Peter Law, creative producer at design collective Flying Object and creator of Tate Britain’s IK Prize-winning Sensorium, has outlined how multi-sensory spaces can be used to create unique personal experiences. Sensorium – which utilised experts in sound, taste, scent and touch, combined with lighting and theatre elements – ran until September 2015 at the Tate Britain in London as a multi-sensory experience centred around four famous artworks. "We had an

Renowned London nightclub Annabel’s is to be given a new lease of life with plans to incorporate a range of leisure and wellness facilities as part of relocation proposals. The basement nightclub in Mayfair, which has hosted the likes of Princess Diana, Sir Mick Jagger, Frank Sinatra, Grace Jones, Kate Moss and Madonna in its 50-year existence, could soon be providing a substantially revamped offering. Restaurateur Richard Caring, who bought

The Ritz-Carlton is opening a new hotel and spa near Scottsdale, Arizona with a focus on fitness, health and wellbeing. The Ritz-Carlton Paradise Valley, developed by Five Star Development Resort Communities, will include a 10,000sq ft (929sq m) spa with ten treatment rooms, in addition to a residential component. Designed by Peter T. Mason of California-based Mason Architects, the Ritz-Carlton Paradise Valley will be spread over 20 acres and consist

Two major exhibitions open in London this week exploring how architects can change the world in different ways. Creation from Catastrophe, which opens on 27 January at the Architecture Gallery of the Royal Institute of British Architects, will explore how destruction and devastation present unique opportunities to radically rethink environments. With a focus on architects as diverse as OMA, Toyo Ito, Sir Christopher Wren and Elemental – whose founder Alejandro

Visitors unable to travel to New York can now explore the famous interior architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum thanks to Google Street View. As part of a collaboration between the museum and the Google Cultural Institute, anyone with an internet connection can take a 360-degree look at the building’s famous circular galleries, spiralling ramps and oculus. In addition, 127 artworks from the museum’s collection are also

Populous, the architects behind London’s Olympic Stadium, have won the contract to design a 40,000-capacity stadium for the Qatar 2022 World Cup. The studio will be charged with creating a “new neighbourhood” as part of the proposed host venue development on the waterfront of Ras Abu Aboud, Doha. Qatar’s Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC) has revealed the stadium would be built on a 450,000 sq m (4.8m sq

Multi-national conglomerate Virgin has announced its first branded hotel has achieved LEED Gold Certification, with the company outlining ambitious plans to create a zero carbon footprint hotel business. Virgin Hotels Chicago, located in the US city’s Loop district, has been awarded the accreditation by the US Green Building Council (USGBC), which analyses the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings. CEO of Virgin Hotels Raul Leal pledged the

The worlds of architecture, art and fashion have collided at Sexy Fish, a lavish new Asian seafood restaurant in London opened by British restaurant magnate Richard Caring. Aquatic-themed artworks by Damien Hirst, architect Frank Gehry and Vanity Fair style editor Michael Roberts decorate the extravagant interiors, which have been designed by Martin Brudnizki Design Studio to emulate “the style and sophistication of a mid-century brasserie.” The eye-catching collection of art

The president and CEO of Miami’s Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum of Science has insisted the high-profile relocation of the museum to its “next generation” new home on Miami’s waterfront will be completed despite a US$45m (£31.3m, €41.5m) shortfall in funding. The museum’s new three-storey facility – designed by Grimshaw Architects – is entering the final construction phase four years after work first began. However, the project has received less

Entertainment technology company, IMAX Corporation, which specialises in creating immersive, large-screen 3D and 4D cinematic experiences, is moving into the US health and fitness industry. The company has applied for a permit to open an indoor cycling studio in Brooklyn, New York, which will be fitted out with a giant screen. “The gym would consist of tiered rows of stationary bikes which would face the screen, which would play original

Danish architecture firm Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) have been appointed to design a new stadium for National Football League (NFL) team The Washington Redskins, according to several US news sources. The Washington Post has reported that the team’s owner Dan Snyder wants to relocate the franchise from its current 82,000-capacity ground at FedEx Field in the state of Maryland – which it has occupied since 1997 – and build a

Irish architects Heneghan Peng have won the international design competition for new Canadian Canoe Museum in Peterborough, Ontario with their plan for a winding glass pavilion on the Trent-Severn waterway. The new US$45m (€41.6m, £31.5m) building – described as “a Canadian game changer” by the museum board – will be located on an early 20th century boat lift and will house the world’s largest collection of canoes and kayaks. There

Plans to build a commercial, financial and residential township in Laos feature a 60-hectare (148-acre) theme park – the first major amusement attraction in the Southeast Asian country. The Thakhek Dream World City development – in Thakhek town in the central Laotian province of Khammouane – consists of a 7-hectare (7-acre) financial district, a 300-hectare (741-acre) mixed-use space with offices and residential space, and a 200-hectare (494-acre) retail and tourism

Andrew Gibson, vice president of spa & wellness for FRHI – parent company of hotel brands Swissotel, Raffles and Fairmont – has said wellness in hotels is beginning to move beyond the confines of spa. Speaking last week at the London Health Show about design trends in the spa industry, Gibson highlighted how everything from air quality to lighting to building materials can affect the experience of guests. “This is

Some of the biggest names in architecture and design have developed prefabricated pavilions for real estate developer Robbie Antonio as part of his Revolution Project. Over 30 creative individuals – including Ron Arad, Kengo Kuma and Daniel Libeskind – were invited to create cost-efficient living and leisure spaces using advanced design and fabrication technologies. Volu, a shell-shaped dining space created by Zaha Hadid Architecture studio, was the first to be

The government of South Australia has revealed more details about its planned redevelopment of the Adelaide Festival Plaza into a major public leisure realm for the city. The upgrade was first announced in 2013 as one element of the ongoing redevelopment of Adelaide’s Riverbank Precinct. Original concept plans for the project were revealed last year, and fully-realised visuals have now been released for public feedback before the project is submitted

Ground has broken on a landmark cultural building in North Vancouver, Canada. Currently being developed on a new waterfront plaza, the Polygon Gallery will display the country's largest collection of independent photography and host Canadian and international art exhibitions, public events and art education programmes. The project, which is set to open in 2017, has been designed by Canadian studio Patkau Architects. The 23,000sq ft (2,100sq m) building will feature

A French architecture studio have created a new dance school in Paris clad in a perforated metal veil that seems to change in appearance depending on the position of the sun. Dance School Aurélie Dupont – named after the famous French ballet dancer who retired last year after 32 years at the Paris Opera – hosts ballet, classical and jazz classes and has been built as part of the redevelopment

The Italian interior designer and architect Matteo Thun has told CLAD about the challenges he faced in transforming a ruined collection of buildings on a Venetian island into a luxury home for the recently-opened JW Marriott Venice Resort + Spa. Speaking in an exclusive interview in the latest edition of CLADmag, Thun revealed he was drawn to the project by the “fantastic challenge” of creating a contemporary resort while respecting

The iconic London venue where the Rolling Stones made their musical debut will unveil its latest incarnation on 28 January when it is reopened as a new lounge, bar and dining space. Restaurateur D&D London – which has have operated two previous restaurants on the site of the former Marquee Club in the city’s Soho district – is relaunching the venue as 100 Wardour St: “a destination celebrating creativity, talent,

A vast collection of historical artefacts telling the story of northern Vietnam through the ages has been put on public display in a new museum in the country’s famous Ha Long Bay. The VND900m (US$40m, €36.6m, £28.2m) Quang Ninh Museum was completed in late 2013 to mark the 50th founding anniversary of Quang Ninh province, and the exhibits have been installed over the last two years, with work now finally

Architects Ifat Finkelman and Deborah Warschawski have created an wooden-slatted tree house as part of a courtyard renewal project at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem. The entrance courtyard renovation at The Youth Wing for Art Education, Israel Museum Jerusalem uses a large pine tree as the central focus. The roofed tree house, which is illuminated at night, is made of a series of wooden boards attached to a light steel

Danish architecture studio schmidt hammer lassen architects have won an international competition to design a new cultural home for the city of Shanghai, China. The studio will preserve and expand the 1950s West Shanghai Worker’s Cultural Palace – a popular activity centre for union workers and city-dwellers – for the Shanghai Labour Union and the district government. Their winning proposal features multiple cultural facilities, including a theatre, cinema, art and

Luxury Italian fashion design house Versace has finally opened its long-awaited Palazzo Versace Dubai Hotel, billed by the brand as “the most luxurious hotel the Middle East has ever seen.” Located along the shores of Dubai Creek in the centre of the city’s Culture Village, the hotel’s opulent design is inspired by a neoclassical 16th century Italian palace. The company’s artistic director and vice-director Donatella Versace has designed the interiors

Some of the world’s best-known hospitality operators are vying to open hotels in a new multi-million mixed-use waterfront destination in Oman, which will regenerate one of the oldest ports and market districts in the Arab world. Brands including Hyatt, Hilton, Four Seasons, Mandarin Oriental, Banyan Tree and Viceroy have declared their interest in opening hotels in the Mina Sultan Qaboos Waterfront Project, which will enter the first phase of construction

A Belgian radio station has teamed up with an observatory to design a unique tribute to David Bowie: his own constellation. The British singer, who died on 10 January 2016 at the age of 69, was often inspired by space in his music; penning songs such as Life on Mars, Starman and Space Oddity and creating his own extraterrestrial alter-ego Ziggy Stardust and the recurring astronaut character Major Tom. To

W Hotels Worldwide has today (20 January) announced it will open its first alpine retreat in North America: a chalet and cocktail bar in Colorado's Rocky Mountains. The hotel – located at the foot of Aspen Mountain – is being designed by New York design firm Nemaworkshop, Denver-based Rowland+Broughton Architecture and W’s in-house design team. In a bid to make the most of the dramatic surrounding scenery, the design team