A hotel dedicated to cyclists has opened in Onomichi – a coastal city in Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan – allowing guests to check in while still on their bikes. Masterminded by Suppose Design Office, this new hotel is the first of its kind in Japan. Constructed in a renovated warehouse along the Onomichi waterfront, ‘Hotel Cycle’ offers guests a five-star experience for their bikes, and a chance to relax and unwind

Plans have been unveiled for the creation of two new cycle superhighways running from north to south and east to west London, with the £913m (US$1.5bn, €1.1bn) routes being dubbed 'Crossrail for bikes'. The plans come as London mayor Boris Johnson continues to push to make the capital into a safe and cyclist-friendly haven, much like what is offered by the European cities of Paris, Berlin and Amsterdam. Not only

Work has started on Copenhagen’s House of Culture and Movement (Ku.Be.) in Denmark, aimed at engaging the local population in a healthy and active lifestyle. Set to become a new major attraction in the Frederiksberg district, Ku.Be. will feature a range of facilities mixing the function of a community centre with exhibition and performance spaces, as well as a playground, park and health centre. Masterminded by ADEPT, a Danish architecture

The Welsh coastal region of Aberavon is to become home to a new multi-million pound leisure development with work well underway on the construction of Neath’s beachfront leisure centre. Led by developer Corban Investments and contractor Heron Bros, the projected is expected to cost £13.4m and will deliver a range of new leisure and community-focused facilities to the region’s Hollywood Park site. Expected to be completed in late 2015, the

Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates (KPF) has won planning permission for a 50-storey mixed-use skyscraper in London. Nicknamed the ‘Jenga’ tower, the 170m (558ft) structure will have higher storeys that are stacked on top of each other in a cantilevered fashion; giving the illusion of a game of Jenga. KPF’s tower will contain 450 flats, office space, retail space, a gym, cinema, plus winter garden and will have approximately 60,400sq m

London’s mini-Holland concept, pioneered by the London Cycling Campaign (LCC), has shifted up a gear since its inception. Now, with further formulated plans, the three bid winning boroughs have had architectural figureheads appointed to each project. Supported by Transport for London (TFL), London mayor Boris Johnson and several prominent architects, three outer London boroughs are being given £30m (US$50m, €37m) each to revolutionise their cycling habits. Each of the boroughs

Wellness space is at a premium in any modern day city and Studio Octopi, a London based architecture firm, is diving head first into making more of that by using London's Thames as an area for new development. The London As It Could Be Now competition, run by the Royal Academy of Arts in conjunction with the Architecture Foundation and Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners, asked multidisciplinary design teams to

Plans for a £15m leisure complex in Seaton, Devon, are finally set to commence after being stalled by local bats. The hilltop scheme – which will include a boutique hotel, restaurant, spa and gym as well as 38 two- and three-bedroom luxury rental lodges – was initially rejected because of objections by Natural England, which was concerned about interference with bat movements in the area. The plans have now been

24/7 Fitness has taken over Birmingham’s iconic Fort Dunlop building as the site for its fifth fitness club, continuing the former rubber wheel factory’s traditions by offering locals a place to shed their spare tyres. The building that once housed Fort Dunlop tyres had stood empty for 20 years, but has now been redeveloped into an office and retail space complex, with 24/7 Fitness club occupying 6,395sq ft (594sq m).

Ealing Council’s £19m redevelopment of Acton Town Hall in west London is complete, with the new leisure centre due to open this Saturday (19 April) after 22 months of construction. The comprehensive redesign – drawn up by S&P Architects and carried out by Willmott Dixon – has resulted in the addition of a 100-station gym, eight-lane 25m swimming pool, 12m training pool with movable floor, two dance studios, multipurpose rooms

Work has begun on a new £6m hotel and gym facility in Harrogate town centre. Pure Gym and Travelodge will occupy the mixed-use development, occupying a 70-bedroom hotel and a 16,900sq ft gym facility respectively. Leeds-based Gregory Property Group bought the former bowling alley in 2011 and secured planning approval to redevelop the site in February 2013. It had already secured a 25-year lease with Travelodge to operate the hotel

Leisure design and build specialist Createability has secured health, fitness and leisure industry veteran Brian Thompson as its new sales director. Thompson, whose career spans more than 20 years in the sector, will be responsible for defining the company’s sales strategy, taking the business into new sectors, building a sales team and ultimately increasing turnover. Thompson began his career in 1989 as a duty manager within a local authority leisure

Tehran-based New Wave Architecture have designed a 4,500sq m (48,438sq ft) rock climbing gym for Porlour, Iran, that resembles a giant boulder. The gym overlooks Iran’s highest peak – Mount Damavand – and features a bouldering hall with a climbing wall, a temporary accommodation zone and a fitness gym. The climbing centre’s exterior will also provide opportunities for outdoor climbing. According to the architects, the design has been inspired by

Plans have been submitted for a mixed-use scheme in Chipping, Lancashire, which will include two new hotels, a spa, a cricket pavilion and a trailhead centre on the site of a former mill. The Grade II listed Kirk Mill – to be operated by Living Ventures – will be converted into an 18-bedroom hotel with a restaurant and gastro pub, while the existing barn will be turned into seven holiday

Construction is to start next month on the University of Birmingham’s new £55m red brick and copper-clad sports centre on its Edgbaston campus. Designed by Lifschutz Davidson Sandilands, the university hopes the 13,200sq m (142,083sq ft) sports development will reaffirm its status as one of the UK’s leading institutions for sport and nurture the next generation of Olympic talent. The new sports centre, which is being built on a former

Following Chancellor George Osborne’s weekend announcement that the UK’s first garden city for 100 years would be built in Ebbsfleet, ukactive CEO David Stalker has called on developers to ensure spaces for physical activity are high on the planning agenda, saying a successful outcome could provide a breakthrough in reducing the UK’s inactivity crisis. The garden city concept – small, self-sufficient cities of 30,000 people that are ringed by an

Oldham Council has unveiled plans for a new £15m flagship leisure facility in its town centre, with hopes the complex could attract major televised sporting events. The new Oldham Sports Centre, at the junction of Manchester Street and St Domingo Street, would replace the existing Lord Street facility in 2015 if planning is approved. Oldham’s council leader Jim McMahon says the centre would represent a significant upgrade to current sporting

Plans have been unveiled for a progressive SkyCycle network, designed to give cyclists a dedicated commuter route, as its developers seek to transform cycle transport in London. Designed by Norman Foster + Partners with Exterior Architecture and Space Syntax, the 135-mile network of routes is planned for construction above existing suburban railway lines. The plans come in the wake of a number of deaths of cyclists experienced on the capital’s

Sheffield has edged closer to realising its Olympic legacy programme after plans were unveiled for a new £7m sports centre and swimming pool. The proposed centre would be built on the Thorncliffe Recreation Ground in High Green and help fill the gap left by a £50m programme of cuts which has seen many existing facilities close, including Stocksbridge pool in April. It is expected to feature a 25m six-lane pool,

Golden Globe award-winning actor Leonardo DiCaprio has purchased a multi-million dollar unit in Greenwich Village, New York, US, boasting more than 50 wellness and health features. The property, designed wellness property developers Delos Living, is housed inside a converted factory originally built in 1987 and is described as ‘the world’s first WELL-Certified residences.” While hotels and spas have increasingly marketed wellness environments to guests, Delos is pushing the idea into

Ritz-Carlton has opened it first hotel in Bangalore, India complete with a fitness club and an ESPA spa. The property, located on Residency Road in the heart of Bangalore, has 277-bedrooms and combines intricate Jaali design native to the land with natural foliage, fresh water and the elemental characteristics of fire and stone to evoke India’s vibrant landscape. 26 global design firms worked on the property, with the principal architects

Councillors in Scarborough have approved proposals for a multi-million pound leisure village, which will include a new 2,000-seater football ground, leisure facilities and an eight lane swimming pool. The plans have been hailed by Scarborough Council as a ‘fantastic opportunity’ for the area to build on the success for the London 2012 Olympic Games and encourage people to take up more active and healthier lifestyles. Cambridge-based Wrenbridge Land will continue

A new indoor swimming pool, spa and sports centre will open on 5 July 2014 after 26 months of construction work in the resort town of St Moritz, Switzerland. The Ovaverva is themed around the three states of water - gas, solid and liquid – with amenities including a wellness area, pools, a fitness centre, a cross country ski and outdoor sport centre and a restaurant. The 1,620sq m (17,437sq

A new £16m swimming pool and leisure complex has opened in South Shields, Tyne and Wear, six months later than originally scheduled. The Pier Parade project is part of South Tyneside Council’s regeneration plans. It was designed by LA architects and is being built by Graham construction. The new centre feature’s a 25m, eight-lane competition pool; an 18m teaching pool and leisure waters with flumes; sprays; bubble pools and water

A planning application for an £11m leisure centre in Washington has been unveiled by Sunderland City Council. The centre will include a six lane, 25m pool, a four court sports hall, a multi-purpose sports hall, two squash courts, sauna, steamrooms and relaxation area, a soft play centre and football pitches. A wellness centre will comprise a 100-station gym, spinning studio, exercise studio and two consultation rooms. Pellikaan Construction has already

New York City officials are tackling obesity in the city by setting up the first ever Centre for Active Design, as well as announcing new legislation that will change the way new buildings and renovations are designed. Active Design was recently set up to combat architects' tendency to value convenience over health, often leading to a lazier lifestyle. The centre, which is a non-profit organisation, aims to promote changes to

The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Centre, Rugby's new leisure centre, is on track to opens its doors on 31 August. The new centre replaces the Ken Marriott Leisure Centre, which has been demolished after serving the town for 40 years. The centre, designed by B3 Architects, has been built on the site of the Ken Marriott Leisure Centre's car park. Facilities include two swimming pools, a 100-station gym, a climbing wall,