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

The multi-million dollar Lambda project have been given the green light to create the Munch Museum in a glass structure on Oslo’s waterfront. Spanish architects Herreros Arquitectos were appointed to design the museum in 2009 but the project was put on hold over issues on cost and location. The museum is now being developed on the site originally intended; a 12,000sq ft glass structure on the waterfront. Expected to open

After more than a decade of planning and preparation, the new Mediterranean civilisations museum (Mucem) is preparing open its doors to the public. The €191m (£163.3m, US$249.7m) project will be the worlds first museum to be dedicated to Mediterranean civilisations and culture. With an expected 300,000 visitors a year, Mucem will be the first standalone French national museum ever to be located outside of Paris. Developed in partnership with the

Rosewood Hotels & Resorts has been appointed by Jakarta-based Ciputra Group to manage Rosewood Tanah Lot Bali and Rosewood Jakarta, both scheduled to open 2017. The two new properties support Rosewood’s strategic Asia expansion plans, joining Rosewood Beijing opening Autumn 2013 and Rosewood Phuket opening end-2014. Rosewood Tanah Lot Bali will be located on 30 acres (12 hectares), near the world famous Tanah Lot temple on Bali’s west coast. The

Following its announcement earlier this year that it will create 50 Hollywood-themed hotels over the next few years, Paramount Hotels has teamed up with consultancy GOCO to create a new wellness brand to be featured at each property. Paramount Hotels & Resorts CEO Thomas van Vliet said: "We'll have our own wellness and fitness concepts and our own food and beverage concepts, which will be a mix between our Paramount-themed

Engineering and design company Atkins has drawn up plans for a new mixed-use resort project in Vietnam, which will include both residential and hotel properties. Situated in the east of of the country, in Vung Ro, the plans for development include a marina, hotel resort and luxury villas. Three areas have been identified for construction: The Marina for direct ocean views, the Village occupying the valley plain and the Bai

Construction work has begun on the Witham Leisure Centre in Essex. The £9.5m project is headed by Barr Construction and the facility - designed by Scott Brownrigg Architects - is due for completion in summer 2014. Once opened, the centre will be managed by Fusion Lifestyle. Facilities will include a six lane, 25m pool, leaner pool with moveable floor, a health and fitness suite, two dance studios, sauna and steamroom

A new £5m (US$7.55m, €5.83m) watersport development has been launched on the Colwyn Bay waterfront in north Wales. The development features the new Porth Eirias building, which has been constructed on a one hectare (107,639sq ft, 10,000 sq m) platform on top of a groyne. Built by local company Wynne Construction, it will provide a hub for watersport activities in Colwyn Bay and will include a bistro, café, changing areas

Planning permission has been given for a new country park and housing development in Ashford, Kent. The Conningbrook Lakes project will see the new site, formerly a quarry for sand and gravel, transformed into a country park with water-based activities, foot and cycle paths, nature trails, a water-front restaurant and a lakeside village of 300 homes. The site will be planned and designed by BDB Design Ltd, based in Canterbury

Plans are in the works to bring a Guggenheim museum to Wales as early as 2019 in a bid to replicate the success that came from opening one in Bilbao, Spain. In 2012 the Guggenheim in Bilbao helped generate €294.6m (£252.2m, US$380.2m) in GDP for the country. The predicted opening date of 2019 or 2020 would coincide with the current timetable for the electrification of the south Wales rail line.

The architectural and structural design firms and individuals who helped to shape the 2012 Games legacy have been celebrated in the short film Designing for Champions. The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), Institution of Structural Engineers (IStructE) and New London Architecture (NLA) initiated the DROPTHEBAN campaign and commissioned the ‘Designing for Champions’ film to advocate many of the Games’ unsung heroes. The DROPTHEBAN campaign which launched in July 2012

A £100m (US$151.3m, €117.7m) development in Yorkshire is set to be built on the existing Flaxby Park Golf Course and will feature a 27-hole course and a 303 room hotel. York-based property firm, Skelwith Leisure, will begin work on the new site at the end of May, which will also feature a floodlit driving range, conference centre, four helipads, three restaurants, and an 18,000sq ft (1,672sq m) spa, gym and

York City Football Club and York City Knights Rugby League Club are set to share a new stadium following construction of a £90m (US$137.1m, €106m) development, which will include a brand new 6,000-seat facility. Planning permission was sought by Oakgate PLC in respect of a new retail development being built close to the site. The stadium design permits expansion to 12,000-seats should the need arise, following York’s recent promotion to

London's cultural landmark the British Museum has broken ground on its new multi-million pound capital project, the World Conservation and Exhibitions Centre (WCEC). Designed by Rogers, Stirk, Harbour + Partners (RSHP) and constructed by Mace, the new WCEC is one of the largest redevelopment projects in the museum's 260 year history. The aim of the project is to safeguard and enhance collections, while enabling the museum to store, conserve, study

Attractions operator Ripley Entertainment is set to open a CA$130m (£83.7m, US$126.8m, 98.5m euro) aquarium in Toronto, Canada this summer. When completed, Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada will home 15,000 inhabitants in its 12,500sq m (135,000sq ft) facility and is expected to have a projected annual economic impact of more than CA$35m (£22.5m) for the Toronto area. The traditional layout walk through aquarium will include a 96-metre long (315ft) walkway in

Plans for a new £10.1m leisure centre in Kidderminster have moved forward after Wyre Forest District Council's (WFDC) planning committee green lighted the project. The proposal for the former Victoria Sports Ground include a 25-metre six-lane pool, a learner pool, fitness suite, six-court sports hall and outdoor football pitches. Other facilities will include fitness and dance studios and a cafe. "This project is about providing first class leisure and sports

An £8m cinema and leisure complex being constructed in St Neots will be pulled down because it is less than one metre out of place. The new Cineworld will be torn down and rebuilt after a design error left the complex too close to existing houses. "We have taken the unprecedented step of halting the existing work and have parts to rebuilt to assuage any concerns that adjoining landowners may

The newly opened PARKROYAL on Pickering, Singapore's development that's based on a 'hotel-in-a-garden concept', has unveiled its spa and wellness facilities. The eco-inspired, 16-storey hotel, which will be operated by Pan Pacific Hotels Group (PPHG), has an entire 44,000 sq ft (4,085sq m) floor dedicated to wellness. A large proportion of the floor has been set aside for green outdoor space and features a two-storey descent waterfall, a 300m garden

Swindon could become home to the longest ski slope in the UK as part of the revised plans for the multi million pound revamp of the Oasis Leisure centre. In the new plans, the slope would exceed the current longest UK slope at Xscape Braehead in Scotland, which holds the record at 200 metres in length. "This development will make Swindon the best indoor skiing venue in the country," said

Real estate company Silverstein Properties has secured financing to construct an 82-storey tower in Manhattan, New York, US that will include a Four Seasons hotel and private residences. At 926ft (282m) the property will be one of the tallest residential towers in Downtown Manhattan offering visitors panoramic views of the Midtown skyline and New York Harbor. Located at Park Place and Church Street in Tribeca, Four Seasons Hotel and Private