Five-time Olympic gold medallist Sir Steve Redgrave has helped mark the official opening of a major new £8.1m sports complex in east London's Mayesbrook Park. Built by Morgan Sindall and designed by LRK Associates, SportHouse comprises a 5,000sq m (53,820sq ft) sports hall – one of the UK's largest – fitted with Taraflex flooring from Gerflor. Other facilities include a 300-station fitness area equipped by Cybex; two full-size basketball courts;

The new National Art Gallery, Singapore in the heart of the civil district remains on track to open in 2015 after the SG$530m (£265m, EUR316m, US$422m) scheme moved onto its next phase. Housed in the former City Hall and Supreme Court buildings, the new visual arts institution has been designed to position Singapore as a regional and international hub when complete. The 60,000sq m (645,835sq ft) attraction is to comprise

Crusaders rugby team has played its first game in Christchurch, New Zealand, for nearly two years after its new home, the temporary AMI Stadium, opened its doors in Addington. Insurance group AMI, which has a naming rights sponsorship deal for the club's earthquake-damaged home elsewhere in the city, recently signed a similar agreement for the new venue. Designed by Populous, the 18,000-seat stadium comprises two partially-covered stands and will be

The Scottish Seabird Centre (SSC) near Edinburgh has announced its plans to expand and enhance its visitor experience under the working project title of the National Marine Centre. Simpson and Brown, the original architects of the SSC, have designed the proposals for the new-look building. Additional space will also help the centre develop its education work. SSC currently offers the Discovery Centre, which gives visitors the chance to view seabirds

Danish brewer Carlsberg has appointed a team lead by US-based architects Ralph Appelbaum Associates (RAA) to design a new themed visitor attraction in the centre of Copenhagen. RAA was appointed after beating four other finalists in a design competition that Carlsberg first launched in 2011. In total, the competition attracted more than 64 entries. The winning team also includes Danish firm PLH Architects, UK-based designers Arup and the Visitor Attraction

Swindon Borough Council (SBC) and Moirai Capital Investments have moved forward with plans for the development of the Wiltshire town's new £65m regional leisure hub. Leases have now been agreed for the project, which will see Oasis Leisure Centre transferred to a private operator on 1 June before it undergoes an extensive refurbishment. An indoor ski slope, an indoor arena and a waterpark will also form part of the planned

Interlink has confirmed it has secured a contract for the design, manufacture and installation of a new Super Flume ride for PowerPark, an amusement park located in Alahärmä, Finland. It is one of a number of deals secured by the company this year and will lead to the creation of a new 400m (1,312ft)-long ride at the park, which features two lifts and two drops. The Super Flume ride will

Southwark Council and Lend Lease have unveiled plans for the redevelopment of south London's Elephant and Castle Leisure Centre site in the latest round of public consultation. John McAslan and Partners has been appointed to work in conjunction with leisure design specialists S&P Architects on proposals for a new leisure centre that is to form part of the scheme. For the first time in more than a decade, the site

Derby City Council (DCC) has approved planning permission for the development of a new multi-million pound sports and entertainment arena near the city's Pride Park Stadium. The 14,500sq m (156,077sq ft) venue has been designed by FaulknerBrowns Architects and will incorporate a 250m cycling track and a 1.5km (0.9-mile) outdoor closed cycle trail. It is hoped work will now be able to commence in June, with a sports infield accommodating

Belfast's new £18m Metropolitan Arts Centre (MAC) is to open its doors for the first time next month in the Northern Irish capital's Cathedral Quarter. Hacker Hall McKnight are behind the design of the new complex, which will house two black box theatre spaces with seating capacity for 120 and 350 spectators respectively. Three art galleries; a rehearsal space; a dance studio; and education rooms also form part of the

The Mississippi Museum of Natural Science (MMNS) has officially opened a conservation and biodiversity facility in Jackson, US, following a US$5m (£3.1m, EUR3.8m) expansion. Financed by the state and federal governments, the new 19,000sq ft (1,765sq m) Mississippi Center for Conservation and Biodiversity (MCCB) houses laboratory and collection spaces. MMNS' collections currently contain more than 1 million animal and plant specimens, with its "wet collection" of alcohol-preserved items exceeding storage

Fresh plans for Bristol's County Ground have been announced by Gloucestershire County Cricket Club (GCCC), two months after its previous vision for the venue was rejected. The club said the Stride Treglown Tektus-designed redevelopment project will secure its future in the city, while also providing facilities designed to support growth plans for the sport in the region. GCCC's latest plans also aim to establish a venue capable of supporting international

Councillors have resolved to move forward with plans for the first phase of a major £24.5m redevelopment of the A-listed Kelvin Hall International Sports Arena in Glasgow. Members of Glasgow City Council (GCC) have approved a report into the historic venue's future, with a design team now to be appointed in order to draw up outline proposals. Kelvin Hall had housed the Museum of Transport before it moved to the

The not-for-profit Bonifacio Art Foundation (BAF) has unveiled the new Mind Museum in Taguig, a city which is located in the Metro Manila region of the Philippines. BAF has led the project to establish the country's "first world-class science museum", with design work undertaken by Ed Calma of Makati City-based Lor Calma and Partners. The 7,600sq m (81,806sq ft) building, which contains five galleries across two levels, features a futuristic

Plymouth's new £46.5m Life Centre, which has been created to provide a regional centre of sporting excellence, has been officially opened by the local authority today (22 March). The Archial-designed complex is to be managed by Everyone Active on behalf of Plymouth City Council (PCC) and will open fully to the public on Saturday (24 March). According to local GPs and leading health experts, the Life Centre will provide "significant"

Imperial War Museums (IWM) has submitted a listed building and planning application to Southwark Council for the transformation of its flagship branch in Lambeth, south London. The proposals focus on the first phase of a longer term masterplan for IWM London, which has been drawn up in partnership with renowned UK-based architects, Foster + Partners. Lend Lease Construction has been confirmed as the construction management contractor on the scheme, which

Two design teams have been appointed to project manage the construction of a tennis centre and clubhouses for bowls and golf at Batchwood Golf and Tennis Centre, Hertfordshire. St Albans City and District Council has confirmed Saunders Boston will be leading the pre-contract and build phases of the bowls and golf facilities, which are due to open later this year. Meanwhile, Drivers Jonas Deloitte has been appointed to oversee the

European Golf Design (EGD) has announced that preliminary course design work is now underway at the host of the 2018 Ryder Cup, Le Golf National in Paris, France. The company will work with the European Tour and the French Golf Federation in order to prepare the Albatross Course and is currently assessing masterplans for the venue. EGD was behind the design of the Twenty Ten Course at the Celtic Manor

Dundee-based architects Nicoll Russell Studios (NRS) has been awarded a £1m contract to design a new visitor centre, which is part of the £41m Helix Project near Falkirk, Scotland. The design firm has been chosen following a Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland-managed competition and tender process to create a "functional, yet visionary" facility. NRS will also design an internal public space to be located within a 30m (98ft)-high Kelpie

Hertfordshire-based construction group Willmott Dixon has been appointed to build a new £31m leisure, business support and community facility in Redcar, north east England. The scheme - designed by Plus3 Architects and S&P Architects - was given final approval by planning officials at Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council (RCBC) last September. A six-lane, 25m swimming pool, a training pool and a learner pool will form part of the new complex,

The Crown Estate has announced plans for a £400m redevelopment of three sites in central London, which will create nearly 28,000sq m (300,000sq ft) of mixed-use accommodation. A lead scheme - called St James's Market and designed by Make Architects - is to feature 4,200sq m (45,000sq ft) of retail, restaurant and leisure floorspace, along with new offices. St James's Market will be located between Haymarket and Regent Street and

Work has now started on demolishing the Studio Theatre at Royal Holloway, University of London, which is making way for the construction of a new £3.5m cultural complex. First opened in 1981, the Studio Theatre was originally built at a cost of £50,000 but is now being replaced by a new building designed by London-based Foster Wilson Architects. The facility aims to provide an "intimate and flexible space for 21st

Edinburgh-based firm Miller Construction has been announced as the preferred bidder for the contract to build a new £40m arts and innovation complex at Bangor University, Wales. Work on the Pontio development is expected to get underway in May/June, with Grimshaw Architects behind the building's design. Arup and Atkins are also involved with the project. The 10,000sq m (107,639sq ft) complex will boast a theatre with a seating capacity of

S&P Architects have submitted a planning application to Ealing Council for the proposed multi-million pound redevelopment and regeneration of London's Acton Town Hall. The design firm, which is also behind the design of The Pods in Scunthorpe and St Albans' Westminster Lodge Leisure Centre, is working with the local authority to deliver its latest project. Once complete, the new-look Acton Town Hall will house leisure facilities such as an eight-lane,

Neath Port Talbot (NPT) Council is to consider a masterplan for the future of the Rheola Estate in the Neath Valley, South Wales, which has been produced in collaboration with the site's owner. A leisure complex housing a swimming pool; a spa; a gym; a restaurant; and a bar is among the plans for the estate, along with holiday log cabins and a residential development. The council said the residential

FC United of Manchester (FCUM) has moved closer to its planned new stadium in Moston after the club successfully raised more than £1.6m through a community share issue. In addition to the new Taylor Young -designed stadium, the £4.6m project will also feature the provision of community facilities such as a full-size artificial pitch and junior grass pitches. Manchester City Council has approved planning permission for the scheme and reaching

Edinburgh's Royal Commonwealth Pool, which will host the diving competition during the 2014 Commonwealth Games, has officially reopened following an £37m refurbishment. Leisure specialists S&P Architects are behind the design of the new-look complex, with the scheme involving the stripping back of the A-listed building's shell, before it was completely rebuilt. Graham Construction carried out the work on behalf of the City of Edinburgh Council, with facilities including a 50m,