Ukraine's new Arena Lviv, one of the venues to host games at next year's UEFA European Football Championship, has been opened with a special ceremony. It is the fourth and final ground to be constructed for next summer's tournament in Ukraine, which is co-hosting the event with neighbouring country Poland. Arena Lviv has been designed by Vienna, Austria-based Albert Wimmer and has cost around UAH875m (£68.7m, EUR79.7m, US$109.3m). It was

The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, US, is to officially open a new-look suite of 15 galleries that houses its collection of Islamic art from around the world on 1 November. Work has been carried out to enlarge and redesign the New Galleries for the Art of the Arab Lands, Turkey, Iran, Central Asia, and Later South Asia, which span 13 centuries. More than 12,000 works of art

Starwood Hotels and Resorts has opened its first Aloft-branded property in the UK with the launch of Aloft London Excel in the heart of the capital's Docklands today (31 October). The development, which is located adjacent to the ExCeL venue, includes 252 loft-style guest rooms; the w xyz bar; the re:fuel by Aloft grab-and-go food pantry; and the re:charge gym. Other facilities include the splash swimming pool and the re:mix

A new leisure centre is to be created in High Wycombe as part of the local authority's plans for the redevelopment of the Buckinghamshire town's existing sports centre site. Wycombe District Council (WDC) has made its proposals available as part of an exhibition, which will run between 31 October and 13 November at Wycombe Sports Centre. The exhibition will relocate to the council's offices on Queen Victoria Road between 14

A new sculpture and public viewing platform sited adjacent to London's Olympic Stadium, which has been designed by Anish Kapoor and Cecil Balmond, has reached its full height. The top lattice loop of the 114.5m (375.7ft) ArcelorMittal Orbit has now been fitted into its place at the top of the structure and has marked the completion of its main steelwork. Work on the construction of the capital's newest landmark has

Worthing Borough Council (WBC) has revealed that funding has been "identified" for the West Sussex town's new £17.5m swimming pool, which is currently starting to take shape. The local authority said it had "successfully market the sale" of the 1960s Aquarena venue, which is to be replaced by the new Wilkinson Eyre-designed building WBC confirmed that it had achieved the sale at a lower figure that it had initially anticipated,

The Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, Russia, has reopened following a six-year, RUB24bn (US$804m, 570m euro, £500m) redevelopment programme. Considered one of the finest performance venues in the world, the theatre was designed by Russian architect Joseph Bové and first opened in 1825. It was closed in 2005 with the initial reopening date set for late 2009. The discovery that the structure was more unstable than first thought, however, lead the

The Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) in Georgia, US, is to open its major new teaching museum dedicated to contemporary art and design tomorrow (29 October). SCAD Museum of Art will offer 1sq ft (0.1sq m) of academic space for every 1sq ft (0.1sq m) of exhibition space, with its galleries to act as extensions to traditional classrooms. The 82,000sq ft (7,618sq m) venue boasts the Walter O

A 26-acre (10.5-hectare) site in Stratford, east London, is to be transformed under plans for a new mixed-use scheme unveiled by Landprop, which is part of the Inter IKEA Group. Strand East will transform a derelict site with open public spaces, community facilities and a restaurant operated by Graysons, along with a 350-bedroom hotel and 1,200 homes. A creative zone built around Dane's Yard targeted at the creative industries and

Nira Hotels and Resorts is to launch a new 70-bedroom glass-and-timber-built "mountain sanctuary' in the hamlet of Surlej, near Silvaplana, Switzerland, on 30 November. Located 5km (3.1 miles) from the wintersports resort of St Moritz, Nira Alpina will provide guests with views overlooking Lake Silvaplana and offers a "ski in, ski out" experience. Facilities will include the Nira Spa, which comprises five treatment rooms; an Aroma cabin; a steamroom and

Cloud-based business management software provider GramercyOne has launched GoSuite, a free booking and marketing tool aimed at small and medium-sized service businesses. Unveiled at the Street Fight Summit in New York City yesterday, GoSuite includes two products - GoBook and GoPromote - which have been designed to cater for a number of service providers from dance studios to personal trainers and tutors. The cloud-based software allows companies to book appointments

Sofitel Luxury Hotels, part of the France-based Accor Group, has announced the launch of the Sofitel Legend Old Cataract Aswan in Egypt, following a three-year renovation. The property, which is located on the banks of the Nile River, is housed in a building dating back to 1899 and has hosted guests such as Sir Winston Churchill since it initially opened. Sofitel Legend Old Cataract Aswan is divided into two sections:

The City of Ottawa has appointed Perkins+Will as design firm for a planned new CA$51m (£31.6m, EUR36.3m, US$50.6m) sports complex in Barrhaven South, Canada. Facilities will include two ice pads; a swimming pool; a large gymnasium; sports fields; and a state-of-the-art fitness centre, along with community centre space. Due for completion during the second half of 2014, the venue will form part of an integrated campus at Greenbank and Cambrian

A cutting-edge medical complex is to be built at The Greenbrier – a luxury health-focused resort in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, US. It is proposed that the Greenbrier Medical Institute will be developed in phases in the 6,750-acre (2,732-hectare) grounds. The initial stage, expected to cost US$250m (EUR187m, £161m), will include a sports medicine centre; a cosmetic surgery and lifestyle enhancement academy; a sports performance and training facility; and

Bord Gáis Energy has signed a new six-and-a-half-year partnership deal with operator Live Nation, which will see Dublin's Grand Canal Theatre rebranded from 7 March 2012. The venue will be called the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre as part of the deal, while other terms include the provision of complimentary and discounted tickets to Bord Gáis customers. Commercial targets relating to its investment in the theatre will see Bord Gáis generate

A special event has taken place in order to mark the completion of Manchester's new £24m National Indoor BMX Centre, which has been built adjacent to the National Cycling Centre. Sport England invested £3m in the facility as part of its multi-million pound Iconic Facilities fund, the second round of which was opened up to new applicants earlier this month. The new National Indoor BMX Centre received £8.5m from Manchester

US-based hospitality operator Viceroy Hotel Group (VHG) has revealed that Abu Dhabi's iconic Yas Hotel will now be known as Yas Viceroy following the property's rebranding. It follows the announcement earlier this year that VHG had been chosen to operate the 499-bedroom property, which is owned by by Aldar Properties and is located at the heart of the Yas Marina Circuit. Facilities include the ESPA at Yas Viceroy Abu Dhabi

The construction of Abu Dhabi's own Guggenheim Museum in the United Arab Emirates remains "on track", despite its developer withdrawing one of the contracts for the scheme. According to reports, a tender for concrete work at the attraction has been recalled by state-owned Tourism Development and Investment Company (TDIC). In a statement, a TDIC spokesperson told Reuters that design work was continuing on the Frank Gehry-designed building, which will be

Work has been completed on a £2.8m scheme to transform Devon's Cockington Court as a historic attraction and 'innovation workspace' for creative businesses in the Torquay area. The regeneration of the Grade II*-listed building has been designed by Torquay-based Kay Elliott, with the existing property benefiting from structural repair and modernisation. Three new buildings have also been constructed to the rear of Cockington Court and feature art spaces, galleries, craft

Hotel Le Bristol in Paris, France, has celebrated the completion of a EUR100m (US$139m, £87m) renovation programme with the opening of a new spa in conjunction with La Prairie. Spa Le Bristol by La Prairie, along with two new signature suites and a new-look three-star Michelin restaurant Epicure, formerly Gastronomique, marked the final phase of the project. The spa boasts eight beauty treatment cabins; a Russian Wet Room with one

Hyatt Hotels Corporation (HHC) has launched its new Andaz Shanghai property in China, which is located in the Xintiandi entertainment area of downtown Shanghai. The 307-bedroom hotel occupies a 28-storey building and includes the Andaz Lounge, Hai Pai and Éclair dining experiences; a translucent indoor pool; and a 24-hour fitness suite. Meanwhile, the new 2,200sq m (23,681sq ft) Optime Spa is to open during Q1 2012 and is to comprise

Great Hotels of the World has announced the opening of the US$1.8m (EUR1.3m, £1.1m) Syna Tiger Resort in Bandhavgarh, India, after four years in development. The resort covers 437sq km (169sq miles) of land on the edge of the Bandhavgarh National Park and includes the Wildwood Spa, which comprises two elements. A 400sq ft (37.2sq m) structure with two treatment rooms forms the first element of the new spa, while

The 129-bedroom Sofitel Quiberon Thalassa Sea and Spa has been relaunched in north-west France, following a major revamp led by Paris-based hospitality architects Studio MHNA. The complex specialises in slimming breaks focused on healthy eating and the thalassotherapy institute – a flagship 5,000sq m (53,280sq ft) facility that has been completely redesigned. A stand-out feature is a 25m heated (29˚c) seawater pool that is encased in glass and has ocean

The opening of the new EUR35.5m (£31m, US$49m) Rácz Hotel and Thermal Spa in Budapest, Hungary, has been pushed back "towards the beginning of 2012". Initially due to open during the third quarter of 2010, the 67-bedroom hotel is to feature an 8,000sq m (86,111sq ft) Thermal Spa. The spa will include refurbished parts of the historic Rácz Thermal Bath – a UNESCO World Heritage site – that was once

The University of Arkansas, US, has revealed a major new long-term sports facilities vision in a bid to enhance its offer and to maintain the competitiveness of the Razorback Athletics. A number of projects have been put forward as part of the Athletic Facilities Master Plan to cover sports such as American Football, basketball, baseball and swimming. It is estimated that the total vision will cost up to US$328m (£207m,

The University of Arkansas, US, has revealed a major new long-term sports facilities vision in a bid to enhance its offer and to maintain the competitiveness of the Razerback Athletics. A number of projects have been put forward as part of the Athletic Facilities Master Plan to cover sports such as American Football, basketball, baseball and swimming. It is estimated that the total vision will cost up to US$328m (£207m,

London's 'newest West End theatre' in more than 10 years is to be created as part of plans for the redevelopment of the Tottenham Court Road area unveiled by Crossrail. Three planning applications have now been lodged with Westminster City Council, covering four sites on the corner of Oxford Street and Charing Cross Road. AHMM are behind designs for the first two sites, which features a new theatre on the