The £8bn (US$13bn, €10bn) redevelopment of London's iconic Battersea Power Station has received another boost after the Frank Gehry and Norman Foster-designed mixed-use high street won planning approval. The phase three plans – which will see a new pedestrian high street running from Battersea Park Road to the existing power station building – feature a new public park and glass cube-shaped community hub building, in addition to bars, shops and

The first major museum to be built in Morocco since it gained independence from France in 1956 has opened in Rabat. Showcasing modern and contemporary works by Moroccan artists, the Musée Mohammed VI d'Art Moderne et Contemporain (Mohammed VI Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art) – now partnered with the Smithsonian Museum in Washington DC and the Louvre in Paris – had been under construction for a decade following a

Haworth Tompkins’ Everyman Theatre has beaten the likes of the London Aquatic Centre and the Shard to be crowned this year's RIBA Stirling Prize winner. The London-based practice had to fight off stiff competition from other illustrious firms and their projects including Zaha Hadid’s aforementioned Aquatic Centre and Renzo Piano’s Shard, as well as Mecanoo’s Library of Birmingham, O’Donnell + Tuomey's Saw Swee Hock and Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios' Manchester

Consultancy and engineering firm Arup has won the contract to advise on venues and infrastructure for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The London-based firm says it has been appointed lead adviser to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and the Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, with its duties covering venue and infrastructure development. Arup will masterplan the Games, as well as advising on transport, security, sustainability

Zaha Hadid Architects has revealed plans for a new museum, school, library and centre for the research of genocide in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The project is the architecture firm's first project in Cambodia and its first ever wooden construction. The centre will be a place for the Sleuk Rith Institute to compile, analyse and preserve information related to the Khmer Rouge era of genocide – which saw an estimated death

The town of Spijkenisse in southwest Holland is now home to a new theatre designed by Ben van Berkel, UNStudio’s founding architect. The Theatre de Stoep is designed to consider the two contrasting facets of the theatre archetype, as a place of wonder and illusion at the same time as being a place of community and social interaction. The theatre boasts progressive shapes and smooth curves typical of UNStudio’s work.

Hotel des Dromonts, in the French ski resort of Avoriaz will reopen on 12 December following a €2m (US$2.6m, £1.6m) revamp after becoming part of the luxury Maisons & Hotels Sibuet brand. The 34-bedroom four-star property was originally designed by Jacques Labro in the 1960s and owned by the Olympic ski champion Jean Vuarnet and Gerard Bremont. Fifty years after first opening, the hotel has been reconfigured and decorated in

When it comes to how best to cater for cyclists in the UK’s capital, more ideas are being "floated" than ever before. The latest is the Thames Deckway, a 7-mile (11km) stretch of cycle path that would float alongside the banks of London’s famed river. Thames Deckway is a concept proposed by River Cycleway Consortium, which is led by architect David Nixon and environmental entrepreneur Anna Hill, in conjunction with

The Grade I-listed Royal Crescent Hotel & Spa in Bath, UK, has finally relaunched after a heritage-led refurbishment of the Georgian building that dates back to the mid-1700s. The privately-owned investment firm Topland Group acquired the two central buildings of the Royal Crescent – built between 1767 and 1774 – that make up the hotel and spa in 2012. Somerset-based interior design firm Jane Clayton and spa consultancy Spa Creators

Starwood Hotels & Resorts will launch its W brand in Marrakech, Morocco, in 2017 in the Hivernage district of the city. The hotel will be called W Marrakech and will be owned by Morocco-based Menatlas 14 S.A. – a company that operates within a global investment fund launched to take advantage of the many opportunities which have arisen in the Kingdom over the past few years. The fund has successfully

The globally-renowned Golden Door wellness resort in Escondido, California, has relaunched following an expansion from 377 acres to 600 acres, making way for gardens and orchards growing ingredients required for its new artisanal product line. In keeping with the resort's hyper-local food sourcing focus, Golden Door’s land expert Jeff Dawson has brought in 30 chickens to lay fresh eggs each morning and a new computer-controlled 3,000sq ft (278sq m) greenhouse

Oakland, California-based National Basketball Association (NBA) franchise Golden State Warriors has revealed the first conceptual plans of its new home in San Francisco, California. Plans to build a 18,000-capacity, multi-use arena in the Mission Bay area will see the Warriors travel across the San Francisco Bay and return to the city of San Francisco for the first time since 1971, when the team moved to its current Oracle Arena home

The shortlist for the Riba Stirling Prize – the UK’s most prestigious architectural award – has been revealed, with the winner to be announced on Thursday (16 October). The six finalists will now battle it out for the coveted prize, which was last year won by Astley Castle, near Nuneaton. The shortlist is as follows: London Aquatics Centre, Zaha Hadid Architects The London Aquatics Centre, which was home to high

Cable cars are usually thought of as a tourist activity, offering a fun and sociable experience with bird’s eye views of the city or countryside below. But one enterprising New Yorker has been asking why tourists should have all the fun. Daniel Levy, president of CityRealty in New York City, is pushing for a rethink of the way we use the skies. His proposals for an urban gondola, dubbed East

Queen’s Park Rangers Football Club’s proposed move to Old Oak Common looks increasingly uncertain after the landowner blocking the club’s move to the site, revealed a £5bn alternative plan for the west London site. PLP has been revealed as the lead architect behind the alternate proposal and has produced a masterplan featuring a cultural hub, canal-side dock and 9,500 homes and two schools. The plans – drawn up in collaboration

The World Architecture Festival, held in Singapore from 1 to 3 October, ended on a high note, with awards distributed to firms from all over the world. The awards are some of the most prestigious in the industry. Here’s our pick from leisure architecture’s big winners. Winner of World Building of the Year: The Chapel, Vietnam, by a21studio A community space on the outskirt of Ho Chi Minh City for

Long-debated plans to redevelop the site of Aberdeen City Council’s former headquarters have been approved, with developer Muse’s £107m scheme being given the green light after a council vote. The Marischal Square revamp features the construction of a combination of offices, shops, restaurants and a hotel, with approval being granted this week after local councillors voted 23-18 in favour. A funding agreement with Aviva Investors will see Aberdeen City Council

After 11 years of campaigning, Margate's community can finally believe the fight to save Dreamland is won. The historic seaside attraction has been closed for 10 years and fallen into a derelict state. But Dreamland, in Kent, UK, has announced today it expects to reopen its doors by summer 2015. Thanks to the relentless Save Dreamland campaign, the site has survived everything from arson attacks to the threat of being

In the pipeline since 1999, Panama’s Biomuseo has finally opened to the public. Designed by famous architect Frank Gehry, the museum aims to celebrate the history of Central America's isthmus as one of the world's most diverse ecosystems. Situated near the mouth of the Panama Canal, the impressive structure houses eight galleries with 4,000sq m (43,055 sq ft) of exhibition space. These eight galleries are fully interactive, immersing visitors in

America’s Alcatraz - one of the world’s most notorious prisons and now a top tourist attraction - is to play host to an art and sculpture exhibition by dissident artist Ai Weiwei. Opening to the public on the 27 September, seven new installations by Ai Weiwei, a Chinese activist and artist, will be on display throughout Alcatraz prison. The multimedia exhibition, named @Large, aims to explore human rights and freedom

Tom Dixon and Design Research Studio (DRS) have unveiled Europe’s first Mondrian Hotel by Morgans Hotel Group on London’s Southbank. Located in Platner-designed Sea Containers House along the River Thames, the building was originally conceived to hold a luxury hotel but ended up as offices due to its location. Giving part of the structure back for its intended use is Tom Dixon and DRS, who have created a 359-bedroom hotel

Oslo-based architecture and design firm Snøhetta has unveiled plans for its competition-winning Central Library and Plaza in Calgary, Canada. Following a contest to design the project in November 2013, Snøhetta and Dialog (a Canadian firm) beat 38 other teams to the job with their public orientated offering. The 21,925sq m (235,999sq ft) library has been inspired by the nearby foothills surrounding the city. Covered with a geometric patterned facade, natural

Oslo-based architecture and design firm Snøhetta has unveiled plans for its competition-winning Central Library and Plaza in Calgary, Canada. Following a contest to design the project in November 2013, Snøhetta and Dialog (a Canadian firm) beat 38 other teams to the job with their public orientated offering. The 21,925sq m (235,999sq ft) library has been inspired by the nearby foothills surrounding the city. Covered with a geometric patterned facade, natural

Internationally renowned gin brand, Bombay Sapphire, is set to open up its new home, a distillery and visitor centre in Laverstock, Hampshire. Opening its doors on 1 October, the Laverstock Mill has been completely renovated and fitted out for its new purpose of housing Bombay Sapphire’s headquarters and distillery. With a full range of behind the scenes visitor experiences, the new site is to showcase the story behind Bombay Sapphire,

Since opening in May 2014, the emotive 9/11 Memorial Museum, NYC, has seen more than one million visitors walk through its doors. Designed by David Brody Bond Architects in conjunction with Snøhetta, the 9/11 Memorial Museum provides a space for telling the story of the 9/11 attacks and their repercussions. And the tasteful approach to the difficult subject matter has seen the attraction more than fulfill visitor number expectations. With

Hadrian’s Wall’s 1960s-era visitor centre will bow out to make way for a brand new facility after plans got the go-ahead from authorities. The English border village of Once Brewed, which serves the stream of hardy walkers who tackle the 117.5km (73 mile) trek across the historic wall, will be home to an £11.2m ($17.9m, €14.3m) development. The Sill National Landscape Discovery Centre, imagined by Newcastle-based architects Jane Darbyshire and

Plans for the first phase of a £100m regeneration project in South Shields have been approved by South Tyneside Council's planning committee. The 365 Master Plan project, drawn up between Muse Developments and South Tyneside Council, will see the transformation of South Shields town centre over a series of phases. Construction work can now begin on the first phase, which features the construction of a new FaulknerBrowns-designed Central Library and