Architecture and design news
Mandarin Oriental NYC gets makeover in collaboration with New York's art and fashion community.
by Kate Parker | 27 Aug 2015
Global design, architecture, engineering and planning firm HOK has redesigned 42 suites at the Mandarin Oriental New York hotel to offer guests a unique experience of the city. The HOK-designed one and two-bedroom suites feature panoramic views of Central Park, the Hudson River and the Manhattan skyline and aim to invoke New York City life through the course of a day with their distinct theming. To achieve this, the project
KPF adds contoured steel shell to new-look Los Angeles automotive museum
by Tom Anstey | 27 Aug 2015
Currently undergoing a US$125m (€112m, £80m) redevelopment to celebrate its 20th anniversary, the Peterson Automotive Museum in Los Angeles has said it will open on budget and in line with its original schedule. Set to reopen on 5 December, having closed in October 2014, the museum is being clad with a new exterior by Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates. The exterior will comprise a stainless steel shell following multiple contours in
DLW Architects to oversee US$20m renovation for one of the 'dirtiest hotels in America'
by Helen Andrews | 26 Aug 2015
Once ranked as the third dirtiest hotel in the US by Forbes, the Desert Inn Resort on Daytona Beach in Florida is set to experience a complete US$20m (€17.4m, £13m) renovation before reopening in Q4 2016. The previously independent resort will then be rebranded as the Westin Daytona Beach Resort & Spa. Owned by Humphrey Realty, a privately held real estate development and ownership firm specialising in hospitality and commercial
Zaha Hadid fights to get Tokyo Olympic stadium design reinstated
by Kate Parker | 26 Aug 2015
Zaha Hadid Architects have responded to Japan’s decision to drop their Tokyo Olympic stadium design by releasing a film detailing the design process for the proposal. Only last month, London-based Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA) appeared to have final government approval for their Tokyo Olympic Stadium design, only to be dropped days later by Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe. The 20-minute video is a response to that decision and forms a
Snarkitecture's indoor 'white beach' draws crowds to National Building Museum
by Alice Davis | 26 Aug 2015
More than 100,000 visitors have visited an unusual seaside-inspired installation at the National Building Museum in Washington, DC, causing online ticket sales to be ceased to ensure current ticket holders can be accommodated. The temporary exhibit, entitled BEACH, has been installed in the museum’s famous Great Hall and is the work of architecture practice Snarkitecture. The Brooklyn-based firm’s 10,000sq ft (929sq m) interactive architectural exhibit – made from a mishmash
Guests will be able to swim with sharks at South America's largest aquarium
by Tom Anstey | 25 Aug 2015
The largest aquarium in South America, AquaRio, will open its doors to the public in March 2016, offering the chance of seriously close encounters with the site's inhabitants. Designed by marine biologist Marcelo Szpilman, the 22,000sq m (237,000sq ft) development in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, is spread over six storeys (including a basement level) and will be home to 8,000 animals across 350 species of shark, sea turtle, sting ray
Plans revealed for CA$890m CalgaryNEXT sports complex
by Tom Walker | 25 Aug 2015
Canada-based Calgary Sports and Entertainment (CSE) has revealed plans for a CA$890m (US$676m, €585m, £428m) multi-purpose sports complex which would house all of the group’s professional sports franchises. The planned CalgaryNEXT venue, located on the banks of the Bow River in Calgary, Alberta, is set to feature a 19,000-capacity indoor arena and a 30,000-50,000-seat stadium – serving as the new home for the Calgary Flames and Calgary Hitmen ice hockey
BK Architects and Office WINHOV collaborate on W Amsterdam in former bank and telephone exchange
by Helen Andrews | 25 Aug 2015
Starwood Hotels & Resorts’ first Dutch property, W Amsterdam, is due to unveil a series of gastronomic experiences and some accommodation before the full hotel’s debut in December, designed by Office WINHOV and BK Architects. The historic former KAS Bank building and neighbouring Exchange building – a former telephone exchange – are both part of the W Amsterdam. Parts of the KAS Bank building are already open to guests, including
Steiner Leisure to enter merger with private equity firm for US$925m
by Helen Andrews | 25 Aug 2015
Steiner Leisure has signed a definitive merger agreement under which an affiliate of private equity firm Catterton will acquire all of the outstanding shares of Steiner for US$65 (€56, £41) per share in cash. The total transaction value, including assumed net debt, is approximately US$925m (€799m, £599m). Steiner Leisure’s board of directors unanimously approved the merger on the recommendation of a special committee, comprised entirely of independent directors. The committee
Talks advance on Populous-led plans for new Milwaukee Bucks Arena
by Tom Walker | 21 Aug 2015
Complex, “multi-track” talks are taking place following the approval of a deal which could result in a new US$500m (€443m, £319m) arena being built in Milwaukee for NBA basketball franchise Bucks. Governor of Wisconsin, Scott Walker, recently approved and signed legislation paving way for US$250m (€221m, £159m) of public money being invested in the project, which would secure the long-term future of Bucks in the city of Milwaukee. The Bucks
PKMN Architectures leads community workshop to build urban spa
by Helen Andrews | 24 Aug 2015
International design firm PKMN Architectures was selected to lead this year’s edition of a workshop known as Taller del Desierto – which aimed to build a small urban spa at Parque Urueta in the Mexican city of Chihuahua – with the help of local architecture firm Memela and designers Juan Castillo, Miguel Heredia and Miguel García. Based on the consensus of local residents and the council, the project involved the
Rosewood’s Clearwater Bay a ‘private, sophisticated sanctuary’
by Jane Kitchen | 24 Aug 2015
Rosewood Hotels & Resorts will open a new 116-villa resort on Hainan Island, China in 2018. Rosewood Clearwater Bay Hainan will feature the brand’s signature Sense spa with six treatment rooms and balconies overlooking private gardens. Designed by Bangkok-based architectural firm Blink Design Group, Rosewood Clearwater Bay will also have exclusive access to a 1.6km (5,250ft) beach, and the design will incorporate water features, indigenous timber and stone, and unobstructed
JSa Arquitectura creates retro 60s surf styling for The Cape resort, Mexico
by Jane Kitchen | 21 Aug 2015
Thompson Hotels has opened its first property in Mexico's Cabo San Lucas, blending an urban aesthetic with a retro, 1960s Southern California-meets-Baja vibe. Located on the southernmost tip of the Baja California Sur Peninsula, The Cape offers unobstructed views of The Arch, the area’s famous landmark, from virtually any vantage point on the property. Perched on Monuments Beach, both the 161-bedroom property and the spa were designed by Javier Sanchez
Henry Chebaane creates opulent restaurant inspired by Azerbaijan's mineral wealth
by Jak Phillips | 21 Aug 2015
Henry Chebaane has said he drew inspiration from Azerbaijan’s mineral wealth to design JW Marriott Absheron’s new dining establishment OroNero – choosing oil, gold and jewels as a central theme. Chebaane, the French-born London artist and designer who founded Blue Sky Hospitality, was brought in to design the OroNero (meaning black gold in Italian) restaurant, having created four other concepts for various parts of the hotel in Baku. Styled like
Damien Hirst and Massive Attack revealed as collaborators for Banksy's twisted theme park
by Alice Davis | 20 Aug 2015
Rumours that urban artist Banksy is behind a pop-up visitor attraction in Weston-super-Mare, England, were given further credence today (20 August) as Dismaland’s website went live, revealing a cavalcade of counter-culture contributors. Dismaland, a twisted version of a Disney theme park, has been installed at the town’s Tropicana lido, which has been derelict since 2000. According to the website, hosted at dismaland.co.uk, “Dismal Land is a festival of art, amusements
Gucci launches elegant first restaurant inside Shanghai boutique
by Jak Phillips | 20 Aug 2015
Gucci has become the latest fashion powerhouse to bring its brand into the restaurant business, opening 1921 Gucci in Shanghai, China. The chic new eatery, which can only be accessed via an elevator inside the Gucci Shanghai boutique, follows in the footsteps of Armani's Fifth Avenue restaurant in New York City and Ralph Lauren's Polo Bar, as fashion giants seek to harness their brand power in new markets. Although Gucci
Arup’s glass sky pool will be suspended ten storeys up
by Liz Terry | 19 Aug 2015
Developer Ballymore today announced a world’s first - a glass sky pool spanning two apartment blocks in its Nine Elms development next to Battersea Power Station, London. The 25m pool will be 5m wide and will enable residents to swim between the buildings with only eight inches of glass between them and a ten storey drop. The apartment building will also feature a rooftop bar, a spa and an orangery.
Architectural heavyweights battle it out over Doha Art Mill development
by Tom Anstey | 19 Aug 2015
26 high-profile names have been selected from a field of nearly 500 as the architectural elite battle it out for the chance to convert a flour mill in Qatar into an art gallery. The three-stage Doha Art Mill development had 489 entries total from 56 different countries across five continents, with Renzo Piano, David Chipperfield and Atelier among the 26 names on the long-list. Selected on the basis of two
Architects sought for Barack Obama's presidential library
by Tom Anstey | 19 Aug 2015
Having recently chosen Chicago, Illinois, as the host location for Barack Obama’s presidential library, The Barack Obama Foundation is now launching a competition to find an architect for the US President’s legacy project. The presidential library – a repository for preserving and making available the papers, records, collections and other historical materials of every President of the US since Herbert Hoover in 1929 – will be developed in partnership with
Jestico + Whiles given green light for controversial ‘ribbon hotel’ in Edinburgh, UK
by Jak Phillips | 18 Aug 2015
Jestico + Whiles have won planning permission for an egg-shaped hotel wrapped in bronze coils – the centrepiece of a major development in Edinburgh, UK, – despite planning officials urging councillors to reject the idea. The five-star hotel will feature up to 210 bedrooms, as well as a 41,000sq ft (3,809sq m) apart hotel that has the potential to provide 70 suites. The practice envisages a hotel that appears as
Guerilla artist Banksy secretly creates twisted version of Disney theme park
by Tom Anstey | 18 Aug 2015
Banksy has reportedly created a twisted version of a Disney theme park, which the anonymous street artist is planning to open this weekend as a pop-up visitor attraction in Weston-super-Mare, England. The subversive theme park-cum-art exhibition has been built over the past several months under the guise of a movie set at the 10,200sq ft (950sq m) abandoned Tropicana lido. Signs at the site indicated Grey Fox Production were shooting
Beijing Guardian Art Centre by Büro Ole Scheeren will have spa by Remedios Studio
by Helen Andrews | 17 Aug 2015
Hong Kong-based design firm Remedios Studio is working in collaboration with wellness hospitality and spa design firm A.W. Lake on a new spa to be located in the Guardian Art Centre Beijing, China – the project that has been masterplanned by Büro Ole Scheeren. Expected to open in Q1 2017, the 120-bedroom hotel called Puxuan Beijing Hotel & Spa is being constructed within the new home of auction house China
Mexican-themed hospitality brand El Patron to open Europe’s 'first tequila hotel'
by Jak Phillips | 17 Aug 2015
Having made waves with their fun-filled Mexican themed bar in Putney, London, the team behind El Patron have announced plans for Europe’s ‘first tequila hotel’ on the Isle of Wight. Due to open in Q3 2015, the bar, restaurant and hotel will be in a striking red brick Grade II listed building in the island’s St Thomas’s Square. An El Patron spokesperson confirmed to CLAD that co-owner Andrew Taylor will
Art collector Lio Malca turns salt warehouse into contemporary gallery in Ibiza
by Tom Anstey | 17 Aug 2015
A former salt depository has become one of Ibiza’s most prominent art galleries after renowned New York-based collector Lio Malca converted the former warehouse into a contemporary arts venue. Known as La Nave, the 8,000sq ft (743sq m) conversion on the south-east coast of Ibiza – founded by the Colombian-born Malca who also runs a modern and contemporary art gallery in New York – debuted with an exhibition profiling Brooklyn
Aman announces its first golf development - luxury clifftop resort in the Caribbean
by Jane Kitchen | 14 Aug 2015
Aman is opening a new resort in Q4 2015 in the Dominican Republic, set on a clifftop overlooking the crescent-shaped Playa Grande beach and framed by the dramatic Cordillera Septentrional mountain range. The resort is set to become the hotel group's first golf-integrated property. The Amanera resort is named after the Sanskrit word for peace – Aman – and the word era, which means water in Taino – the language
Raison d’Etre teams with M+N architecture and Blue Camel Design to create first LivNordic spa in the UAE
by Helen Andrews | 13 Aug 2015
Spa consultancy Raison d’Etre is set to launch the first LivNordic-branded spa in the UAE on the sixth floor of Cayan Tower, offering panoramic views of the Dubai marina. Ian Bell, project manager for Raison d’Etre, is working with Italian firm M+N architecture to complete the Dubai site, with the assistance of interior design specialist Blue Camel Design, for the big reveal, which is set for December. The building, a
First look at Populous’ San Diego Chargers stadium
by Tom Walker | 13 Aug 2015
Renderings for NFL team San Diego Chargers’ proposed new home have been made available for the first time. Designed by architects Populous, the futuristic stadium – to be located on a 166-acre plot in San Diego’s Mission Valley – is set to celebrate the city of San Diego, incorporating ocean and harbour influences with a forward-looking green design. The concept designs show that the venue would offer plenty of public
Jadranka Group to launch five-star Croatian coastal spa property designed by ARTA-projektiranje
by Helen Andrews | 13 Aug 2015
The Jadranka Group is set to open another five-star spa resort on the Croatian island of Lošinj, in Cikat Bay – following the launch of the nearby €50m (US$67m, £40m) Hotel Bellevue and its spa clinic. The new Boutique Hotel Alhambra will make its debut later this month and was designed by architect Amira Cauševic of design firm ARTA-projektiranje to look like a traditional Austro-Hungarian villa. Located in the surroundings
Qatar to decide on its 2022 stadium plan "by end of year"
by Tom Walker | 13 Aug 2015
Qatar will decide the exact number of stadiums it will use during the FIFA World Cup 2022 by the end of the year. A spokesperson for the organizing committee said the final number hadn’t been finalised yet – and could be less than the 12 included in the original bid that controversially won Qatar the right to host the tournament. So far, Qatar has announced details for five stadiums but is
Studio Milou-designed Singapore National Gallery sets November opening date
by Tom Anstey | 12 Aug 2015
Singapore’s National Gallery will open to the public at the end of this year with a new S$532m (US$379.6m, €344m, £243.7m) development housing the world’s largest public collection of Singaporean and Southeast Asian art inside two of the country’s most historical buildings. Designed by Studio Milou Singapore, in partnership with CPG Consultants, National Gallery Singapore is housed within two heritage buildings in the city’s Civic District. Taking up the former
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