One of Wales’ largest visitor attractions is set to welcome its first guests as Surf Snowdonia – an artificial surf lagoon built on the site of an old aluminium works – starts to break waves on the edge of Snowdonia National Park. The £15m (US$23.3m, €21.3m) development – designed by architectural firm seven with Planit operating as consultants, NJL consulting as masterplanners and Wardell Armstrong as engineers – uses brand

Design consultancy Mather has been awarded the contract for a new project in the heart of Brussels dedicated to Belgian beers. Working alongside local architects Robbrecht en Daem and Baneton Garrino, Mather will convert the former Brussels Stock Exchange into the Belgian Beer Palace exhibition, which is hoping to rival the likes of the Guinness Storehouse in Dublin and the BRC-designed Heineken Experience in Amsterdam. Occupying two floors of the

A complex of early 20th century landmark buildings in South America are being transformed into a stylish development featuring a hotel and spa, private residences, high-end retail and entertainment venues. As part of the project, historic buildings at the centre of São Paulo, Brazil, are being converted into art galleries, theatre and cinemas by the owner of the three hectare site – Allard Group. At the heart of the development,

The Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, home of the London 2012 Olympic Games, has confirmed plans to build the world’s tallest and longest slide inside the ArcelorMittal Orbit tower. Due to open to the public in Q1 2016, the 180m (590ft) helter skelter by Bblur Architects will start 76m (249 ft) above the ground, circling the tower five times before a 50m (164ft) straight run at the bottom. The slide will

Dutch design studio RAAAF, Rietveld Architecture-Art-Affordances, is creating a subterranean space in Groningen beneath a demolished sugar factory. The project, called After Image, will be used for exhibitions, installations, movie screenings and performances. Being undertaken on behalf of the municipal council, After Image will reveal an exciting underground world constructed on millions of pillars. After the demolition of the sugar factory, only a desolate concrete area seemingly remained, but RAAAF

Work is underway on a new concert hall in Boca del Rio, Mexico, designed by Rojkind Arquitectos. This landmark site is part of a masterplan to regenerate the surrounding area through culture. Once an important port, crime and pollution levels have risen over the past 20 years. The concert hall will also provide a home for the Boca del Rio Philharmonic Orchestra, which was formed last year as part of

The five-star Naman Retreat in Danang, Vietnam, has opened a 15-room Pure Spa featuring lush, open-air gardens, lotus ponds and a “wall-less” ground floor. Designed by Ho Chi Minh-based MIA Design Studio, the 2,250sq m (24,219sq ft) spa includes a deep soak tub, cushioned daybed for two, male and female whirlpools, sauna and steamrooms, a gym and yoga pavilion. The hotel claims to “blur the lines between resort and spa,”

Architects Pieterjan Gijs and Arnout Van Vaerenbergh have created an intricate maze at the heart of Genk’s c-mine arts centre in Belgium, using the ‘age-old’ form of the labyrinth to create a structure exploring space and architecture. The Belgian duo, collectively known as Gijs Van Vaerenbergh, have created ‘Labyrinth’, a sculptural-spatial intervention based on the artists' interest in fundamental architectural typologies. Using unique compositions of wall and void, the labyrinth

Architectural firm Snøhetta has been selected to design a base and summit for a cable car at the foot of the Italian Alps, offering visitors commanding views of the surrounding area. The views of the mountain range surrounding the city of Bolzano had previously been inaccessible to anyone but the most experience climber since the cable car to the peak of Virgolo mountain was closed in 1976. However, once Snøhetta’s

Bjarke Ingels has unveiled plans to turn the chimneys at Battersea Power Station into giant sparkling Tesla coils, powered by passing pedestrians. Ingels’ architectural practice, BIG, is designing the public square next to the iconic London building on behalf of Malaysian consortium, SP Setia, which is developing the power station site with Frank Gehry-designed flower shaped apartment blocks and luxury flats from Sir Norman Foster. The two level Malaysia Square

“With big projects like this one, there's always going to be controversy,” said Nicolas Moreau, co-founder of Moreau Kusunoki, the Paris-based practice that won the competition to design the Guggenheim Helsinki. Moreau Kusunoki – founded by husband and wife team Nicolas Moreau and Hiroko Kusunoki – were announced as the winners of the Guggenheim Helsinki competition in June. Their design features a series of linked pavilions and a glass-topped 'lighthouse-style'

Zaha Hadid’s latest project – the final instalment of six mountain-top museums in Italy’s Dolomites curated by explorer Reinhold Messner – has welcomed its first visitors, offering stunning views of the surrounding mountains. Built into the mountain rock at a height of 2,275m (7,463ft) above sea level, Messner Mountain Museum Corones is dedicated to the discipline of mountaineering and offers unique views of both the Dolomites and the Alps. Zaha

Great Scotland Yard, the famous former headquarters of London’s police force where criminals such as Jack the Ripper were investigated, is to become a five-star hotel having been bought by Indian billionaire Yusuffali Kader. As part of the £110m (US$171m, €154m) deal, developer Galliard Homes will sell the historic property to Kader’s retail, hospitality and property conglomerate Lulu Group International once it has carried out a ‘lavish’ £50m (US$78m, €70m)

El Equipo Creativo has completed the interior design for Barcelona restaurant, Disfrutar, giving it a distinctly Mediterranean flavour. Ceramics, in different formats, have been used to give each part of the restaurant – the bar, the kitchen and the patio - its own identity. “The client wanted to transmit naturalness, humility and respect for the history and heritage of the Mediterranean,” said the architects. “In each space it is transformed

Italian architectural practise, Archea Associati, has created a ceramic museum in Liling, China, comprised of a number of vase-like structures. Set for completion later this year, the volumes are arranged in a circular plan and clad in a variety of patterns and colours. The architects say the inspiration was the city’s ceramic heritage and the client’s wish to include various functions on the site, including a museum, a hotel and

Eco-champion Sir Tim Smit’s proposal for his ‘Ark’ project, planned to be a centrepiece for Devon as a second Eden Project in the UK, has secured the £150m (US$235m, €212m) needed to fund development. According to Smit, the “money is in place” for Eden Westwood, which would comprise a tourism and leisure complex near Tiverton in Devon, focusing on the “key strengths and attributes” of the county. The majority of

Austrian spa design and equipment manufacturer Thermarium have designed a three-level, 10,500sq m (113,000sq ft) spa complex called The Well about 11 miles (17km) south of Oslo in Kolbotn, Norway in conjunction Norwegian architects Halvorsen & Riene. The privately-owned spa, billed as the largest in Norway, will include five areas designed to transport guests to different spa cultures, as well as unique, cutting-edge lighting technology to enhance relaxation. It is

Resorts World Birmingham, a £150m (US$234m, €213m) mixed-use leisure and entertainment complex is in the final stages of fit-out and is counting down to opening. Once complete, the seven-storey, 538,000sq ft (49,982sq m) resort will feature the 178-bedroom, five-suite, boutique Genting Hotel; an outlet shopping centre; an 11-screen Cineworld cinema, which will include IMAX and 3D screens; a casino; a wide range of internationally-themed restaurants and bars; and a multi-use

After a soft opening in March, the Matteo Thun & Partners-designed JW Marriott, Venice held its grand opening this month, along with the debut of its on-site 1,715sq m (18,460sq ft) GOCO Spa. The 250-bedroom hotel is located on its own private island, Isola delle Rose. The historic buildings have been sensitively refurbished by Matteo Thun & Partners to incorporate sustainable, modern and elegant design, the company said. “The main

Elephants at the Kaeng Krachan Elephant Park at Zoo Zurich, in Switzerland, now have an architecturally designed enclosure, thanks to Markus Schietsch Architekten, who designed an elaborate new habitat. The 73,000sq ft (6,782sq m) enclosure includes shelter within a wood and ETFE geodesic dome, with a glass enclosed swimming pool. A series of open air spaces, with rocky terrain and dense vegetation, are connected to this sheltered habitat. The impressive

Forest Green Rovers Football Club (FGR) has revealed ambitious plans to build a £100m, eco-friendly sports and green technology complex which would include a new 5,000-capacity stadium. The club currently plays in the National League – the fifth tier of English football – and the Eco Park project is part of a strategy to establish FGR as a Football League club. FGR is working together with Stroud-based green energy company

Concorde is to be the crown jewel in a £16m (US$25m, €23m) aerospace museum, after the proposed attraction in Bristol, UK, was granted planning permission by local authorities. To be housed on the former Filton Airfield – one of the birthplaces of the British aviation industry – the Bristol Aerospace Centre by Purcell will be comprised of two refurbished World War One aircraft hangars, which will be transformed into a

Howard Backen and a team from Saulsalito, California-based Backen, Gillam and Kroeger Architects have designed a new 14,000sq ft (1,300sq m), all-suite spa spa for Meadowood Napa Valley, due to open in Q4 2015, with interior design by Leslie Hemmings from the same firm. Settled on a private estate in Napa Valley surrounded by a 250-acre valley, Meadowood includes 85 guestrooms, suites and cottages, along with two championship croquet lawns,

Designs from Hopkins Architects, Amanda Levete and Arup (two entries) are among those in final contention for a new £40m pedestrian and cycle bridge across London's River Thames intended to boost active commuting. Active design has been a hot topic in recent months, especially in light of new research which found cities which strive to promote physical activity gain a significant economic advantage. A study from cycling charity Sustrans, meanwhile,

A monumental aerial sculpture created by Echelman Studio has been suspended over Boston’s Rose Kennedy Greenway, bringing art to the city's skies. Commissioned by The Rose Kennedy Greenway Conservancy, As If It Were Already Here is the signature contemporary art installation in the Greenway Conservancy’s Public Art Program, running from May until October. Made out of 100 miles of twine, the sculpture soars 600ft (183m) in the air, spanning the

Miami Beckham United, the group behind proposals to launch an Major League Soccer (MLS) club in Miami, has secured a site for a 25,000-capacity stadium following an 18-month search. Led by former England captain David Beckham, the group has selected a site in the Little Havana district, next to Marlins Park – the home of Major League Baseball club Miami Marlins. While exact details of the stadium and its designers

UNStudio have been chosen to design a new city centre theatre in Den Bosch, the Netherlands. The design competition involved the local residents voting for one of two finalists and UNStudio received 57 per cent of the vote, seeing off competition from Rotterdam studio Ector Hoogstad Architects. The Theatre on the Parade will be located on the large and lively public square, which was an important consideration in the design: