Pritzker Prize-winner architect Frank Gehry will make his Latin American debut in August with the opening of a new museum in Panama City. Located in the birth country of Canadian born Gehry's wife, Bertha, the new BioMuseo aims to educate about biodiversity and the raise awareness of the significance of the creation of the Isthmus of Panama. The museum is funded by the Amador foundation with scientific support by the

Vienna International is set to unveil a luxury hotel and wellness area in Shchyolkovo near Moscow, Russia at the end of 2013. Astrum Hotel Shelkovo is owned by Shelkowskij Holding and will be under the management of Vienna International Hotel Management (VIHM). Spanning 27-floors, a main feature of the hotel is the 3,6597sq ft (3,400sq m) Wellness and Medical Spa, which will be run as a conference and relaxation area.

Dubai-based construction firm Arabtec Holdings has been awarded a US$653m contract to build the Abu Dhabi branch of France's Louvre museum, according to Reuters. Awarded by Abu Dhabi's Tourism Development and Investment Company, the contract will see construction begin immediately with the museum expected to open in 2015. Abu Dhabi Louvre was designed by French architect Jean Nouvel and will be located on the Saadiyat Island's Cultural District complex. The

Planning permission has been granted for Lightwater Valley to build 106 holiday units at its theme park in Ripon, North Yorkshire, UK. The £5m resort development will be set on Lightwater Valley's existing grounds, which cover 175 acres and feature Europe's longest rollercoaster, The Ultimate, among its 33 rides. The park was denied planning permission for 204 caravans and 136 lodges in 2007 as it was deemed the development would

An eco-friendly visitors’ centre in Bournemouth, UK, will showcase the history of the region – from the Stone Age to the present day – when it opens in time for summer. Construction is currently underway on the £1m Hengistbury Head Visitor Centre, which will house an exhibition space, a retail outlet and workspace for staff, volunteers and community groups. Green energy features will include a green roof, 16 photo-voltaic solar

An £20m eco-friendly hotel has opened at the University of Nottingham, adjacent to the campus’s conference centre and landscaped gardens. The Orchard, funded entirely by the university, includes 220 bedrooms, meeting rooms, bar and gym, with eco-friendly features including a green roof, photovoltaic panels, ground source heat pumps and energy efficient lighting, heating and ventilation systems. Nottingham’s pro-vice chancellor for environment and infrastructure Professor Karen Cox said the hotel is

A new luxury hotel – The Thief – has opened on Oslo’s famous ‘Thief Island’ (Tjuvholmen) where 18th century criminals were once brought to face justice. Leaving the past behind Tjuvholmen island today is home to a thriving urban centre for business, art and nightlife, which the hotel aims to capture. Designed by Norway-based Mellbye Architects,"The Thief" features 119 guestrooms and suites all with French balconies. Art is central to

Regeneration organisation Groundwork has been appointed to manage the development of the Hafod Copperworks in Swansea, Wales, due to start early this year. The long-term vision is for the site – which dates back to 1810 and includes 14 buildings and structures of historical significance – to become a hub for work, education, tourism and leisure. Led by Swansea Council and Swansea University the development will see listed buildings protected,

Essex construction firm Mulalley has been confirmed as the preferred contractor for the new Atherton Leisure Centre, Stratford, UK. Newham Council is investing £14.7m in the centre, which will include swimming pools, a gym, crèche facilities, disabled facilities, and possibly some housing. It will replace the existing leisure centre, which was found to contain significant amounts of asbestos and closed its doors for the last time on 31 December. Construction

A company has been selected to build and operate an interim events facility in Sydney while the Australian city’s permanent international convention precinct is under construction. Sydney Harbour Expo, a company founded by event and equipment hire company Pages, will create a fully enclosed, fully serviced, marquee-style structure of 25,000 sq m for the Glebe Island attraction. It will attract more than 500,000 visitors a year and generate more than

The University of Houston (UH) Athletics Department has unveiled plans for its new on-campus stadium, to open for its inaugural game 30 August 2014. The 40,000-seat synthetic turf stadium, with future capacity for 60,000, is set to cost US$105m (79.12m euro, £64.49m) and host events including football games as well as other university events. The plans were unveiled on 19 December by representatives from Manhattan Construction and DLR Group who

Queensland's largest tourist development - an AUS$1.4bn (US$1.47bn, 1.1bn euro, £903m) integrated tourism and residential community at Ella Bay - has been given the green light after seven years. Federal Minister for Environment Tony Burke approved the proposal, which received State Government approval last month. Ella Bay Developments and Satori Resorts are behind the 161-acre Ella Bay resort which will be built in phases over a 15-year period. Located near

US-based Hyatt Hotels is set to launch an Andaz-branded hotel in Tokyo, Japan in 2014. Andaz Tokyo is a joint partnership between Hyatt Hotels Corporation and Japanese property management firm Mori Building Company. Located in Toranomon, the hotel will occupy eight floors of a 52-story tower in a multi-use complex and feature 164 guestrooms including 64 suites Andaz Tokyo will also house a spa with a 65 sq ft indoor

Plans have been revealed for a AUS$592m (US$623.6m, £385m, 474m euro) eco tourism resort on Great Keppel Island, Queensland, Australia. Australian-based Tower Holdings is behind the resort that would comprise a 250-room hotel, 750 eco-tourism villas and 300 eco-tourism apartments as well as a day spa. Designed by London-based architects WATG, the project is divided into four sections; Fisherman's Beach Resort, Clam Bay Resort, marine services and environmental protection. Fisherman's

Switzerland-based art gallery Hauser & Wirth has announced it will expand operations to derelict Durslade Farm in Somerset, UK come 2014. The gallery, which was founded in Zurich in 1992 by Iwan and Manuela Wirth and Ursula Hauser, represents emerging and established contemporary artists including Paul McCarthy, Roni Horn and Mary Heilmann. The Hauser & Wirth Somerset website states the gallery, which is expected to attract 40,000 visitors a year,

Systems engineering company Hightex Group has been selected to work on the Arena des Dunas in Natal, Brazil - one of the venues for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. This is the third contract won by Hightex in partnership with Brazilian infrastructure company SEPA for a stadium for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Hightex and SEPA have won contracts for the Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro and for the

The Visions of China theme park, planned for a former opencast coal mine in the Rother Valley Country Park, is one step closer to development with a lease agreement signed between the local council and developers. The proposed 120-acre attraction is projected to cost more than £100m and would showcase Chinese architecture, garden design and culture and customs. A Rotherham Borough Council spokesperson confirmed the authority has entered agreements for

A Zaha Hadid-designed art gallery at Michigan State University opened its doors last month. The Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum will be an educational resource, as well as a community and cultural hub, and features work from Salvador Dali, Damien Hirst and Andy Warhol. “Great art deserves great architecture, and so does a great university," says MSU president, Lou Anna Simon. "The Broad Museum's bold concept and design reflect

An interactive theatre show, which includes an animated whale, is the latest attraction at Korean theme park Lotte World. The Seoul-based theme park collaborated with Hollywood design firm the Goddard Group to develop the animated underwater experience, which will open in the Aqua Plaza section of the park in January 2013. Korea's Rayglyph is providing technology and content for the show and producer W.G. Choi said the attraction, which allows

AV specialist Electrosonic has acquired Global Immersion, a designer of high performance digital immersive theater attractions. The deal, completed yesterday (10 December) will allow Electrosonic to offer digital immersive solutions across the theme park, museum, giant screen cinema and planetarium markets. Jim Bowie, president of Electrosonic Group, said the deal was a significant strategic move for both companies. He said: "As a single operation, we will service an even broader

Barr construction will begin work on a new £9.5m leisure centre in Witham, Essex in spring 2013. The building contract was awarded by Braintree District Council (BDC) who is funding the Witham Leisure Centre. The centre, designed by Scott Brownrigg Architects, will replace the Bramston Sports Centre and is set to open in summer 2014. Located adjacent Bramston Sports Centre, the new centre will include a six-lane swimming pool and

Major League Soccer (MLS) moves ahead with plans for a US$300m (231m euro, £186m) soccer stadium in Queens, New York. Flushing Meadows-Corona Park in Queens has been selected by MLS as the potential site for the new development. The plans call for a 25,000-seat stadium (expandable to 35,000 seats) to be constructed on the current site of the park's Industry Pond. Depending on when the stadium deal is finalized, league

Castle Hotel & Spa is set to open a US$9m (7m euro, £5.6m) Thann Sanctuary Spa in Westchester County, New York, US in May 2013. The 100-year-old resort, overlooking the Hudson River in Tarrytown, is owned and managed by Sankara Hospitality Group. Spanning 7,800sq ft (725sq m), the spa will be the first Thann Sanctuary-branded site to launch in the US. It will feature seven treatment rooms, hot pools, men

A new spa retreat, based in Texas and constructed using environmentally-friendly techniques and materials, will open its doors on Saturday (8 December). Deer Lake Lodge & Spa, nestled on 50-acres 40 minutes from Houston, will hold tours of the lodge, mini treatment demonstrations and a ribbon cutting ceremony as part of its grand opening. Co-founders Tracy Boulware and her sister Dr. T.C. Hughes have dedicated themselves to providing an all-natural

Germany based 25hours Lifestyle Hotel Group has opened a new design-led hotel in Zurich, Switzerland. 25hours Hotel Zurich West was developed by Zurich interior designer Alfredo Haberli and features 126 guestrooms. Located in the Hard Turm Park, the guestrooms are divided into categories that refer to Zurich's identity as a bank city. The rooms are named and designed to reflect precious metals: silver, gold and platinum. The hotel houses a

Paris' famous Louvre museum and gallery is set to open a satellite gallery in Lens, Northern France next week. The Louvre-Lens will exhibit more than 200 artworks by masters including Botticelli, Raphael, Poussin, Rembrandt, Goya, Ingres and Delacroix at its 50-acre site, situated in a small mining town near Lille. Artworks will be displayed chronologically with different cultures and civilizations juxtaposed so classical Greek works might sit next to pieces

After opening an office in Shanghai, China, Blink Design Group has won three key design projects in the cities of Beijing, Benxi and Hefei. In less than a month, the design group was appointed to carry out the interior design of the new Sheraton Resort Beijing, work on the design of two new resorts at Benxi's hot springs in Liaoning Province and began designing a new spa-lifestyle clubhouse in Hefei.