A huge "film city" and visitor attraction project in Nigeria has reached a major milestone, following the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between marketing and development agency Del York International Group and The Lagos State Government. The two partners signed what they described as a "monumental agreement to transform the face of the creative industry on the continent of Africa". The deal will see the state government officially

US wellness lifestyle brand Canyon Ranch is set to strengthen its portfolio with two new urban clubs and a brand-new destination resort in Texas. The company has partnered with real estate investment trust VICI Properties* to secure up to US$200m (€204.6m, £178.7m) in capital to develop an Austin-based wellness resort in the Texas Hill Country, with plans to begin construction in 2023 and open to guests in 2025. Meanwhile, the

The iconic Battersea Power Station on the south bank of the River Thames, London, UK, has finally reopened, following a £9bn redevelopment project. The Grade II* listed former coal-fired power station has been transformed into an entirely new district featuring a blend of residential and leisure, with health clubs, a visitor attraction, spa and wellness offerings, retail, bars, restaurants, entertainment venues, parks and historic spaces. Developments within the 42-acre site

Ambitious plans have been revealed for a Moon-themed luxury resort in Dubai, UAE. Costing an estimated US$5bn (€5.1bn, £4.4bn), the development is set to cover a 10-acre area (435,600sq ft) and provide a "lunar colony" for tourists. While exact details of the resort are yet to be confirmed, the designs show a giant replica of the Moon with a total height of 735ft (224m). The concept and designs are the

A conference held in London this month will discuss the "next frontier" in health- and wellness-based urban design and civic architecture. The Healthy City Design 2022 International Congress & Exhibition – held from 10 to 11 October 2022 – will take place at the Royal College of Physicians, London, UK and will also be streamed virtually online. Organised by Salus Global Knowledge Exchange, in collaboration with The Helen Hamlyn Centre

The Red Sea Development Company (TRSDC), the developer behind the AMAALA tourism project on the shores of the Red Sea, has revealed detailed plans for a marine life institute. Designed by Foster and Partners, the institute will function as both a scientific research centre and a tourist destination, with 10 zones providing a range of experiences, from augmented reality to submarine dives. The 10,340sqm institute will be built three levels

Ambitious plans to create a US$4bn entertainment district in Anaheim, California, US, have been approved by the city's planning commission. The 95-acre, mixed-use ocV!BE development will be anchored by the Honda Center – the 18,000-capacity indoor arena which is the home of National Hockey League's (NHL) Anaheim Ducks. ocV!BE is driven by the Samueli family, which owns the Anaheim Ducks franchise. Set to open in 2024, the new district will

The Red Sea Development Company (TRSDC), the developer behind ultra-luxury Saudi tourism destination Amaala, has now signed over 300 contracts worth more than SAR 6.62 bn (US$1.7bn, €1.7bn £1.5bn). Underpinned by sustainability, Amaala is being designed for ultra-high net worth individuals and will centre on wellness and sports, arts and culture and sea, sun and lifestyle. Spanning 4,155sq m of the Saudi Arabian coastline, Amaala will be spread across three

Hospitality and entertainment design firm HBG Design is helming the design of Michigan's new Gun Lake Casino Resort Aquadome – a glass-roofed, climate-controlled, indoor landscaped pool and event centre atrium environment. The six-storey, 32,000sq ft Aquadome is part of a US$300m (£259.1m, €298.4m) site-wide overhaul of the casino. The investment is also funding the construction of a 252-room hotel and further entertainment amenities. “The Aquadome is sure to become a

The International Museum Construction Congress (IMCC) will take place in the Norwegian capital city, Oslo, from 6 to 8 November 2022. Now in its seventh edition, the three-day IMCC is designed for international museum leaders, architects, project managers, museum leaders and any other professionals involved in the construction, renovation and expansion of museums. The planning committee for this year's event is chaired by Göran Joryd, project manager for the new

The Grand Egyptian Museum is set to finally open its doors after a design and construction project which has taken more than 20 years to complete. Touted as the world's most anticipated museum – thanks to both its unique design and the treasures it will house – the attraction was first announced to the world in 2001. A design competition in 2002 received more than 1,500 entries, from which Heneghan

The new Serena Williams Building at Nike World Headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon, US, has been declared open. The 1m sq ft building, designed by architects Skylab, is the largest structure on the Nike campus and establishes new links to the existing campus through restored wetlands, public plazas, and view corridors. The building consists of four parts a 12-story tower with shared amenities for all of the Nike Campus – including

Plans have been revealed for a 100-mile-long structure that is set to become the centrepiece of the ambitious Neom mega-development in Saudi Arabia. Called The Line, the "horizontal city" will be 200m wide and built on a footprint of just 34sq km. Designed to run on 100 per cent renewable energy The Line will eventually accommodate nine million people, with housing, parks and public spaces, retail and leisure facilities and

Adjaye Associates and Ralph Appelbaum Associates (RAA) have been named as the preferred bidders to lead the design of a £57m redevelopment of the International Slavery Museum and Maritime Museum in Liverpool, UK. National Museums Liverpool (NML) picked the two design firms for the project which will see the Dr Martin Luther King Jr Building become a prominent new entrance to the International Slavery Museum. According to NML, the work

Adjaye Associates and Ralph Appelbaum Associates (RAA) have been named as the preferred bidders to lead the design of a £57m redevelopment of the International Slavery Museum and Maritime Museum in Liverpool, UK. National Museums Liverpool (NML) picked the two design firms for the project which will see the Dr Martin Luther King Jr Building become a prominent new entrance to the International Slavery Museum. According to NML, the work

Adjaye Associates and Ralph Appelbaum Associates (RAA) have been named as the preferred bidders to lead the design of a £57m redevelopment of the International Slavery Museum and Maritime Museum in Liverpool, UK. National Museums Liverpool (NML) picked the two design firms for the project which will see the Dr Martin Luther King Jr Building become a prominent new entrance to the International Slavery Museum. According to NML, the work

Virgin Active and Myrtha Wellness have joined forces to open a health club and wellness centre at Milan’s new Bocconi University. The entire campus was designed by Pritzker-prize winning architects, SANAA, whose work includes the New Contemporary Art Museum in Manhattan, the Christian Dior building in Tokyo and La Samaritaine department store in Paris for LVMH. The fitness and wellness facilities are located on the first floor of the Bocconi

Liseberg theme park in Sweden has confirmed the opening date for its new Grand Curiosa hotel. A highly themed family hotel, the Grand Curiosa will have 457 family rooms, a restaurant with a fully functional merry-go-round from 1923, and a rooftop bistro with a view of the park and several bars. The theming has been inspired by the history of its home city, Gothenburg, and the West Swedish East India

Detailed plans have been revealed for the National Juneteenth Museum in Fort Worth, Texas, US. Designed by architects Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG), the 50,000sq ft visitor attraction will anchor a larger mixed-use development on the Historic Southside of Fort Worth. It will explore the events of June 19, 1865, when Union General Gordon Granger issued Order No. 3, in essence declaring that “all slaves are free” in the state of

A team of architects led by BIG and HOK have won an international competition to design the largest dock of Zurich Airport in Switzerland. Composed predominantly of regional wood, The new Dock A and adjacent buildings seek to strengthen the airport’s continued status as the gateway of Switzerland. Bjarke Ingels, BIG founder and creative director, said: “As airports grow and evolve and as international guidelines and safety requirements change, airports

A team of architects led by BIG and HOK have won an international competition to design the largest dock of Zurich Airport in Switzerland. Composed predominantly of regional wood, The new Dock A and adjacent buildings seek to strengthen the airport’s continued status as the gateway of Switzerland. Bjarke Ingels, BIG founder and creative director, said: “As airports grow and evolve and as international guidelines and safety requirements change, airports

Medical spa brand, Lanserhof Group, has welcomed the first guests to its all-new coastal health resort on the German island of Sylt. With plans for the 55-key property first revealed in 2017, Lanserhof has invested more than €120m (US$128.6m, £102.6m) to bring the property to fruition. Currently in a soft opening phase, Lanserhof Sylt joins the group’s four other properties: the original, Lans, in the Tyrol region of Austria; Lanserhof

Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) have been selected as the architect for the Vltava Philharmonic Hall in Prague, Czech Republic. The first national concert hall to be built in the country in 100 years, the venue will be the home of the famous Prague Symphony Orchestra and will have an audience capacity of more than 1,800. BIG – which won an international competition between 19 other architectural practices to secure the

A visitor attraction celebrating the history of the Scottish parish of Gretna Green – and its heritage as a destination for 'runaway marriages – has opened to the public. Gretna Green, located just inside Scotland on the border with England, first became famous for its weddings nearly 260 years ago, following the Clandestine Marriages Act 1753. The act prevented couples under the age of 21 from marrying in England or

A project to save the UK's last major bellfoundry has moved to the next stage, with the launch of a tender to find contractors for the redevelopment work. The Loughborough Bellfoundry was built in 1859 and has since ​​cast and sent 25,000 bells to more than 100 countries. Bells made at the foundry can be found at some of the world's most iconic buildings, including London’s St Paul’s Cathedral, the

Global design practice Perkins & Will has unveiled plans for a net-zero operational carbon community sports centre, health club and cultural hub in Toronto, Canada. A first-of-its-kind for Ontario, the multi-purpose centre is set to achieve net-zero status through energy-efficient design and renewable energy systems, while adding much-needed facilities for the local community. Called North East Scarborough Community and Child Care Centre, the building has three levels. The lower level

Therme Manchester – the £250m indoor ‘next generation’ waterpark, thermal bathing and a wellbeing spa, opening in 2025 – will include the world's first "living waterslides". The waterslides are part of the resort's focus on biophilic design and will feature 3D-printed structures housing thousands of biodiverse plants. Thanks to their design, the slides will be made to look like tree trunks, with plants growing out of them. Due to its