Architecture and design news
Robin Snell brings theatrical sparkle to London Coliseum renovation
by Jason Holland | 09 Apr 2015
Robin Snell and Partners is to transform the largest theatre in London’s West End as part of a £1.2m ($1.77m, €1.65m) renovation project. The company won a competition run by the English National Opera (ENO) and the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) for the revitalisation of the ground floor foyer of the grade II* listed London Coliseum. The foyer will be opened up to provide uninterrupted views from the
New Orleans playground by Rozas Ward Architects inspires next generation of architects
by Jason Holland | 09 Apr 2015
An ‘imagination playground’ is being built in New Orleans to inspire children to get into architecture through play. Not-for-profit organisation PlayBuild’s goal is to transform under-utilised urban spaces into fun environments for 4-12-year-olds to think and learn about architecture, design and city planning. Set up two years ago, PlayBuild has so far organised a number of outdoor play sessions for local schools, but has now broken ground on a permanent
10 years on, Trump's Aberdeen golf expansion is back on, with plans for leisure, residential and a second golf course
by Helen Andrews | 08 Apr 2015
Donald Trump is progressing with long-delayed proposals to expand his hotel and leisure development at Menie Estate, Aberdeenshire, UK, with new construction planned alongside the five-star Trump International Golf Links. Trump has submitted new planning applications, which cite Architecture and Design Scotland (A+DS) at the project's designers. The new plans include the construction of hundreds of houses and nearly 2,000 holiday homes and lodges, in a major step towards completing
Studio Marco Piva restores Milan's Excelsior Hotel Gallia
by Helen Andrews | 08 Apr 2015
The multi-million restoration of the Italian Excelsior Hotel Gallia, a Luxury Collection Hotel, will be complete in Q2 of 2015 with its launch to coincide with the Expo Milano 2015. Owned by Katara Hospitality and operated by Starwood Hotels and Resorts, the historic hotel first opened in 1932 as Palace Gallia in the Porta Nuova area of Milan. It is being revamped by Milan-based Studio Marco Piva, which has blended
Australian developer Lang Walker takes on unrealised Aman site and will open Kokomo resort in Fiji
by Helen Andrews | 07 Apr 2015
Australian property developer, Lang Walker, is planning to develop his first resort, on the island of Fiji. The Kokomo Yaukuve Island Resort on Yaukuve Island, which is part of the Kadavu Island Group - surrounded by the world famous Great Astrolabe Reef - will open in 2016. The resort will have five villas and 21 bures on the beachfront, in addition to a luxury day spa, kids club, tennis court,
BOMP Architects wins eVolo competition with futuristic skyscraper concept containing 11 spectacular natural landscapes
by Jason Holland | 07 Apr 2015
An urban skyscraper divided into 11 natural landscapes has been recognised as the most outstanding new concept for high-rise living in an annual competition. Polish architecture firm BOMP – whose partners are Konrad Basan, Ewa Odyjas, Agnieszka Morga and Jakub Pudo – took first place in the 2015 Skyscraper Competition, organised by eVolo Magazine. Recreation and leisure ranked high on the agenda in many of the winning entrants’ designs. BOMP’s
Gesellschaft von Architekten unveil final plans for horse theme park in Munich
by Tom Anstey | 07 Apr 2015
Gesellschaft von Architekten (Graft) have revealed their final designs for Apassionata – a horse theme and adventure park being built in Munich, Germany. The competition-winning proposal will see a 12-acre hub for leisure and entertainment incorporating adventure, nature and architecture, with 12 themed pavilions anchored by a central structure known as the show palace. The pavilions – which are made primarily of wood – will house an array of activities,
Oriam – Reiach and Hall Architects' £33m elite sports performance centre – breaks ground
by Tom Walker | 07 Apr 2015
Construction work has begun on Oriam, Scotland’s new £33m Sports Performance Centre, which is located at the Riccarton Campus at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh. The facility, designed by Reiach and Hall Architects, will become the new training base for Scotland’s elite athletes and will support the high performance needs for football, rugby and volleyball while offering additional dedicated support to athletics, badminton, basketball, cricket, fencing, handball, hockey, netball, shinty and
Smart concrete transforms Barcelona bridge into pollution-eating eco plaza
by Jason Holland | 07 Apr 2015
Pollutant-absorbing pavements and ambient lighting will turn a Barcelona bridge into a green urban plaza. Spanish architecture firm BCQ is upgrading the Sarajevo Bridge in the Catalan capital as part of a strategy to turn it into an attractive gateway to the city. The new pavement will use a photocatalytic concrete surface, a self-cleaning material that absorbs air pollutants, converting them into harmless substances. Applied to white or grey cement,
Alila Salalah resort in Oman to open in Q3 of 2017 with interiors by Blink Design
by Helen Andrews | 31 Mar 2015
Alila Hotels and Resorts will launch its second luxury resort development in Oman in Mirbat, east of Salalah – a coastal town in the Dhofar governorate. The interior design by BLINK Design Group will include contemporary Dhofari architecture. The project, owned by Alil Salalah – a subsidiary of the Oman Investment Fund – will open in the second half of 2017 comprising 100 bedrooms, 25 villas, fine dining restaurants and
Indoor park scheme could save Houston's Astrodome
by Tom Anstey | 02 Apr 2015
The Houston Astrodome, could be saved and turned into a multi-use leisure facility, following the publication of a new report by the Urban Land Institute (ULI). The ULI report was complied by a panel of experts from the fields of architecture, urban planning and land use. Suggestions include a ground-level open space that could host an array of activities including an adventure park, indoor track, zip lines and mountain bike
Ace Hotel, London – by Universal Design Studio – sold for $222m
by Kath Hudson | 02 Apr 2015
The Ace Hotel in London has changed hands for £150m (US$222m, €205m). The 258-bed Shoreditch hotel, which includes the Miranda nightclub and Hoi Polloi restaurant, has been sold by Starwood Capital Group to Limulus, but will still be managed by Ace Hotel Group. The hotel started life as a Crowne Plaza, built on the site of the Shoreditch Empire music hall. It opened as the Ace in October 2013 following
Architecture competition launches for Macedonia watersports centre
by Kate Corney | 02 Apr 2015
Young architects and students are being invited to design a public watersports facility for a popular tourist destination in Macedonia. Budding architects can compete for their design to be used for a new sports and entertainment centre at Lake Ohrid on the west side Macedonia. The competition is calling on entrants to draw inspiration from the history, natural landscape and culture of the area. The lake is encircled by beaches,
Pop-up nature installation to take over New York's Times Square
by Jason Holland | 02 Apr 2015
New York’s Times Square is ready to go wild after a campaign to bring a temporary forest to the urban jungle surpassed its crowdfunding goal. Ecologist Marielle Anzelone wants to create an immersive natural experience in what she describes as "the most unnatural place on the planet", by bringing the installation of grasses, trees, ferns, and wildflowers to a public plaza in the world-famous area of Manhattan. PopUP Forest: Times
Azzurra & Wyndham to build Planet Hollywood hotel next to Disney Florida, with design by Meyer Davis Studio and Arquitectonica
by Helen Andrews | 02 Apr 2015
Wyndham Hotel Group is building a Planet Hollywood luxury resort called ph Premiere Hotel & Spa Orlando, minutes away from Disney’s Magic Kingdom in Orlando, Florida. New York-based developer Azzurra Development has released early details of the project, which has been designed by Arquitectonica and Meyer Davis Studio. The resort will house 436 bedrooms, a 35,000sq ft (3,252sq m) sandy beach pool deck with cabanas, a lakeside pavilion for water
Giant slides by artist Carsten Höllerpart offer Hayward Gallery visitors an alternative escape
by Kath Hudson | 01 Apr 2015
Specially-commissioned slides which will allow visitors to travel from the Hayward’s Gallery iconic glass pyramid ceiling to the entrance level, will open in London this June as part of an exhibition of work by Belgian artist Carsten Höller. The exhibition Decision will immerse visitors in a series of experimental environments, aiming to transform their physical and mental experience in ways which will lead them to question their habitual perceptions. Other
US$12.3m Yamani Healing project to break ground in raw Mexican jungle
by Helen Andrews | 01 Apr 2015
Construction of Yamani Healing, a new eco-design hotel, destination spa and healing centre in Mexico’s Riviera Maya will start later this year, following the announcement of a real estate partnership with US$32m (€29m, £21m) development Los Árboles Cobá. Mexico City-based architecture practice Estudio Tacubaya has been selected to lead the design of the hotel and healing centre, and UK-based Greg Kewish has been hired as sustainable architect and design consultant.
King’s Cross natural swimming pool by Ooze Architects set to open in April
by Katie Buckley | 27 Mar 2015
Designed by Rotterdam-based Ooze Architects, a naturally filtered swimming pool is under construction in the heart of London’s King’s Cross redevelopment. Ooze Architects, working in collaboration with Slovenia-based artist Marjetica Potrc, have come together to create the freshwater pond. The structure will be 10m (32ft) wide and 40m (131ft) long. Completely chemical free, the pool, which will be used for swimming and outdoor activities, will be surrounded by a green
Leonard Design Architects behind £480m mixed-use regeneration plan for Sheffield, UK
by Jak Phillips | 01 Apr 2015
Sheffield City Council has unveiled ambitions for a major mixed-use development in the northern English city, masterplanned by Leonard Design Architects. The proposed £480m scheme is intended to regenerate Sheffield city centre through 900,000sq ft of leisure and retail, with a small portion allocated for residential and office space. Leonard Design Architects, who have advised on several large European retail developments including Westfield shopping malls in London and Milan, aim
HGA to lead ambitious Walker Art Center expansion project
by Jason Holland | 31 Mar 2015
A $75m (€69.9m, £50.8m) renovation at the Walker Art Center will create a new cultural district in Minneapolis, US. Locally-headquartered architects HGA and Netherlands-based Inside Outside will oversee the project, which will include the construction of a new entrance pavilion as well as landscaping improvements to the art museum’s campus. The plans will directly connect the Walker to the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden, situated opposite, creating a 76,890sq m (827,640sq ft)
Dubai Opera cultural hub by Atkins seeks to rival Sydney Opera House
by Jason Holland | 30 Mar 2015
Everything appears to be shipshape for a new nautical-themed multi-format cultural venue in Dubai that is set to be completed in 2016. The 2,000-seat Dubai Opera will host theatre, concerts, art exhibitions, opera, orchestra, film, sports events and seasonal programmes, according to developer Emaar, and will form the centrepiece of the emirate’s new downtown opera district. The complex can be configured in three different modes to accommodate the type of
Game-changing, high-speed 3D printing system announced at TED
by Jason Holland | 30 Mar 2015
A new approach to 3D printing promises to deliver commercial quality manufactured parts at a much faster rate. Silicon Valley-based Carbon3D’s ‘Continuous Liquid Interface Production’ (CLIP) technology harnesses light and oxygen to continuously grow objects from a pool of resin instead of printing them layer-by-layer. It says the technique is 25-100 times faster than conventional 3D printing, and can deliver commercial quality objects with consistent mechanical properties. A broad range
Design International to design destination mall at the heart of Wessal Bouregreg Moroccan cultural development
by Jason Holland | 30 Mar 2015
Design International is to design a destination mall as part of a project which aims to boost Morocco’s standing as a tourism and cultural centre. The Mall of Rabat will be one element of the mixed-use Wessal Bouregreg project, which also features a Zaha Hadid-designed theatre, a national library, an archaeology and earth sciences museum, a hotel, a marina, and a residential area. Wessal Bouregreg will cover an area of
See inside Bjarke Ingels' W57 building in New York City
by Liz Terry | 28 Mar 2015
Bjarke Ingels' W57 'Courtscraper' project in New York's Hell's Kitchen is taking shape, with the first interior construction site photos posted last night on NY Curbed via Field Condition. The 80,000sq m development will have 709 apartments and 45,000sq ft of leisure, retail and commercial space. Leisure amenities will include a pool and gym, along with a cinema, golf simulator and basketball court, with details of retailers and commercial tenants
SFO-based EHDD Architects complete Toledo Zoo aquarium's US$25m redevelopment
by Tom Anstey | 27 Mar 2015
Ohio’s Toledo Zoo has reopened its aquarium following a near three-year, US$25m (€21.5m, £16.4m) renovation, which has seen the interior of the historic facility revamped to provide a brand new, world-class visitor experience. The aquarium, which first opened in 1939, was closed in 2012 for the renovations. The new development has almost tripled the amount of water inside the aquarium. The building’s historic exterior architecture, by the Works Progress Administration,
Matteo Thun & Partners' JW Marriott Venice opens, with GOCO-designed spa to follow in May
by Helen Andrews | 27 Mar 2015
JW Marriott Hotels & Resorts has soft-opened the JW Marriott Venice Resort & Spa on the private island Isola delle Rose, with the grand opening celebration planned for 24 June 2015. The hotel is situated 15 minutes by speedboat from Piazza San Marco. Architecture practice Matteo Thun & Partners has been in charge of converting historic buildings into a sustainability-focused 266-key luxury hotel, holiday villas, convention centre and a spa
Morphosis Architects reveal designs for Europe’s tallest tower – a luxury hotel in Switzerland
by Katie Buckley | 26 Mar 2015
Plans have been unveiled by US-based Morphosis Architects for a luxury hotel next to Pritzker Prize-winner Peter Zumthor’s famous Therme Vals Spa, Switzerland. The directors of 7132 Ltd, Remo Stoffel and Pius Truffer are behind the scheme. Stoffel trumped a rival bid from Zumthor to buy the Therme Vals spa hotel from the municipality back in 2012, and he and Truffer are now keen to expand their presence in the
OMA + OLIN chosen to design Washington DC’s elevated park
by Katie Buckley | 26 Mar 2015
Architects OMA and landscape architects OLIN have been selected to design the 11th Street Bridge Park, an elevated park in Washington D.C, US. Chosen from a shortlist of four architecture and design teams – including Balmori Associates / Cooper, Robertson & Partners, Stoss Landscape Urbanism / Höweler + Yoon Architecture and Wallace Roberts & Todd (WRT) / NEXT Architects – OMA + OLIN will be transforming the aged freeway bridge
SelgasCano unveil colourful design for Serpentine Pavilion
by Katie Buckley | 25 Mar 2015
Madrid-based SelgasCano architects have unveiled their designs for this year's Serpentine Pavilion in London, featuring an explosion of colour. To be constructed from ETFE, translucent fluorine-based plastic, the lightweight structure will be double-skinned, consisting of multi-coloured panels wrapped in webbing. Internally, the experience will be like passing under sheets of stained glass. When describing their design in a company statement, SelgasCano said they wanted to explore ways a visitor could
Bee'ah releases dramatic video of its new Headquarters and visitor centre by Zaha Hadid
by Tom Anstey | 25 Mar 2015
An exhibition gallery and education centre will form the heart of a new corporate headquarters by Zaha Hadid Architects for environmental management company Bee’ah. It will be built just outside Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates. The building will be used as a learning resource to demonstrate practical environmental awareness to the community and will be the first building in the UAE to be fully powered by renewable energy. A
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