Work has began on a spa in Leukerbad, in the heart of the Swiss Alps, where the Valasis mountains thermal waters have bubbled at 51 degrees since Roman times. Situated 1,402m above sea level, the 51 degrees Spa will have more than 200 treatments on the menu. The 800sq m (8,611 sq ft) spa – slated for a 2015 opening - will incorporate two rituals rooted in the cultures of

Bristol mayor George Ferguson has announced his support for a proposed aerospace attraction at the Filton airfield that would showcase aircraft, helicopters, aero-engines and missiles, and also provide a home for Concorde 216. In a letter to Iain Gray, chair of the Bristol Aero Collection Trust, Ferguson said he saw the Bristol Aerospace Centre as a "key legacy project". "The Bristol Aeroplane Company was one of the first and most

BAM Construction has secured a £5.3m contract as part of a £7m project to redevelop Plymouth's landmark Theatre Royal. The Devon-based contractor will re-clad the building's curtain walling and refurbish the front-of-house area including the box office and restaurant. New catering facilities will be introduced and the capacity of the restaurant increased. The project will also involve work on the backstage and basement areas, as well as new mechanical and

Contemporary Los Angeles art gallery The Broad is to open January 2014, with a ceremony held to mark the completion of its steel frame this month. Philanthropists Eli and Edythe Broad are financing the $130m (96.50m euro, £82.60m) project, which will exhibit works by Jean Michel Basquiat, Joseph Beuys, Keith Haring, Jasper Johns, Jeff Koons, Robert Rauschenberg, Cindy Sherman and Andy Warhol in its inaugural exhibition. At the 8 January

A US county authority has put its support behind proposed bed tax increases and rebates on goods and services taxes to partially fund $400m (296.93m euro, £254.17m) worth of improvements to Miami’s Sun Life Stadium. The Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners heard an upgrade of the 25-year-old stadium would contribute $2bn (1.48bn euro, £1.27bn) in economic benefit over 15 years, and passed a resolution at their 23 January meeting urging

Song Saa, which translates as 'the sweethearts' in Khmer, is Cambodia's first private island resort. Located in the Koh Rong Archipelago, the resort spans the island of Koh Ouen and Koh Bong and is connected by a footbridge. Owned by entrepreneurs Rory and Melita Hunter, the resort features 27 villas, each with a private pool. A spa and wellness sanctuary, situated in the rainforest along the shore, features a large

A dance studio and theatre will replace part of Queen's Leisure Centre in Derby, which has been deemed not fit for purpose. Art Council funding, announced on 22 January, gave local dance academy Déda - which currently neighbours Queen's Leisure - the means to go ahead with the expansion, due to start April 2014. Derby City Council's leisure strategy, signed off in 2010, deemed the Springwood Leisure Centre the only

Local Scottish authority Dumfries and Galloway Council will take court action against contractor Kier Northern over a number of problems with the DG One leisure centre, which opened in 2008 at a cost of £17m. A detailed report by independent technical experts found the cost of addressing defects in the gym, games hall, bar, swimming pool and changing village would total £3.7m. At its policy and resources committee meeting on

The Natural Science Center in Greensboro, North Carolina, US, has announced it will open its SciQuarium in early summer this year, the first phase in a three stage investment programme to continue over the next three years. Natural Science Center employees, Moser-Mayer Phoenix & Associates and Cambridge Seven Associates have contributed to the design of the US$10m (7.5m euro, £6.3m) project, which is dominated by a 22,000sq ft aquarium. It

Construction firm Willmott Dixon are working with South Tyneside Council in the early development stages of a new £11m leisure centre in Hebburn. The new centre is being developed by the council and forms part of a masterplan to regenerate the town centre. The leisure hub will comprise a 25m, six-lane swimming pool as well as a learner pool, sports hall, dance studio, library and customer service facilities. Construction on

A new national museum will launch in Tartu, Estonia in late 2016. Located in the city's Raadi district, the Estonia National Museum (ENM) will be funded by the Estonian Government. Director of the museum, Estonian politician Tonis Lukas, said that he hoped to sign a building contract in the next few weeks with construction expected to begin in March 2013. Designed by architects Dan Dorell, Lina Ghotmeh and Tsuyoshi, the

The first phase of the National Afro-American Museum in Wilberforce, Ohio, US will be unveiled on 26 January, following an 18-month long revamp. To be opened in stages, the museum's first phase includes a renovated exhibition space, which will feature the new installation "How I Got Over." The mixed media exhibition will reflect the African American experience and focus on three themes of celebration, spirituality and protest. A second exhibition

US-based football club New York Cosmos has submitted a proposal to the State of New York to build a new stadium, with an estimated cost of US$400m (300.7m euro, £252m). The 25,000-seat Cosmos stadium would be located at Belmont Park, Nassau County, Long Island along with a youth soccer field and a 4.3-acre public park. The privately funded Elmont Town Crossings project will be led by Turner Construction, which provided

The Los Angeles Dodgers have this month announced plans to upgrade their 51-year-old stadium in time for the 2013 season. Improvements will include high definition video boards, Wi-Fi, increased disability access, new food service facilities, a new home clubhouse, new batting cages, and a new sound system that will minimise echoes and sound migration outside the stadium. Dodger president and chief executive Stan Kansten said the stadium would retain its

A new luxury hotel - The Richmond - is set to open in Liverpool in March, combining serviced apartments and hotel services. Located at Liverpool Convention Bureau, the new property features 51 apartments, suites, executive and classic rooms. Set within a Grade II-listed building, guests will have free access to the recently opened Olympus Leisure Spa, which houses saunas, steamrooms, sunken baths, bucket showers and a relaxation zone. The spa

Lancashire private fitness and leisure facility Crow Wood, Burnley, has opened its doors to around 1,200 people keen to get a preview of their new £4m spa development. The Woodland Spa is expected to open in the next couple of weeks but tours have been held to showcase the development. Treatments on offer include a hydrotherapy pool, serenity pool, sauna, hot tubs, Roman foot baths, ice fountain, experience showers, Rasul

The National WWII Museum in New Orleans, Louisiana, US, has launched the next phase of its US$300m (225m euro, £187m) expansion. The US Freedom Pavilion: The Boeing Centre, which cost US$35m (26m euro, £22m), tells the story of America's industrial capability during the war years and explores what it was like to participate in World War II on land, at sea or in the air. It showcases the macro artifacts

Work is now well underway on a luxury spa at Salcombe Harbour Hotel in Devon, set to open in summer this year, which will include a two-level spa excavated into the cliff. The multi-million pound refurbishment of the 50-bedroom property is being undertaken by Bristol-based construction group Galliford Try with interiors by DO Design. The first spa level will include the reception, five treatment rooms and a fitness suite, and

The capital city of Arizona, US will be receiving a new addition to its skyline in the form of a 430ft (131m) high Phoenix Tower. Developer Novawest LLC and Danish architecture firm Bjark Ingels Group (BIG) unveiled plans for the observation tower, which will be located in downtown Phoenix on the Science and Technology campus. The principle feature of the tower - which will have a total floor space of

A new cricket stadium in Rajkot, India is making its international debut today when it hosts a one-day match between India and England. Spread over 29.48 acres, the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium, which opened earlier this week, has a total seating capacity of 28,000. The stadium houses three stands, South Pavilion, West Stand and East Stand featuring a health club, media box and president box. A sports complex for other

Ahead of its opening on 1 February, details of The View from the Shard visitor experience at London's tallest skyscraper have been revealed. The attraction's viewing platforms sit on levels 69 and 72 of the 1,016ft (310m) landmark building - developed by Sellar Property in association with LBQ Ltd as part of a £2bn regeneration project for the London Bridge area. Starting at the ground floor galleries, visitors to The

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