Here are some of the stories that appeared on CLAD this week, from George Lucas' latest museum designs to a construction milestone for one of Qatar's leading stadiums. Monday • International hospitality interior design firm Hirsch Bedner Associates (HBA) have announced a major expansion into Western Europe with the opening of two new offices in London. Read here. • New York studio Selldorf Architects will lead a major upgrade and

Dutch architects Mecanoo have taken inspiration from the UK’s Eden Project to propose an expansive experimental garden in the grounds of the Netherlands' Soestdijk Palace. The Dutch government recently launched a competition to redevelop the royal residence and estate, located in the town of Baarn. In response, Mecanoo have partnered with exhibition designers Kossmann.dejong and engineering consultancy Royal HaskoningDHV to develop their vision for an eco-attraction, called Eden Soestdijk. An

Architecture studio WilkinsonEyre have been selected to develop a brand new railway museum in Leicester, UK, after a period of public consultation. The new museum is a partnership between Great Central Railway, Leicester City Council and the York’s National Railway Museum. Located next to the historic railway terminus at Leicester North station, it will house significant locomotives and carriages from the UK’s national collection. Six candidates were in the running

Amy McDonald, owner and CEO of Under a Tree, Health and Wellness Consulting, has created a destination spa built on Mayan tradition for the upcoming Chablé Resort in Mexico. Operated by Hamak Hotels, The Chablé Resort is set to open next month in Chochola, Yucatan, and will feature 38 glass-fronted casitas and two villas designed by Jorge Borja of Grupo BV. “Although it is really high-end luxury it is thoughtfully

Swiss studios Herzog & de Meuron and Vogt Landscape Architects have won the keenly-contested design competition for the Museum of the 20th Century in Berlin. Over 40 firms – including Sou Fujimoto, Zaha Hadid Architects, David Chipperfield, OMA, Snøhetta and SANAA – were invited to submit their proposals for the site, which will be located within the city’s cultural forum complex. The €200m (US$218.8m, £179.4m) museum will house a number

Six Senses is opening a spa in the ski-resort destination of Courchevel, France this December, catering to local residents, chalet owners, holidaymakers and other skiing enthusiasts. Located in the heart of Courchevel 1850, the spa is a part of Six Senses Residences Courchevel which houses 53 penthouses and apartments. Designed by Longo Palmarini Architecture & Partners, the spa will feature a bathing circuit designed with the skier’s needs in mind.

The saga of George Lucas’ long-running attempt to build a Museum of Narrative Arts in the US has taken another surprising twist, with concept designs released for locations in both San Francisco and Los Angeles. The Star Wars creator has been trying to establish the museum – which will explore how imagery tells stories from illustration to comics and films – for several years. His ambition to build it on

Leisure buildings dominate the shortlist of the first ever RIBA International Prize, which is seeking the best building in the world. The Heydar Aliyev Centre in Baku, Azerbaijan by Zaha Hadid Architects; the Stormen Concert Hall in Bodø, Norway by DRDH Architects; the Arcquipelago Contemporary Arts Centre in The Azores by Menos é Mais Aquitectos; and the Museo Jumex in Mexico City by David Chipperfield all feature on the six-strong

British architect David Adjaye has been appointed to masterplan the transformation of a disused San Francisco Navy base into a vibrant new leisure district. Development company Five Point is leading the project to redevelop the decommissioned Hunters Point site, now called the San Francisco Shipyard, as part of a wider 760-acre urban plan. When finished, the land will contain parks, sports facilities, artist studios, business incubators, shops, theatres, a performance

London’s Science Museum has kicked off the search for a lead designer to create its new London Science City Gallery. Applications are open until 21 November for firms to make their interest known. The selected practice will be responsible for the full coordination of design, engineering and services for the project. The gallery will explore London’s central role in the scientific advances in the 17th and 18th centuries. The exhibition

The Sheraton Grand London Park Lane in Mayfair, London, has been relaunched following a multi-million pound renovation and redesign by interior designers MKV Design and architects Woods Bagot. The two year project has seen the hotel's 303 guestrooms completely redesigned, and the addition of a new bar and restaurant at street level, a redesigned reception lobby and upgraded public areas including the famed Palm Court Lounge. The Grade II listed

The construction of Qatar’s Al Rayyan Stadium, a proposed host venue of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, has entered a new phase after the first concrete was poured at the location of the stadium’s West Stand. The milestone means the project, designed by architecture studio Ramboll and Pattern, is now five weeks ahead of schedule. As well as being a World Cup venue, it will also serve as the new

Newmarket’s £14m (US$17.1m, €15.7m) UK National Horse Racing Museum has opened to the public more than 25 years on from its original inception. Celebrating more than 350 years of sporting history, exhibition designers Mather & Co are behind the plans, which gained Heritage Lottery funding in 2012 worth £4.25m (US$5.1m, €4.7m), with funding also coming from Forest Heath (£1.3m), Suffolk County Council (£1m), the Wellcome Trust and a number of

Luxury hospitality group Dukes Collection has appointed design firm AHK to create a “quintessentially British” hotel on the man-made Palm Jumeirah archipelago in Dubai. The five star Dukes Dubai will open in December 2016 within a new tower complex. Inspired by its famous London counterpart, Dukes London, the hotel will contain 279 guestrooms and 227 hotel apartments spread over 15 floors. An outdoor infinity pool will overlook the ocean and,

A major leisure project has been honoured in the Stellar Design category at the American Institute of Architecture’s (AIA) annual celebration of innovation in architecture. The Technology in Architectural Practice (TAP) Innovation Awards honour designers and researchers who have created new practices and technologies to improve the construction and maintenance of buildings. Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture won the design prize for their masterplan of Astana Expo City 2017,

New designs for the controversial Casement Park development in Belfast have been unveiled after opposition from local residents halted original plans. Ulster Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) has put forward designs for a reduced size arena to quell concerns raised by locals about the quality of their lives being impacted on matchdays. The body has also put forward a “sustainable transport strategy”, which includes coach travel and park-and-ride options, to improve

Professionals involved in the development of sporting arenas should investigate the merits of technology such as augmented reality and virtual reality in terms of how they could enhance the spectator experience. That is the view of Pascal Vuilliomenet, vice president for innovation and technology transfer at the EPFL Research institute in Switzerland and co-curator of the Olympic Museum’s new exhibition on past, present and future stadium design. "We can project

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