The Imperial War Museum (IWM) in Duxford, UK, is about to relaunch its American Air Museum following a five-year redevelopment project, switching the focus of exhibits from the aircraft on display to a collection of extraordinary people linked with those machines. Reopening to the public on 19 March, IWM’s newly-transformed American Air Museum has undergone a £3m (US$4.2m, €3.8m) redevelopment, with financial support provided by the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF)

Hyatt Hotels has opened the Grand Hyatt Chengdu in the capital of Sichuan province in Southwest China. Spanning floors 10 to 39 of the 166m (545ft) high Chicony Square, the 390-bedroom hotel is situated on the historic Chunxi Road, also known as Hundred Year Gold Street, in the heart of Jinjiang district. The hotel will include a 1,274sq m (13,713sq ft) Huan Spa, which is not yet open, designed by

Italian architect Stefano Boeri has told CLAD how the ‘vertical forest’ model of architecture promotes wellness and creates sustainable urbanisation in our towns and cities. Boeri is a specialist in the field of green design, having created tree-topped towers in Switzerland and Italy, and in an exclusive interview he explained how his “continuous experiment of cohabitation” – in which he covers structures in flora and fauna – can change the

US arts collective Section1 are transforming a vacant 3.5 acre site in the heart of Baltimore, Maryland into "the world’s largest urban art park." The ambition is to create the highest concentration of street art in the United States, alongside space for three live performance venues, an 18,000sq ft (1,600sq m) skate park and an acre of green space beneath the city’s Jones Falls Expressway. The site – which is

SANAA partner Kazuyo Sejima has designed a mirrored express train for Japan’s Seibu Railway company which will be a unique leisure destination in its own right. The train, which will enter service in 2018, has a reflective surface that allows it to blend almost entirely into any landscape it passes. The train’s interiors are poised to be as equally significant as its ‘invisible’ facade. Sejima has been tasked with creating

Mexico’s University of Guadalajara has broken ground on its new MX$1bn (US$55.9m, €50.4m, £39.6m) Museo de Ciencias Ambientales (MCA), a national institution exploring the future sustainability of the region and its relationship with the metropolitan city of Guadalajara. Designed by Snøhetta, with interior design on six galleries by MET Studio, the 20,000sq m (215,000sq ft) museum will sit at the heart of a cultural district next to the main University

Innovative design can raise awareness of important social and environmental issues in an accessible, fun and persuasive way, according to the designers of VelO2 – an installation that illustrates air pollution through cycling and light. In an exclusive interview with CLAD, Matthias Gmachl, creative director of London based ‘spatial laboratory’ Loop.Ph, said: “If you have a fun, humorous and lighthearted way to introduce ideas, people are generally more open to

Japanese architect Kengo Kuma will design his first building in Australia; a landmark civic hub in the heart of Sydney. Named the Darling Exchange, the building will house a new library, a ground floor open market hall, a childcare centre, an innovation exchange and a rooftop bar and restaurant with sweeping views over Tumbalong Park and the city’s Cockle Bay. It will form the centrepiece of the new inner-city village

International architecture studio OMA have unveiled their plans to transform four former industrial warehouses into a new and dynamic cultural hub for Alserkal Avenue – Dubai’s most important art district. Located in the Al Qouz industrial area, the avenue, founded in 2007, is home to 25 contemporary art galleries and arts spaces which promote cultural initiatives in the region. OMA will address the need for a centrally located space to

A levitating coastal spa complex and a sports complex with a football pitch on its roof are among the leisure winners at the Architectural Review MIPIM Future Project Awards, which were announced today (15 March) in Cannes, France. The awards – judged by industry professionals and commentators – celebrate the most exciting unbuilt or incomplete designs by international practices across ten project categories. The Fuente Santa Hot Spring Baths by

Marriott International will bring its eponymous brand to the Balkan nation of Macedonia in the capital city Skopje this year. Set to open in May 2016, the Marriott Skopje will include a 500sq m (5,382sq ft) spa. The nine-floor hotel includes 143 bedrooms and 21 suites, as well as a fitness centre, and will be located in the city square near the Stone Bridge, which represents the connection between Skopje’s

Global hotel giant Starwood has received a surprise US$12.8bn (€11.5bn, £8.9bn) takeover offer from a group led by China’s Anbang Insurance Group, which could scupper its planned merger with Marriott. In November 2015, Marriott announced that it would buy Starwood Hotels & Resorts – whose brands include St. Regis, The Luxury Collection, W and Design Hotels – in a US$12.2bn (€11.4bn, £8bn) stock and cash transaction which would create the

New York’s contemporary art museum the Albright-Knox Art Gallery has announced its intention to launch an US$80m (€72m, £55.8m) expansion of its Elmwood Avenue campus, with five high-flying studios in the running to design the project. Allied Works Architecture, Bjarke Ingels Group, OMA, Snøhetta and wHY have all been shortlisted for the tender, with the final selection due in June 2016 and the design phase set to take place in

After months of speculation, National Football League (NFL) franchise the Washington Redskins has finally confirmed architects Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) will design its new home, and unveiled the first details of the project. Described by the Redskins as “a new stadium concept”, BIG’s creation – a transparent wave-like structure wrapped in a golden metal mesh – is designed with a particular focus on how it will be used on non-match

The developers of a forthcoming luxury resort in the Maldives claim that they have finished constructing the world’s largest underwater restaurant. The 400-ton megastructure was created over 10 months in New Zealand and Japan and has now been transported to the resort in Lhaviyani Atoll, where it is being fixed to steel piles by divers 5.8 metres below a lagoon. Guests at the Hurawalhi Island Resort & Spa will enter

The organisers of the Dubai Expo 2020 have revealed the three star practices who will design the main pavilions for the event, following a highly competitive international architecture competition. Foster + Partners, Grimshaw Architects and Bjarke Ingels Group have been named winners of the contest – which was held by real estate company Emaar Properties – and will design pavilions themed around mobility, sustainability and opportunity respectively. The studios overcame

Indonesia’s first major museum dedicated to international modern and contemporary art will open its doors in Jakarta in 2017. The brainchild of Indonesian philanthropist and collector Haryanto Adikoesoemo, the multi-million dollar Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Nusantara (MACAN) is currently under construction. The private institution will house Adikoesoemo’s personal collection built over a quarter-of-a-century, which is being curated by Thomas J. Berghuis – formerly curator of Chinese art

Hauser Wirth and Schimmel – a new Los Angeles arts centre located in a converted flour mill – held its grand opening ceremony yesterday (13 March) with the launch of its inaugural exhibition. Architect Annabelle Selldorf and local studio Creative Space have retrofitted seven interconnected late 19th and early 20th century buildings in the city’s arts district. The result is a 100,000sq ft (9,300sq m) complex featuring galleries, a bar,

Mexican studio Tall Arquitectos are the team behind this week’s concept of the week: A cantilevered cocktail bar and restaurant suspended terrifyingly over Mexico’s Copper Canyon. The design imagines a building called Biré Bitori extending far out from the rock face, overhanging a sheer drop below. The restaurant would feature a glass floor, providing a heartstopping view down to the bottom of the canyon. Above the restaurant level, the studio

This week was a busy one for Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects, who broke ground on an art gallery and clubhouse on a lake in southern China and unveiled their plans for a new green-topped mixed-use complex in Stockholm. The latter project is one of a host of big green space projects which were announced this week. Others included a High Line-inspired park in Vancouver and a floating sky park in

Guy Holloway Architects look set to develop the world’s first multi-storey skatepark in the British port town of Folkestone after their design received planning approval from the district council. Following a series of public consultations in Q1 2015, detailed proposals were developed by the architects and skatepark design consultancy Maverick for an urban sports facility. That vision has now been unanimously approved by planning committee members at Shepway District Council.

Danish studio Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects have added another project to their growing portfolio after winning an international competition to design Hästen 21, a mixed-use complex in central Stockholm. The practice have envisioned a 43,000sq m (462,800sq ft) retail, office and housing complex that will also transform the site into a central public artery, creating “public experiences of high urban quality.” Hästen 21 – which will be set back from

At the International Hotel Investment Forum in Berlin this week, Starwood announced its continued expansion in Europe with a record 18 organic hotel openings in 2015 and more than 30 hotels under development and expected to open in the next five years. Starwood will be launching the Tribute Portfolio brand in France, diversifying its brand footprint in Italy and expanding its mid-market brands in the United Kingdom, The Netherlands, Russia

A new art museum, dedicated to the art of the people of British Columbia, is about to open its doors in Whistler, Canada. Opening on 12 March, the CA$30m (US$22.6m, €20.5m, £15.9m) Audain Art Museum, designed by Vancouver-based design firm Patkau Architects, sits within a grove of trees and is designed to blend in with its surroundings, with only a single tree having to be removed to build it. Nestled

The City of Vancouver has secured a “historic” deal with the Canadian Pacific Railway Limited (CP) to buy a disused 9km (5.6 mile) stretch of railway line which it intends to transform into a vast community park. The Arbutus Greenway will be used for public use following the CA$55m (US$41.1m, €36.8m, £28.7m) agreement, which will see 42 acres of land freed up for development as green space, linking the neighbourhoods

International architecture studio AW2 have won the Asia Hotel Design of the Year award for their work on Phum Baitang resort in Siem Reap, Cambodia. The Paris-based firm won the top prize at the Asia Hotel Design Awards, which were held today (10 March) at The South Beach hotel in Singapore, with over 400 industry figures from the region in attendance. Phum Baitang – which was also named the Resort

Hollywood star Jessica Biel and a consortium of stylists, writers, entrepreneurs and philanthropists have opened a family-friendly dining and creative space close to Los Angeles’ design district. The restaurant, called Au Fudge, is described by its developers as “an all-inclusive culinary, social and visual oasis for adults and children to equally enjoy as their home away from home.” The child-friendly design is intended to create “a unique wonderland”, complete with