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

The AMI stadium at Addington in Christchurch, New Zealand won the Project of the Year Award at the Stadium Business Awards 2013. The NZ$30m (£15m, €17m, US$23m) stadium was built as a temporary solution after two devastating earthquakes in 2010/2011 left the city without any major outdoor gathering venue for sport and entertainment. Populous designed the 18,000 seat stadium at an existing sporting ground at Addington which was constructed in

Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas is redeveloping its college football facility, Kyle Fields to the tune of US$450m (£290m, €340m). The renovation and redevelopment is being undertaken by architects Populous and will see the venue's seating capacity increase from 82,589 to 102,500. New features in the design will include a brick, glass and limestone façade along with numerous plazas and walkways surrounding the stadium. Seats at the venue

The five-star, 361-room Sofitel Dubai The Palm Resort and Spa located on Dubai's Palm Jumeirah Island in the United Arab Emirates, is preparing for its grand opening next month. The resort will have a 2,500sq m (26,909sq ft) So SPA, which will encompass a sauna, steam room, 28 treatment rooms and a unisex hair salon. Personalised treatments will include a sauna, hammam, solarium and massage. A high tech So FIT

Swissôtel Hotels & Resorts is continuing its expansion at the crossroads of Southwest Asia and Europe with a new deluxe hotel in Baku, Azerbaijan. Scheduled to open in 2015, Swissôtel Baku is currently under construction and will open in time for the first European Olympic Games. Designed by architectural firm Kreatif Mimarlik, the mixed use complex consists of two towers set upon a shared podium which will accommodate businesses, retail

Qatar, which will be hosting the FIFA 2022 Football World Cup, has expressed its interest in developing floating hotels as part of its accommodation solutions for the tournament. The luxury floating hotels developed by Finnish architectural firm, Sigge and partners Global Accommodation Management (GAM)/Almaco Group of Finland, will provide the same services and amenities available in hotels constructed on land. According to GAM, a floating hotel's design can be tailored

The latest Edition hotel is set to open in London, under the management of renowned hotelier Ian Schrager. The London Edition, conceived in partnership with Marriott International, looks to preserve the historical aspects of the former Berners Hotel – a Georgian building made up of five town houses. The hotel's ethos is to combine the historical aspects with modern touches and the 173-room hotel features a dance club, two bars,

Denmark is the latest Scandinavian country to propose an indoor ski resort. The Skidome Denmark project, to be based in the city of Randers, proposes more than 3kms (1.8m) of indoor and outdoor slopes and a freestyle park. There are also plans for a hotel, restaurant and retail outlets on an area of just over 1m sq ft (93 000sq m). Danish architectural firm, CEBRA were responsible for the design

The new £31m Olympia pool in Dundee, Scotland, is about to open its doors as part of the ongoing investment into Dundee's waterfront. The new centre, which opens its doors to the public next week, features a 50m, variable depth pool, four water slides, a gym and a café. Two of the slides feature digital projection technology, meaning that the image will appear in front of the sliders face as

The foundations for a new leisure centre at Elephant and Castle, London have been laid this week, following delays to construction dating back to 2012. The new leisure centre was approved last November but the discovery of human remains on the site pushed back development with the expected opening date pushed back from 2014 to 2015. Construction company, Balfour Beatty, is currently preparing the ground for the next steps in

Not content to fall behind its neighbouring countries in the race to build the world's tallest skyscrapers, Indonesia is planning to construct a US$2bn (£1,27bn €1,49bn) tower in Jakarta's Sudirman Central Business District. Designed by Smallwood, Reynolds, Stewart, Stewart Architects (SRSSA), the tower - to be called Signature Tower - will have a height of 638m (2,093 ft) encompassing 111 storeys. The project includes a 300-room luxury hotel occupying 25

The city of Perth in Western Australia is currently building a A$2,6bn (£1,57bn, €1,83bn, US$2,46bn) waterfront development which it hopes will return the city's focus to the iconic Swan River. Called Elizabeth Quay - to honour Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II's royal visit there in 2011 - the project covers a 10 hectare (24,7 acre) site including a 2,7 hectare (6,67 acre) inlet on the edge of the Central Business

Media mogul Oprah Winfrey has donated US$12m (£7.6m) to the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture, which is currently under construction in Washington D.C. Half of the building's US$500m (£319m) price tag is being funded by the government, while the remaining half is being raised by the museum. Winfrey's donation is the largest received to date and in recognition, the museum's 350-seat theatre will be named the

George Lucas, the creator of cinematic movie greats such as Star Wars and Indiana Jones, is a step closer to opening a cultural arts museum in his hometown of San Francisco. Lucas is one of three finalists vying to secure a site in the Presidio National Park, which was formerly a military base. In his submission to the Presidio Trust, Lucas says the Lucas Cultural Arts Museum will be a

The St Louis Art Museum, in the US State of Missouri, has closed its doors until 29 June when it will reopen with a new East Building extension. The building, designed by David Chipperfield Architects with technical assistance from St Louis-based HOK, will increase the museum's gallery and public space by 30 per cent and will house 21 new galleries. The inaugural exhibitions in the East Building will feature 230

A massive mixed-use development is taking shape off Victoria Island in Nigeria's largest city, Lagos, which will become a new financial hub for West Africa. The multi-billion pound development, called Eko Atlantic, is a joint venture between the Lagos State government and developers, South Energyx Nigeria, and is being fully funded by private investors, most notably large private banks. The project was designed by MZ Architects and ar+h Architects. Conceived

Two separate construction projects, one in Australia and another in South Africa, have made claims to become the tallest building in the southern hemisphere. The projects, which are proposals at present, have received provisional backing from their respective government authorities. The city of Melbourne in the State of Victoria, Australia hopes to build a 388m (1,272 ft) tower rising 108 stories, while the South African project - to be constructed

Design plans for the new multi-million pound King Richard III visitor centre in the heart of Leicester's Old Town has been revealed. The former Leicester Grammar School building at St Martin's Place will be transformed to house a new exhibition, entitled 'Richard III: Dynasty, Death and Discovery' which will guide visitors through the story of the king's life, brutal death at Bosworth Field in 1485, and the story of his

The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) and the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland (RIAS) have revealed the winners of their respective 2013 awards in recognition of architectural achievement. RIBA announced 52 winners in all, 43 from the UK and nine From the EU. These winners will make the shortlist for the prestigious Stirling Prize for best building of the year. The prize will be presented on 26 September