Qatar 2022 World Cup officials have revealed plans for the fifth 2022 World Cup venue – the Al Rayyan stadium. The 40,000-capacity Al Rayyan will be located on the site of the existing Ahmed bin Ali Stadium – a 25,000-seat venue built in 2003 – with the old structure being demolished to make way for the new. Designed by a team including US-based masterplanners AECOM, Danish engineers Ramboll and UK

Carson City Council (CCC) in Los Angeles County, California, US has unanimously approved plans to build the US$1.86bn (€1.68bn, £1.24bn) Carson Stadium to host two National Football League (NFL) franchises – the San Diego Chargers and Oakland Raiders. CCC is the second local authority to have given a green light to an NFL stadium in Los Angeles, following a rival plan by billionaire Stan Kroenke to relocate his St Louis

Architecture practice Studio Octopi’s dream of sparking a “swimming revolution” by creating a floating freshwater pool in London’s River Thames has today (23 April) become the subject of an ambitious crowdfunding campaign. The Thames Baths project – which has won high-profile backing from figures including artist Tracey Emin and London mayor Boris Johnson – was last month incorporated as a CIC (Community Interest Company), meaning the public space will be

A twisted loop hotel inspired by the ecological structure of plankton has been designed by architects Planning Korea and will be ready in time to host visitors to the 2018 Winter Olympics. Located in Gangneung, on the east coast of South Korea, the beachfront resort hotel is situated about three miles (5km) from Olympic stadiums and facilities in PyeongChang. Seoul-based Planning Korea’s design takes an infinity symbol form and features

Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) has announced details of the second phase of its redevelopment plans for Lord's Cricket Ground in London, UK Designed by global sports architects Populous, the works are set to replace the venue's historic Tavern and Allen stands with a single new structure built in place of the two existing stands – adding more than 5,500 seats – to raise the ground's overall capacity to nearly 30,000.

Surf Snowdonia, a massive surf facility in north Wales, UK, has announced an opening date of July 2015. Architects seven have been working alongside the master-planning team to design the buildings. The outdoor adventure destination features a 30,000sq m (322,000sq ft) lagoon – with waves courtesy of Spanish wave technology company Wave Garden. It will be the world's first commercial application of the technology. The lake will have a central

Japanese architects are getting out of the blocks in terms of promoting active design ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, with Narita Airport’s newly-opened Terminal 3 centred around an indoor running track. The Tokyo Olympics will have a strong theme of active design, with Arup set to masterplan the Games. The cycling helmet-shaped Olympic Stadium has been designed by Zaha Hadid, while several other wellness-related facilities are also in the

The Sports and Leisure Working Party Group of the International Union of Architects (UIA) has announced it will examine the legacies of the most recent Olympic Games – London 2012 – and most recent Commonwealth Games – Glasgow 2014 – at a seminar and site visit to be held in London on 12 and 13 June. The venue will be the office of Space Syntax. The group will also tour the Olympic

US-based National Basketball Association (NBA) franchise Milwaukee Bucks has revealed detailed plans for the development of a new sports and entertainment district in Milwaukee. The Bucks are hoping to establish a 60,000sq ft “live entertainment block” – anchored by a 17,000-seat indoor arena – to rejuvenate the city’s Park East corridor. The total cost of the project is expected to reach US$1bn (€942m, £682m). The design team for the project

Online private rental portal Airbnb has struck a deal with Rio 2016 organisers which will see residents of the city provide up to 20,000 additional accommodation options for foreign Olympic guests. Rio 2016 organisers have admitted that while a construction programme of new hotels in the city has increased capacity enough to host the 40,000-strong “Olympic family” – ie, representatives of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), International Paralympic Committee and

Construction work has begun on Oriam, Scotland’s new £33m Sports Performance Centre, which is located at the Riccarton Campus at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh. The facility, designed by Reiach and Hall Architects, will become the new training base for Scotland’s elite athletes and will support the high performance needs for football, rugby and volleyball while offering additional dedicated support to athletics, badminton, basketball, cricket, fencing, handball, hockey, netball, shinty and

Young architects and students are being invited to design a public watersports facility for a popular tourist destination in Macedonia. Budding architects can compete for their design to be used for a new sports and entertainment centre at Lake Ohrid on the west side Macedonia. The competition is calling on entrants to draw inspiration from the history, natural landscape and culture of the area. The lake is encircled by beaches,

Designed by Rotterdam-based Ooze Architects, a naturally filtered swimming pool is under construction in the heart of London’s King’s Cross redevelopment. Ooze Architects, working in collaboration with Slovenia-based artist Marjetica Potrc, have come together to create the freshwater pond. The structure will be 10m (32ft) wide and 40m (131ft) long. Completely chemical free, the pool, which will be used for swimming and outdoor activities, will be surrounded by a green

HKS Architects have unveiled plans for a US$1.86bn (€1.69m, £1.2bn) dual-team NFL stadium to house the St Louis Rams and one other team as the NFL sees Los Angeles as a two-team market. According to the Los Angeles Times, Rams owner Stan Kroenke and representatives of HKS met with NFL officials to discuss the plans, with latest renderings showing a light metallic, wave-shaped structure with a roof surrounding the stadium

FaulknerBrowns have announced they will design the ‘Beacon of Light’, a sport, wellness and education facility in Sunderland UK. The building will be the permanent home for football club Sunderland AFC (SAFC). The Beacon of Light project is backed by the club's Foundation of Light charity and will be the first of its kind, incorporating sport, health and education in one facility. The site, next to the Stadium of Light

Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) looks to be reconsidering plans by David Morley Architects for the £200m redevelopment of the Nursery End at Lord’s cricket ground in London, with members seemingly more focused on a £200m redevelopment of the ground’s south-west corner and Warner Stand. Members will vote on the £21m regeneration of the 60-year-old Warner Stand in September, with the development featuring a semi-translucent roof on a new 2,922-capacity stand,

Following an epic week at MIPIM, the 25th MIPIM Award winners were announced last night- 12 March. Leisure architecture once again proved to be a frontrunner, with five leisure buildings being recognised. •Center Parcs Woburn Forest, designed by Holder Mathias Architects, in Bedfordshire UK, won the Best Hotel & Tourism Resort Award. Since it’s opening back summer of 2014, Centre Parcs has been causing a stir in the spa world,

MIPIM 2015 has nearly reached its climax and the annual Architectural Review Future Project Awards have been announced. Once again, leisure projects are showcasing some of the best new architecture globally. The overall winner of the Architectural Review Future Project Award was given to the ‘Hanging Courtyards’ The Urban Design of Qing Xiang Historical Cultural Block in Changzhou (China) - Southeast University. The scheme used sustainable techniques as well as

Under the umbrella of Kenya Vision 2030, The DLR Group have released designs for a 30,000 seat stadium for Kenyatta University, near Nairobi, Kenya. Currently at the concept phase, DLR Group have carried out masterplanning, sustainable consulting and architecture services for the scheme so far. Kenya's Ministry of Sports, Culture and Arts intends for 20 new stadia to be built by 2030, and DLR’s proposed scheme fits the bill. Situated

Bjarke Ingels, in conjunction with Rebuild by Design, has laid out plans for ‘The Dryline’ – a leisure-oriented storm barrier for New York City. Following the devastation caused by Hurricane Sandy in 2012, where more than US$19bn (€17.9bn, £12.6bn) of damage was inflicted on New York, Rebuild by Design – a federally-funded initiative, which is part of the Hurricane Sandy Rebuilding Task Force and the US Department of Housing and

Following a lengthy competition process, Foster + Partners has been chosen to be the lead architect for the Lusail Stadium, the centrepiece of the 2022 Fifa World Cup in Qatar. Working in conjunction with stadium specialists Populous and ARUP on the project, the Foster + Partners-designed stadium will be located in Lusail City, north of Doha, and will have a capacity of around 85,000. It's expected that the stadium will

Milwaukee Bucks basketball team has appointed a group of architects including sports specialist Populous, and Wisconsin-based HNTB and Eppstein Uhen, to begin developing designs for a new sports and entertainment complex in downtown Milwaukee. “Wisconsin deserves a world-class sports and entertainment destination that embraces Milwaukee’s architecture and incorporates innovative elements from across the globe,” said Bucks co-owner Wes Edens. “We are confident that this team has the expertise to create

A quintet of Manchester United legends led by Gary Neville and Ryan Giggs have unveiled their latest trophy this week – the world’s first ever Hotel Football in Manchester, UK. The 8,000sq m (86,111sq ft) building – designed by AEW Architects – incorporates a 133-bedroom hotel with public space for fans and spectators, plus a new Café Football – boasting a menu designed by two Michelin star chef, Michael Wignall.

Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, London, UK, has been given the green light to build a new 56,250-capacity stadium after winning its High Court battle against the sole business standing in the way of its redevelopment. Plans for the £400m (US$644m, €498m) stadium, being built next to Tottenham’s current home of White Hart Lane, were challenged by landowner Archway Sheet Metal Works at the High Court because of a compulsory purchase

Belatchew Architects have revealed designs for a bike garage in the centre of Stockholm, Sweden, to cater for the city's growing ranks of cyclists: it will have parking facilities for up to 700 bikes. The project – still in the early stages – will be built on a site next to a major train station. The garage will also act as a community space, with cafés, repair shops and social

Sport, museum, culture, recreation and mixed use schemes all feature on the shortlist for this year’s Designs of the Year award. Of 76 nominated projects, representing the work of the best global design talent, an overwhelming number are leisure-related. Organised by the Design Museum, London, the Designs of the Year awards have been running for the past eight years. Awards are presented in six categories; architecture, digital, fashion, product, graphic

London-based architecture practice Brisac Gonzalez has received planning permission for a multi-million dollar mixed-use project in Paris, France. Developer Paris Habitat – France’s biggest public housing agency – is building the residential and leisure complex in the 17th arrondissement of Paris in Clichy-Batignolles. It’s part of the first phase of a wider urban development project where a new 54-hectare (133-acre) eco-district is being constructed on the former railway site of