Architecture and design news
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
Los Angeles to be named as official bid city for 2024 Olympics
by Tom Walker | 12 Aug 2015
Los Angeles is finalising a deal with the US Olympic Committee (USOC) to become the country’s new candidate city for the 2024 Olympics. The city – which has held the Olympic Games twice, in 1932 and 1984 – has prepared a US$4bn bid, which mayor Eric Garcetti said will include a guarantee to cover any “financial overruns”. The move follows last month’s collapse of Boston’s Olympic ambitions, as the city
Plans submitted for Adjaye Associates' Studio Museum in Harlem
by Tom Anstey | 12 Aug 2015
Adjaye Associates have submitted plans for the proposed US$122m (€110m, £79.1m) Studio Museum in Harlem – an institute promoting the work of artists of African descent. The five-storey museum by British-Tanzanian architect David Adjaye will be built on the existing site of New York’s Studio Museum, marking the 50th anniversary of the institution which also champions local artists. The plans offer 70,000sq ft (6,500sq m) of space, 10,000sq ft (929sq
Marco Serra designs underground vinotherapy spa at ancient Spanish abbey retreat
by Helen Andrews | 12 Aug 2015
The 10,000sq ft (929sq m) vinotherapy-focused spa has opened at the five-star Spanish retreat Abadía Retuerta LeDomaine – an exclusive abbey hotel and winery dating from 1146. Designed by Marco Serra, the modern spa – called El Santuario – was built underground to maintain the property’s historic ambiance. Below the abbey’s original stables and within close proximity to the Duero River, Serra had to overcome the high moisture level of
Seoul launches architectural contest for cultural redevelopment of city centre
by Tom Anstey | 11 Aug 2015
The Seoul Metropolitan Government has launched a new architectural competition centred around culture and heritage at the heart of the 600-year-old South Korean capital’s city centre. The international contest asks entrants to develop a comprehensive blueprint and masterplan for central Seoul and provide a creative design for the site of the former National Tax Service Building. The new city centre will be a space that 'integrates cultural heritage, with contemporary
ESG architects designs US$60m Westin for 'birthplace of jazz' Jackson, Mississippi
by Helen Andrews | 11 Aug 2015
Starwood Hotels & Resorts’ Westin brand is set to feature for the first time in Mississippi, US, at The Westin Jackson – a public-private development costing US$60m (€54m, £39m), that aims to boost travel and tourism in downtown Jackson. ESG architects is working on the hotel’s design, focusing on Jackson’s reputation as the birthplace of several American musical styles including rhythm and blues and jazz. The design firm said: “The
Middle Earth: architects plan recreation of Tolkien's fantasy city, Minas Tirith
by Tom Anstey | 10 Aug 2015
An ambitious group of architects are planning to construct a replica of the fictitious ancient walled city of Minas Tirith from JRR Tolkien's Middle Earth writings and have launched an ambitious fundraising campaign online to bring the fantasy city to life. In fiction, Minas Tirith is built into a mountainside, rising up the gradient and culminating in the Citadel at its summit. On each of the city’s seven levels, which
LiveWire gets approval for dementia-friendly leisure hub with spa, wellness and culture
by Jak Phillips | 06 Aug 2015
A £16m neighbourhood hub designed to provide leisure, health and cultural services in Great Sankey, Warrington, UK, has been given the green light by planning officials. Local government organisation, Warrington Borough unanimously agreed to approve operator LiveWire’s proposal to transform the existing Great Sankey Leisure Centre into a multi-purpose community hub. The new building will feature a wide range of leisure facilities to provide residents with a one-stop-shop for all
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