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

Hobart's major cricket venue, the Bellerive Oval - also known as the Blundstone Arena - is being upgraded to the tune of A$30m (£18,2m, €21,4m, US$28,5m). The project, which is being financed by the Tasmanian State Government and the Australian Federal Government, will see the oval's capacity increase to almost 20,000 seats from its current 16,000. The redevelopment will include the construction of a new western stand, a new concourse

Centre Parcs has revealed designs for the new Subtropical Swimming Paradise, which will be part of the new Woburn Forest village in Bedfordshire, set to open in spring 2014. Woburn Forest will have the largest of Centre Parcs' Subtropical Swimming Paradises, with features that include water rapids, a wave pool, toddler pool, family play area, Lazy River and three new water rides; Tornado, Twister and Typhoon. The area will be

Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Ruler of Dubai has announced that a new district will be created in Dubai, dedicated to developing the Emirate’s fashion, design and luxury sectors. The “Dubai Design District” will be adjacent to the Business Bay area of Dubai. The district is expected to become a full service commercial hub for design industry-related organizations, brands, and supporting enterprises within the value chain. It will feature a

Hong Kong-based Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts is to unveil a new property in August in the centre of Qufu in southwestern China. Shangri-La Hotel, Qufu will pay homage to philosopher Confucius and will be within walking distance of the Temple of Confucius, the Mansion of Confucius and the Cemetery of Confucius, all three are UNESCO World Heritage Cultural Sites. Located in Shandong Province, the resort will feature 211 guestrooms with

Indian conglomerate, The Krrish Group, plans to build a US$650m (£418m, €491m) mixed use development in the colonial district of Sri Lanka's capital, Colombo. The company has enlisted the help of French architect Edouard Francois to design the project, called Krrish Square. It will cover an area of 450,000sqm (4,8m sq ft) surrounding a historic British colonial building in the heart of the city. The design includes three towers rising

A proposed £8.8m Landscape Discovery Centre in Northumberland National Park (NNP) has the potential to contribute £3.5m (US$5.2m, €3.9m) to the local economy, according to reports. The Economic Impact Assessment, prepared by New Skills Consulting and the KSA Partnership, which was commissioned by NNP and the Youth Hostels Association (YHA), estimated that 'The Sill' has the potential to attract up to 120,000 new visitors and generate £3.35m (US$5.2m, €3.9m) annually

Italian football club, AS Roma, has confirmed that the club's new stadium will be built on the Tor di Valle site located on the south-western outskirts of the city. The site lies on the banks of the Tiber River and is currently occupied by a racetrack which will be demolished. The 55 - 60,000 seater stadium was designed by sports and entertainment architect, Dan Meis, who said: "In 25 years

The city of Southampton may have its new arts complex by 2015 according to the Southampton Cultural Development Trust, which is spearheading the project. The trust says around 90 percent of the funding required for the £21m ($32m, €24m) project has already been secured with the remaining funds expected to come from private donors. Project developer Grosvenor has selected CZWG to design the mixed-use cultural scheme which will encompass 100,000

The new £20m (US$30.9m, €23.5m) Glass Mill Leisure Centre in Lewisham, south London, will open its doors on 10 June after 15 months of construction work. The new facility has been designed by LA Architects and will be operated by Fusion Lifestyle on behalf of Lewisham Council. The contractor for the project was Pellikaan, with additional work from Barratt Homes, who developed the 'Renaissance' theme. The new centre comes equipped

Albert Einstein's life and work, as well as his connections to Judaism and Zionism, are to be honoured by a museum in Jerusalem. The museum will be located at The Hebrew University on Mount Scopus, a site which has drawn some controversy as it lies outside Israel's pre-1967 borders. A design concept, by Foster + Partners, in collaboration with local Israeli firm, Baer, Shiftman-Nathan Architects, has been commissioned by the

The Corning Museum of Glass in New York has unveiled the final design of its North Wing expansion, which is slated to open in late 2014. Designed by Thomas Phifer and Partners, the addition will include a new 26,000 sq ft (2,415sq m) contemporary art gallery building, as well as a new 500-seat glassmaking demonstration venue in the renovated facility of the former Steuben Glass factory ventilator building, adjacent to