London mayor Boris Johnson has announced that hundreds of public buildings across the capital are to benefit from environmental improvements with the help of a new £100m fund. The investment will be made available as low-cost loans towards green projects, which will include the installation of efficient lighting systems, ventilation and boiler upgrades. It is thought that London's public buildings are responsible for 10 per cent of the capital's carbon

Hotel and resort operator Four Seasons will open its newest property in Baltimore, US next month. The 256-bedroom hotel boasts a 10,00sq ft (950sq m) spa with eleven treatment rooms including several suites with private soaking tubs – and separate men's and women's relaxation areas, sauna and steamrooms. Featuring products and treatments by ESPA, the spa also has a large relaxation zone with two pools – including a year-round heated

Hilton Worldwide has announced the launch of its new Conrad Koh Samui Resort and Spa on Thailand's Aow Thai Beach, a west-facing property overlooking the Gulf of Thailand. The 80-villa resort joins its sister hotel Conrad Bangkok in Thailand and includes a spa that offers "innovative therapies and holistic treatments" to benefit mind, body and soul. Dr Buathon - one of Thailand's leading authorities on holistic healing - has been

A reserved matters planning application has been submitted for Camden Council's planned new multi-service complex in King's Cross, London, which is to include a sports centre. Earlier this month, it was revealed that King's Cross Central Limited Partnership (KCCLP) and the local authority had agreed terms for the lease and development management. LA Architects are behind the design of the Three Pancras Square development, which is set to house a

The start of work on a new multi-million pound swimming pool in Blackbird Leys, Oxford, is to be delayed after a group of local residents submitted a Town Green application. Oxford City Council (OCC) has confirmed that it has earmarked an additional £350,000 in contingency funding for the delay, with work initially due to start in early September. Willmott Dixon has already been selected to build the FaulknerBrowns Architects-designed venue,

Derby City Council (DCC) has revealed that Mace has been named as the successful design team that will now go forward to work on the city's proposed new multi-sport arena. Councillors selected the group following a tender process, with the specification of the venue to be finalised after local residents and sports clubs are given the chance to have their say. It is thought that a 12 badminton court indoor

Rezidor Hotel Group (RHG) has announced the opening of its second property in Georgia - the Michele De Lucchi-designed 168-bedroom Radisson Blu Hotel Batumi. Facilities include a 19,000sq ft (1,765sq m) wellness facility with Anne Semonin Spa and a fitness centre. The spa boasts five treatment rooms; a couples' suite; and an indoor pool. An outdoor pool with sun deck; a kids' pool; a Finnish sauna; an aroma steam bath;

A number of architects' companies have submitted their proposals for the Busan Opera House, to be built in the Busan Metropolitan City in South Korea. Swiss firm Kubota & Bachmann; New York, US-based WAHAG Studio; German company Peter Ruge Architekten; WEAVA Architects from Hong Kong; Portugal-based OODA; and Italo-Portuguese partnership CSR Architects are among the firms to have submitted their bids. The facility, due to open in 2014, will be

Technical services company AECOM has won the design competition for the Rio 2016 Olympic Park Urban Masterplan. AECOM's design, which was selected from a total of 60 entries from 18 countries, outlines how the Olympic Park area will be used; the public spaces, squares and parks; as well as the location of the permanent and temporary venues and the future real estate developments to be built at the site. Design

Barr Construction has been selected as the preferred contractor for the delivery of Aberdeen Football Club's (AFC) new 21,000-capacity stadium on land near Loirston Loch. Earlier this year, the development was given the green light by the Scottish Government after Aberdeen City Council approved The Miller Partnership-designed proposals. Due for completion ahead of the 2013-14 season, it is anticipated that Barr Construction will start work on the 39.5-acre (16-hectare) development

Around 1,500 construction staff working on the redevelopment of the Maracana stadium in Brazil have gone on strike following an on site explosion. The blast, which left one person seriously injured, has resulted in industrial action and demands of improved safety and higher pay. The worker, named locally as Carlos Felipe da Silva, was taken to Souza Aguiar Hospital in the city center, after suffering deep cuts and burns. Nilson

Canterbury's new £25.6m Marlowe Theatre - designed by Keith Williams Architects - will open its doors for the first time on 4 October, following a two-year construction project. Work started in 2009 with the demolition of the old theatre building, which was first opened in the 1930s as an Odeon Cinema before being turned into a theatre during the mid-1980s. Located next to the River Stour, the new-build Marlowe Theatre

A soccer school in Soweto, South Africa, and a tree hotel in Sweden are among some of the schemes to be shortlisted for the World Architecture Festival (WAF) Awards 2011. The fourth annual awards attracted a record number of entries, with more than 700 from 59 countries across the world seeking to be crowned World Building of the Year 2011. UK projects shortlisted include Holburne Museum of Art, Bath (Eric

A new waterside park alongside the Grand Union Canal has been mooted as part of a major new development - Park Royal City - to be built around a new 'rail super hub' at Old Oak Common, London. Sir Terry Farrell has drawn up proposals for the scheme, which will transform the area into a new city for London and will feature homes and businesses around the high speed rail

Beacon Arts Centre, a new £9.5m arts venue currently under construction in Inverclyde, has been handed a £100,000 grant from The Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation (ALWF). The funding will go towards the establishment of a youth theatre providing opportunities for those from socially disadvantaged backgrounds in the Greenock area. Due to open in summer 2012, the new Beacon Arts Centre will replace Greenock Arts Guild Theatre - a venue that

A new home for Monaghan's Garage Theatre will be developed as part of a wider education complex earmarked for the Irish town's old Defence Forces barracks on Armagh Road. Jimmy Deenihan, minister for arts, heritage and the Gaeltacht, has awarded EUR2m (£1.8m) towards the new venue, which will replace the existing Garage Theatre opened in 1992. Monaghan Vocational Educational Committee (VEC) is heading plans for the new EUR35m (£30.7m) educational

Aspen Art Museum (AAM) in Colorado, US, has held an official groundbreaking ceremony to help mark the start of the work on a new 30,000sq ft (2,787sq m) home for the attraction. The US$50m (£30.4m, EUR34.6m) building has been designed by Shigeru Ban Architects and will be located at the corner of South Spring Street and East Hyman Avenue in Aspen. Construction work is due to commence during the first

Detailed proposals for a major new £31m leisure, business support and community facility in the heart of Redcar have been submitted to the local planning authority for consideration. Outline plans drawn up by S&P Architects and Plus3 Architects were given the green light by Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council (RCBC) earlier this summer. Middlesbrough-based Buckler Demolition has already commenced work to clear the site at Kirkleatham Street and Coatham Road,

Shakespeare's Globe has chosen architects Allies and Morrison to lead the design of a new indoor Jacobean Theatre, which is to be developed alongside the iconic London venue. According to Shakespeare's Globe chief executive Neil Constable, the development is set to fulfil Sam Wanamaker's bid for the venue to stage both indoor and outdoor performances. Allies and Morrison will work with reconstruction architect Jon Greenfield and the Globe's Architecture Research

A park celebrating the life of Jimi Hendrix is being developed in Seattle, US next to the city's Northwest African American Museum. Portland-based architects Murase Associates has been chosen to design the US$2m park, which is scheduled to open in 2012, marking the 70th birthday of Hendrix. Butterflies, guitars and spiral flowers are among the key elements of the design and the park will be decorated in lyrical stepping, stones,

Exhibition designer Sarner has installed a new Gun Turret Experience at HMS Belfast where visitors can revive the battle of the North Cape at 1943. In small groups of 15-20, visitors can step into the Gun Turret and recreate its atmosphere and conditions using lights, imagery, sound, smoke effects, movements and smells. The space recreates the sensations of war at sea and offers visitors a new way to understand the

International hospitality design group Hirsch Bednar Associates (HBA) has worked on the design of The Residence Zanzibar - an 80-acre (32 hectare) resort opened earlier this year. The 66-villa resort incorporates a colonial-themed design inspired by Swahili; Omani; UK; and Indian cultures present on the island, with each villa boasting a pool and private terrace. A wellness centre and spa amid 5 acres (2 hectares) of tropical gardens is among

A new sports centre is among the facilities to be developed in King's Cross, London as part of a wider scheme by Camden Council to provide a range of public services in one location. Three Pancras Square is poised to house local authority-run operations - including a library and a customer contact centre - under LA Architects-designed proposals for the building. Initial plans for the two-floor sports facility include a

Chelsea Football Club (CFC) has opened a new 670sq m (7,212sq ft) museum at the club's Stamford Bridge stadium in London, which has been designed by Mather and Co. The purpose-built space located behind the Matthew Harding Stand explores more than 100 years of the Premier League club's history and houses a number of interactive exhibits. Attractions include the adidas Shooting Gallery, which will see guests receive a video tutorial

The Story Museum in Oxford has chosen architects Purcell Miller Tritton (PMT) to lead a design team for a major £3.5m redevelopment project being proposed for the attraction. Due for completion in 2014 to celebrate the city's status as UNESCO World Book Capital, the selection of PMT follows a competitive tender process which attracted 64 submissions. The company held off competition from two others - Hawkins Brown and Pringle Richards

Ashmolean Museum in Oxford has revealed that the new Ancient Egypt and Nubia (present day Sudan) galleries are to open on 26 November, following a £5m development project. Lord Sainsbury's Linbury Trust, the Selz Foundation and other trusts have funded the work, which aims to build on the success of a new extension opened at the museum in 2009. Rick Mather Architects have led the redesign and display of four

A major new SEK2.8bn (£265m, EUR301m, US$428m) sports and entertainment complex - Swedbank Arena - is due to open in Solna, near Stockholm, Sweden, next year. The development will be owned by a partnership consisting of Peab; Fabege; the Municipality of Solna; Jernhusen; and the Swedish Football Association and is the new home of Sweden's national football team. Four architectural firms have contributed to the design of the new facility