Marriott International and Granite Broadway Development have signed a franchise deal for a new 68-storey property in New York, US, which will be the city's tallest hotel building. Two different hotels will be housed in the building - a 378-bedroom Courtyard by Marriott hotel and a 261-bedroom Residence Inn hotel - at 1717 Broadway. Nobutaka Ashihara Architect designed the property, which will be more than 752ft (229m) tall. Interstate Hotels

Bath and North East Somerset Council (BANES) has submitted a new planning application for the construction of a £3m dual-use sports hall at the city's Wellsway School. Cardiff-based Boyes Rees Architects are behind the design of the facility, which forms part of the council's strategy to improve school buildings across the area. A site next to an existing synthetic turf pitch will house the 1,878sq m (20,215sq ft) facility, which

Proposals for a new multi-million pound cultural visitor destination - Visions of China - in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, have been unveiled by the partnership leading the scheme. It follows a decision by Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council (RMBC) to name China Vision Ltd and MCD Developments as its preferred developer for the Pithouse West site. The £100m+ project is being headed by China Vision chair Dr Lee Kaihung and joint CEOs

The new £24m National BMX Centre - comprising the UK's first indoor permanent BMX track - has opened its doors to the public at the National Cycling Centre, Manchester. Ellis Williams Architects are behind the design of the new 110,000sq ft (10,219sq m) venue, which was delivered by Sir Robert McAlpine and is to be run by The Velodrome Trust. Facilities include permanent seating capacity for 2,000 spectators, with potential

Derbyshire Dales District Council (DDDC) has revealed that Arc Leisure Matlock - a new £12m complex designed by Dyer - is to open to the public for the first time on 24 August. Built by Morgan Sindall and project managed by Drivers Jonas Deloitte, the facility is to be handed over the council in mid-August ahead of the scheduled opening date. The existing Matlock Lido will close on 14 August

Juventus football club, based in Turin (Italy), is to officially open its new stadium on 8 September. The arena was designed by architects Hernado Suarez (Studio Chiesa), Gino Zanavella (Studio Gau) and Al Group of Turin. Juventus has invested 105m euros (£91m, $US149m) in the 41,000 capacity venue, which replaces the club's old Delle Alpi. The 71,000 capacity Delle Alpi was suffered from poor attendance during the latest seasons with

firstsite, a Colchester-based visual arts organisation, has revealed that its new Rafael Viñoly Architects-designed home is to open its doors to the public on 25 September. An exhibition inspired by Colchester's history as one of the UK's oldest-recorded towns - Camulodunum - will mark the opening of the 3,200sq m (34,445sq ft) complex. Built at a cost of £28m, the new building will include flexible presentation spaces for visual art

The first phase of a multi-mullion dollar redevelopment of the Atanasio Girardot sportspark in Medellín, Columbia has been completed. The project has been funded in partnership by Instituto de Deportes y Recreation Medellín INDER (Leisure and Sports Institute Medellín), which contributed US$14m (£8.5m, 9.8m euro) and COL Deporte (Columbian Sports Institute), which invested US$3.8m (£2.3m, 2.7m euro) in the scheme. The redevelopment of the stadium has been done by Josef

Morgans Hotel Group (MHG) has secured a management and licensing agreement to run a new 310-room lifestyle hotel as part of the Baha Mar Resort development in the Bahamas. The Mondrian-branded property is scheduled to open in late 2014 and is expected to feature 188 hotel rooms; 122 Mondrian-branded residential units; an ocean-view lobby; and a spa. A fitness centre; multiple swimming pools and cabanas; and meeting space are also

Kingdom Holding Company (KHC) has revealed that work is to start on the world's tallest building - Kingdom Tower in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia - following the signing of contracts. Chicago, US-based Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture (ASGG) are behind designs for the new building, which will stand more than 1,000m (3,281ft) above the city. Located at the heart of the wider Kingdom City development, the tower will be at

Royal Mail has submitted plans for a major mixed-use redevelopment of its South London centre in Nine Elms, which is scheduled to close in 2012 following an operational review. The outline planning application lodged with Wandsworth Council features leisure facilities, cafés and restaurants, alongside 1,870 new homes, retail units and postal services. Designed by Allies and Morrison Architects, the scheme is to also include a "significant" part of a proposed

A £1m renovation of Liverpool's former Neptune Theatre - now called The Epstein Theatre in honour of former Beatles manager Brian Epstein - has been completed. Liverpool City Council (LCC) contributed £750,000 towards the project, which has seen the Grade II-listed venue restored to its former glory and ready to host productions once again. The 98-year-old property was acquired by Liverpool Corporation in 1967 and shut in 2005, with current

The opening date of the new multi-million pound Jerwood Gallery in Hastings, East Sussex - part of a wider bid to regenerate the resort - has been pushed back until early 2012. Jerwood Foundation director Liz Gilmore told the BBC that opening the new attraction next year was preferable to a Christmas 2011 launch as "there's a lot of other focus". Designed by HAT Projects, the complex will incorporate more

Oriel Mostyn Gallery - designed by Ellis Williams Architects - has received the Gold Medal for Architecture at the Wrexham and District 2011 National Eisteddfod of Wales. The contemporary art attraction in Llandudno, North Wales, underwent an extensive revamp that led to the addition of two new galleries at the Grade II-listed property. The Gold Medal for Architecture is sponsored by the Design Commission for Wales and is run in

Newham Council has backed Castlelands Construction Company's plans for the mixed-use redevelopment of vacant land at Tidal Basin Road in Silvertown, East London. The project, which has now been referred to the mayor of London, will comprise a 17-storey hotel building offering 250 rooms and serviced apartments, as well as a health club. Residential units and retail space are also earmarked as part of the redevelopment, which has been designed

Glasgow Science Centre has confirmed that the 127m (417ft)-tall Glasgow Tower - one of the tallest freestanding buildings in Scotland - has been shut due to 'technical issues'. The attraction first opened in 2001 and is capable of rotating 360 degrees into the prevailing wind. It was designed by Richard Horden Associates and boasts a viewing cabin at the top. In a statement, a Glasgow Science Centre spokesperson said: "The

Switzerland Development Group (SDG) has unveiled plans for its new luxury development in Leukerbad, with construction work scheduled to commence in spring 2012. 51º Spa Residences has been designed by a team including Michael Graves and Associates; Marc Michaels Interior Design; and WET and will be undertaken in phases. Two buildings of residential apartments are included as part of the development, with a total of 30 to boast in-home thermal

Mark Sargeant, the former head chef of Gordon Ramsay at Claridge's hotel in London, has unveiled a new destination seafood restaurant and bar in Folkestone, Kent - Rocksalt. The new-build property was designed by Guy Holloway Architects after winning a national design contest and forms as part of Sir Terry Farrell's masterplan for the town's harbour. Completed in June, the new 86-cover restaurant also features a private dining room for

Belfast's 21 Social bar and restaurant - located in the heart of the city's Cathedral quarter - has picked up a National Association of Shopfitters (NAS) Design Partnership Award. Soon Interiors and Marcon Fitout worked on the creation of the Hill Street property, which aims to provide guests with "the place to eat, drink, listen and love" across three floors. 21 Social was confirmed as the winner of the leisure

Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA) has unveiled its plans for a new specially-designed 55,000sq m (592,015sq ft) Destination Village on the Emirate state's Corniche breakwater. Tourism Development and Investment Company (TDIC) has been appointed to oversee the project, which will host the Volvo Ocean Race yachting fleet when it arrives in early 2012. From 30 December, the new Destination Village will be open free-of-charge to the public and will feature

Construction work is now underway on the new luxury Orchard Spa, which is scheduled to open at The Lakes by yoo - a second homes scheme in the Cotswolds - in February 2012. The 791sq m (8,514sq ft) facility will comprise two treatment rooms with therapies on offer from qualified therapists, as well as a 25m indoor swimming pool; sauna; and steamrooms. A gym will also form part of the

Edinburgh's new-look National Museum of Scotland has officially reopened to the public today (29 July), following the completion of a major £47.4m refurbishment programme. National Museums Scotland (NMS) has launched 16 new galleries at the attraction, which explore sciences, humanities and world cultures and comprise more than 8,000 objects. The majority (80 per cent) of the artefacts on display for the first time in generations across 13,000sq m (139,931sq ft)

Edinburgh's John Hope Gateway Botanic Gardens has been named among the winners of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) Scotland Awards 2011. The eco-friendly visitor attraction was crowned winner of the Sustainability category, while the Hippodrome Cinema in Bo'ness secured the Community Benefit accolade. Ravenscraig Sports Centre and Aberdeen Sports Facility were also recognised as part of the Community Benefit section, each receiving 'highly commended' status. Bo'ness' Hippodrome was

Soneva Kiri by Six Senses has collaborated with the 2011 Earth Awards to set up a prototype of a Six Senses Eco Villa at a Start event currently being held at Clarence House in London which will run until 31 July. Set up by the HRH Prince of Wales, Start is a scheme that aims to help people across the UK lead more sustainable lives and to show what a

London's O2 Arena has been given the green light to proceed with proposals for a rooftop walkway across the landmark venue, which will create a major new attraction for the capital. Designed by Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners, the temporary walkway is to be suspended from the O2 Arena's yellow masts and will be able to accommodate 90 people at a time. Visitors will walk to a central viewing platform

The shortlist has been announced for this year’s European Hotel Design Awards. The list includes a number of properties in London, lead by the newly renovated St. Pancras Renaissance Hotel and newly launched W Hotel. European hotels on the list include The Dylan in Amsterdam, Palacio de Tepa, Madrid and Sofitel Vienna Stephansdom, Austria. Winners will be announced at an awards ceremony on Tuesday 22 November at the Park Plaza

Hertfordshire-based construction group Willmott Dixon has been appointed to build a new £10m hotel at London Southend Airport, which is due to open ahead of the 2012 Games. The Leach Rhodes Walker-designed five-storey property will comprise 129 bedrooms and will feature a restaurant and a private dining room on the top floor. Stobart Group, the logistics and transport provider, operates London Southend Airport and aims to provide facilities for passengers,