Sir David Attenborough, the Eden Project's Tim Smit and science writer Mike Hanlon are supporting plans for Jurassica, a proposed £85m fossil attraction in Portland, Dorset. The attraction would be created by putting a glass roof over the disused Yeolands quarry and would house thousands of fossils which are currently being stored by the Natural History Museum. The attraction is likely to include animatronic dinosaurs and immerse experiences which enable

Velaa Private Island, a new luxury resort in the Maldives, will open in Q4 of 2013, with a Spa My Blend by Clarins. Privately owned and managed by Czech entrepreneurs Radka and Jiri Smejc, the Petr Kolar-designed resort is made up of 43 private villas and five four-bedroom residences, which focus on local materials and contemporary flourishes. Each private retreat offers a generous outdoor space and private pool. The spa

Amanresorts is to open a beachside resort and Aman Spa on the shores of Vietnam’s East Sea next month. Amano’i will be situated on a white-sand beach overlooking Vinh Hy Bay on the coast of Nui Chua National Park. The resort includes 31 pavilions and five Aman Villas, which fuse contemporary elegance with traditional Vietnamese architectural styles. Accompanying the resort is a full-service Aman Spa, as well as an elaborate

New York City officials are tackling obesity in the city by setting up the first ever Centre for Active Design, as well as announcing new legislation that will change the way new buildings and renovations are designed. Active Design was recently set up to combat architects' tendency to value convenience over health, often leading to a lazier lifestyle. The centre, which is a non-profit organisation, aims to promote changes to

A new Fairmont Hotel has been opened inside Azerbaijan's tallest building complex. Fairmont Baku, Flame Towers, is also the luxury brand's first development in the emerging destination of Azerbaijan. The incredible building, designed by HOK, cost $350m (£226.1m, €263.2m) and is completely covered with LED screens that display the movement of a fire visible from the farthest points of Baku. The hotel, located in one of the building's three towers,

Chinese billionaire Tony Fung’s A$4.2bn (US$3.75bn, £2.4bn) mega leisure development in Cairns, Australia has moved to the next stage, having been declared a ‘co-ordinated project’ – the first step in the Australian government’s planning approval process. The Aquis Resort at the Great Barrier Reef project would include nine luxury hotels, a 25,000-seater sports stadium, a casino and high-end retail space. The resort would offer 3,750 hotel rooms, 1,180 apartments and

Parts of the New York City skyline will be transformed over the next 30 years by the Hudson Yards development, a 26-acre, US$32.9bn (£21.5bn, €24.8bn) scheme, which has been in the planning stages since 2001. The overall development is being driven by the Hudson Yards Development Corporation, with New York City-based property firm Related Companies selected to work on the redevelopment. The centrepiece for the project is a mixed-use real

Artist's impressions, claiming to show detailed plans for a new football stadium in New York, US, have emerged on the imgur.com photo sharing website. The plans purport to show the new home of the New York City Football Club (NYCFC) - a new franchise due to enter Major League Soccer (MLS) in 2015. NYCFC was announced as the MLS's 20th franchise in May 2013 and is a joint venture between

Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts is accelerating its presence in Africa with the signing of a new management agreement for a luxury retreat in Johannesburg, South Africa. The company signed the long-term agreement with the owners of what was previously The Westcliff hotel in Johannesburg. The retreat, set on a cliffside garden estate in the northern suburbs, was closed on 30 June this year to undergo renovations and new construction.

English lifestyle brand, Laura Ashley, has opened the doors to its first luxury boutique hotel. The new venture comes as the company celebrates its 60th anniversary. Located in the Hertfordshire countryside, Laura Ashley The Manor, Elstree is set in a Tudor revival property, surrounded by 10-acres of woodland. The hotel features 49 guestrooms and suites, each individually designed using the current Laura Ashley Home collections. The Cavendish Restaurant & Terrace

A new £45m leisure complex, to be built in Bournemouth, has been earmarked as better than "any other on the south coast", according to the developer. Work on the mixed-use development, which is being developed and managed by the Osborne Group, will start in February next year. The complex, which will create around 300 jobs, will include a nine-screen, 2,000-seat cinema, a linear rooftop garden with terrace, 14 restaurants, a

London Borough of Wandsworth's planning committee has given its consent for the £1bn Ram Brewery project in Wandsworth, London. The development will have a heavy emphasis on the heritage of the historic brewing site and will include nearly 10,000sq m (107,600sq ft) of leisure space. There will also be a micro-brewery and a brewing museum and 661 new homes - some of which will be located in a 36-storey landmark

The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Centre, Rugby's new leisure centre, is on track to opens its doors on 31 August. The new centre replaces the Ken Marriott Leisure Centre, which has been demolished after serving the town for 40 years. The centre, designed by B3 Architects, has been built on the site of the Ken Marriott Leisure Centre's car park. Facilities include two swimming pools, a 100-station gym, a climbing wall,

Aspen Museum, in Colorado, US, has raised US$58m (£38.1m, €44m) as part of a US$65m (£42.7m, €49.4m) fundraising campaign to move into a much larger facility. Construction on the new 33,000sq ft (3,065sq m) building, designed by award-winning Japanese architect Shigeru Ban, has already begun and will be completed in 2013. The museum has seen demand rocket in recent years, with a 200 per cent increase in budget, number of

A design team has been appointed by Darwen Borough Council to deliver the £2.3m Witton Park Athletics Facility project, which is due to be complete in Spring 2014. The design team from Capita Symonds and Eric Wright Construction will be responsible for the project that aims to improve community sports facilities in the Borough. Home to Blackburn Harriers and Athletics Club; the new facility will include improved changing facilities, spectator

The island of St Helena is undergoing a historical change as it attempts to kick-start its tourism industry following the recent announcement that the island's first airport will be operational by 2016. The 47sq m (121sq km) island has seen major reforms to its immigration, investment, land development and tax regulations in an attempt to attract foreign investors to the island. Plans have already been announced for a £70m hotel,

The QE2 is set to leave Dubai and travel to Asia to begin its transformation into a 400-room floating hotel on 18 October. Launched more than 40 years ago by Britain's Queen Elizabeth, the QE2 was sold to the UAE real estate developer Nakheel and left Southampton for the last time on 11 November, 2008. The ship’s ownership is now being transferred to a consortium of investors under a Dubai-based

A £635,000 refurbishment of Cleethorpes Leisure Centre in north Lincolnshire has been approved. The refurbishment will see an overhaul of the existing poolside changing rooms with the introduction of a modern, family-friendly layout. After consulting with pool users, it was decided that the new facilities would include male and female toilets, individual shower cubicles, design changes to support disabled users, a new footwear changing area, wet/dry areas and a storage

Plans have been revealed for a HK$4.98bn (£421.7m, US$642m, €492.6m) Asian modern and contemporary art museum in Hong Kong, China. M+ is scheduled for completion in 2017 with HK$4bn (£338.8m, US$515.7m, €395.8m) coming from the government for construction and a further HK$1.7bn (£144m, US$219.2m, €168.2m) going on building an art collection and covering storage costs. Pritzker prize-winning architecture firm Herzog & de Meuron have been selected as designers for the

A new luxury spa, influenced by its historic country house surroundings, is to open its doors in Newmarket, UK next month. Situated adjacent to the Bedford Lodge Hotel, The Spa at Bedford Lodge is housed in a Victorian-era property which once formed part of the estate of the sixth Duke of Bedford. Designed by Trevillion Interiors, the spa is themed around the fragrance of traditional English lavender and every aspect

A new US$1bn (£656m, €766m) museum is being planned on the site of the former Al-Muthanna airport in Baghdad, Iraq. The museum project, proposed by the Iraqi Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, has been given the working title of The Grand Museum of Iraq. It is hoped that the new museum will display objects currently being stored in the National Museum of Iraq alongside new pieces, which have been unearthed

The owners of the Glenstone Museum in the United States, Mitchell and Emily Rales, have announced the beginning of construction for a new building to house their extensive private art collection. The museum will join an existing one on their private estate in Potomac, Maryland. The current building, which opened to the public in 2006, was designed by Charles Gwathmey of Gwathmey Siegel & Associates Architects and covers a total

Global destination design firm, WATG, has relocated its CEO to London in order to be closer to the company's expansion plans in the Middle East and Africa. Following an announcement from the company's board to extend his leadership term for another five years, Mike Seyle will move to London which is one of WATG's fastest growing operations. Commenting on the move, Seyle said the company had ambitious growth plans for

Romford, London, is set to receive brand new sports facilities which will include a competition swimming pool and new ice rink. The development, which has been designed by FaulknerBrowns Architects, will include in addition to the eight-lane, 25m pool and ice rink, a learner pool, sauna and steam room, health and fitness studio, gym, dance studio, café and bar. The ice rink will be located on the second floor of

The Manila Arena in the Philippines is currently under construction, and upon completion, will claim the title of largest indoor arena in the world. Designed by architecture firm, Populous Melbourne, the 50,000-seat arena has been commissioned by Iglesia Ni Cristo (The Church of Christ) and aims to be unveiled in time for the church's centennial celebration in 2014. The projected cost is US$175m (£113m, €133m). Populous said the project presented

A luxury, multi-million dollar underwater resort will be built off the tropical island of Kuredhivaru in the Maldives, instead of Dubai as originally planned. Backed by Swiss investors, the US$50m (€38m, £32m) project is the brainchild of Polish company Deep Ocean Technology. The Water Discus Hotel, which has the go-ahead from the National Ministry of Tourism, will feature 21 rooms in the heart of coral reefs. It will comprise two

The AYANA Resort and Spa Bali is preparing for the opening of sister hotel RIMBA Jimbaran Bali, offering another guest experience within the cliff-top property. Under the same management of Capella Hotel Group, RIMBA Jimbaran Bali will open in September 2013 with 297 rooms and suites to expand on AYANA’s 368 rooms and villas. The eight hectare (20 acre) resort is located within AYANA’s 77-hectare (190 acre) grounds overlooking Jimbaran