than 130 years. The US$70m (€63.7m, £57m) museum, designed to celebrate the Statue of Liberty, will transform Liberty Island into a full-fledged visitor attraction, according to Garrison, who is principal for architecture practice FXFOWLE.

Italian architecture practice Studio Fuksas have completed the largest new building in Rome in over 50 years: a convention hall and hotel nicknamed The Cloud. Opening this month after nearly two decades in development, the New Rome/EUR Convention Hall will host exhibitions and conferences expected to bring in as much as €400m (US$437m, £358m) annually to the city of Rome. Located south of the city’s core, the complex is open

One of Singapore's few remaining 19th century luxury hotels, Raffles, will undergo a “careful and sensitive” restoration programme next year. The hotel’s owner, Katara Hospitality, has announced that the Singapore office of architecture firm AEDAS will lead the project alongside interior designer Alexandra Champalimaud. The renovation will take place over three phases beginning in January 2017. The first will see the Raffles Hotel Arcade undergo restoration works while other areas

World famous fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld is moving into the world of hospitality design by launching his own hotel, restaurant and nightclub chain. Fashion company The Karl Lagerfeld Group has signed a deal with hotel operator Brandmark Collective BV to establish Karl Lagerfeld Hotels; a new brand that will open properties in “key cities and resort destinations” around the world. The German designer is well-known for his love of living

Pritzker Prize-winning architect Richard Meier has spoken about the importance of good quality public space in cities, arguing that there should be incentives at government level for developers to incorporate public space into their projects. Speaking exclusively to CLAD, the Getty Center architect said: “The problem is that developers really have no incentive to create public space. It's rare that a developer is going to give up space on their

Architecture practice Perkins + Will is leading development for Detroit’s recently announced US$50m (€45.6m, £40.6m) Motown Museum – a 50,000sq ft (4,650sq m) tourist destination dedicated to the music genre. The museum announced on Monday (17 October) a capital campaign to add 40,000sq ft (3,700sq m) to the existing 10,000sq ft (929sq m) space. Planned improvements include new interactive exhibits, a theatre, recording studios and an enlarged museum store. When

Olympic stadiums and facilities should be protected with their own cultural heritage listing, a leading member of the International Association for Sport and Leisure Facilities (IAKS) has argued. Speaking at the Olympic Museum’s new stadium design exhibition in Lausanne, Dr Miranda Kiuri, who is also an architect and researcher at the University of Liege, called on UNESCO to introduce a new listing category for stadiums that have a strong cultural,

The chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, India, has inaugurated a new museum dedicated to socialist political leader Jayaprakash Narayan. Shri Akhilesh Yadav declared the JN Interpretation Centre, also known as the Museum of Socialism, open on 11 October – 114 years on from the birth of Narayan, who fought for independence and social reform in India. Designed by architecture studios Archohm and Design Factory India, and constructed by the Lucknow

The James Beard Foundation (JBF) has announced that the call for entries for its 2017 Restaurant Design Awards is officially open. Architects, interior designers and restaurateurs have until 27 January, 2017 to submit their North American restaurants – which must have been opened since January 2014 – for consideration via an online portal on the JBF website. The restaurant design awards will be presented in three categories: 75 seats and

Ma Yansong and MAD Architects have unveiled their design for a brand new China Philharmonic Hall in Beijing. Located in the bustling business district of Sanlitun next to the multipurpose Beijing Workers Stadium, the building will take the form of a curving 11,600sq m (125,000sq ft) structure covered by a translucent curtain facade. Lush trees and lotus ponds will be installed around the south side of the site in order

Following an extensive renovation, the acclaimed Freemark Abbey winery in California’s Napa Valley has reopened to reveal a total transformation of its century-old stone building, which now houses a high-end restaurant and visitor centre. San Francisco firms SB Architects and BraytonHughes Design Studio led the design of the project, which pays homage to Freemark Abbey’s past while introducing several complementary contemporary features. The original stonework dating from 1886 is highlighted

Pritzker Prize-winning architect Peter Zumthor has told CLAD that his proposed redevelopment of the LA County Museum of Art (LACMA) will create a “sacred, sublime kind of experience.” In an exclusive interview during a recent trip to London, Zumthor explained his vision for the project. “The museum is not organised in timelines, periods or geographical regions,” he said. “It's organised like a forest with clearings inside, where we have free

Lebanese French Architect Hala Wardé will design a modern, contemporary art museum in the heart of Beirut, Lebanon. An international jury featuring Richard Rogers, Rem Koolhaas, Julia Peyton-Jones and chaired by Pritzker Prize chair Lord Peter Palumbo selected Wardé’s firm HW architecture from a shortlist of 13 design teams to create a home for BeMA: Beirut Museum of Art. The new museum will be centrally located in the heart of

Lesna in Poland, is set to welcome a “first-of-its-kind” immersive learning experience and conference next month, dubbed by its creators “The College of Extraordinary Experiences”. Taking place between 10 and 13 November, the event brings together some of the most high-profile experience designers in the world to share with delegates how to stage engaging, memorable and extraordinary experiences, using the grand setting of Lesna’s Czocha Castle as the backdrop. “The

This weekend some of the Big Apple’s most architecturally and culturally significant sites will be opened to visitors for the annual Open House New York Weekend, which celebrates the city’s architecture and urban design. Enhanced levels of access will be granted at more than 250 different sites across the five boroughs – from historic to contemporary and from residential to industrial – for ‘tours, talks, and exploration”. A major focus

Design firm Snøhetta will create a strategy to redevelop the 16-acre riverfront campus of The Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) in Portland, it has been announced today (14 October). Multiple firms, including local studios, will join Snøhetta’s design team to create a long-term masterplan for the site. OMSI is seeking how to best develop its property to enhance its economic and environmental benefit, while highlighting the museum’s role