London's National Theatre (NT) has submitted plans for a major £70m overhaul of the South Bank venue in a bid to transform its facilities and "open up" to more people. The theatre has been working alongside architects Haworth Tompkins over the last two years to draw up development proposals as part of its NT Future scheme, which could get underway in late 2011. Lambeth Council will now decide the fate

Construction company ISG has begun work on the £4.3m rowing centre at The Graham Sports Centre in Maiden Castle, which is owned by Durham University. The centre is the main site for the university's sports teams and and ISG is set to develop existing rowing amenities, as well as refurbishing and extending the building to accommodate additional sporting facilities. ISG will build two steel frame extensions onto the sports centre,

Suzanne Mubarak, wife of the president of Egypt, has inaugurated the first two phases of the new US$550m (£372m, €444m) Grand Museum of Egypt. The new 100,000sq m (1.1m sq ft) museum, which occupies a 120-acre (48.5 hectares) site about 2km (1.2 miles) from the Pyramids of Giza, now has a power plant, a fire station and a conservation centre. One of the milestones in the museum's construction has been

John Penrose, Minister for Tourism and Heritage, has attended the unveiling of the restored Chiswick House Gardens in London as his first ministerial visit to a heritage site. He said: "This is an oasis of tranquility right in the heart of bustling London. This partnership project has secured the future of this beautiful landscape, which will bring hours of pleasure to tourists and local residents alike." English Heritage (EH), as

One year on from its official opening, the Ray Hole-designed Hafod Eryri visitor centre on the summit of Snowdon has won a prestigious architectural award. At a ceremony hosted by the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors Wales (RICS Wales), the structure was awarded the 'Project of the Year' prize. In addition, the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), said that it should be one of seven buildings in Wales to

Assael Architecture's plans for the regeneration of a former 1.85-hectare (4.6-acre) industrial site in Brentford, west London, have been given the green light by local councillors. Hounslow Council has approved proposals for a £100m redevelopment of the Alfa Laval site, which has been derelict for more than two decades and will see the existing Alfa tower retained. The plans - submitted by the London-based architects on behalf of Carlton Properties

Swansea-based contractor John Weaver has been appointed by the Vale of Glamorgan Council (VGC) to revitalise a historic Pumphouse in Barry, South Wales. The Grade II-listed No.1 Dock Hydraulic Pumping House is set to benefit from a £1m external restoration designed by Pembroke-based Acanthus Holden Architects as part of a wider Innovation Quarter for the town. Funded by the council and the Welsh Assembly Government, the plans have been designed

Liverpool-based BCA Landscapes has been appointed from a shortlist of five design teams to deliver Wyre Borough Council's (WBC) £1.6m Sea Change scheme. A stretch of coastline between Fleetwood and Cleveleys, Lancashire, is set to be transformed as part of the scheme, which will include a coastal trail and improvements to Fleetwood's Marine Gardens. WBC, which is also proposing an architectural structure at Rossall Point to act as a beacon

New facilities have opened at a leisure centre in Enniskillen, Northern Ireland, after work on the first £1.3m phase of a wider refurbishment of the venue was completed. Lakeland Forum now boasts a new entrance, an enhanced reception area, a viewing gallery overlooking the 25m, six-lane swimming pool and additional facilities for disabled users as part of stage one. Improvements have also included the refurbishment of the Erne room and

Work is to begin in early 2011 on a sustainable 'floating spa and wellness centre' concept, to be created around 10 minutes away from Amsterdam's city centre in the Netherlands. The floating spa concept was originally developed by Studio Noach founders Kizito Musampa and Michel Kreuger, together with Dutch architect Anne Holtrop for a Designs of the Future competition at the Netherlands Architecture Institute in Rotterdam. Created to be positioned

Plans for a major £30m transformation of Redcar seafront - including a new 80ft (24.4m) vertical pier - have been put on show by the local authority. Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council (RCBC) is inviting residents, businesses and visitors to comment on the project, which is designed to regenerate the area and attract inward investment. Proposals also include the creation of upgraded flood defences and the development of The Hub,

Bangor University (BU) has unveiled the design for a new £35m arts and innovation venue, which is to be developed in the North Wales city. The Pontio Project - a name derived from the Welsh word for "to bridge" - will boast a theatre with a capacity of between 450-550 seats; a cinema space and a studio theatre. An outdoor amphitheatre, bars, dining and park areas also form part of

Six companies have been shortlisted as part of an international design competition to draw up plans for a landmark new building to house the proposed V&A at Dundee. Located at Craig Harbour as part of city's redeveloped waterfront area, the attraction will host travelling and permanent exhibitions, as well as providing a resource for design and creativity. Among the shortlisted design teams is Vienna, Austria-based Delugan Meissl Associated Architects, along

Plans for the major £78m restoration and refurbishment of Oxford's New Bodleian Library have been given the green light by the local authority. Oxford City Council (OCC) has approved planning permission and listed building consent for the scheme, which has been put forward by Oxford University's Bodleian Library. Designs drawn up by London-based Wilkinson Eyre Architects aim to create new storage space for the libraries' collection, to support advanced research

Bristol City Football Club's (BCFC) plans for a new 30,000-seat stadium at Ashton Vale were given a boost after councillors approved proposals for a new access road to the venue. North Somerset Council's planning and regulatory committee unanimously voted in favour of the access plans, which were initially rejected by the local authority in December last year. The government has already said that it will not intervene in a decision

Cheltenham Art Gallery's development project has been awarded a first-round pass for a Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) grant of £750,000. While the pass does not guarantee that the scheme will receive the money, it does mean the project has been judged as having potential. Jane Lillystone, museum & arts manager, said: "We are extremely delighted to have secured the HLF’s endorsement of a project that is so important for the

Event Communications has been appointed to design a new visitor attraction at Roman Maryport, Cumbria - part of the Hadrian's Wall World Heritage Site. Hadrian's Wall Heritage (HWH) - a non-profit organisation - bought 150 acres (60.7 hectares) of land at Camp Farm in December 2008 for the museum development, which is set to cost £11.5m. Roman Maryport, which is believed to be one of the most important Roman frontiers

Work has begun on the £15m Hotel Indigo in Liverpool. The 151-bed, four-star hotel - which is partly being funded by a £10m package from the Co-operative Bank - is being built by Wigan-based contractor Denizen. The hotel will be owned and operated by north west development group Sanguine Hospitality. Nick Taplin, Sanguine's managing director, said: "Merseyside's tourism economy is worth over £1.4bn and rising. In spite of one of

£4m plans for Todmorden Town Hall in Calderdale, West Yorkshire, have been approved by the borough council's project board. The proposals, drawn up by London-based architects Camillin Denny, include extensive refurbishment of the exterior and interior of the building and turning the basement into a café and heritage exhibition space. They also include shops and meeting rooms, new toilets, a new bar and lifts below an extension to the ballroom

A new £13m leisure centre is set to be developed in Rushden, Northamptonshire, after the scheme was given the green light by the local authority. East Northamptonshire Council (ENC) approved plans for the new Manor Park Leisure Centre, having originally deferred its decision last month. The venue will incorporate a six-lane, 25m swimming pool and teaching pool and a fitness suite, as well as exercise studios and leisure water facilities

Tottenham Hotspur Football Club (THFC) has unveiled its revised plans for the Northumberland Development Project (NDP), which is set to include a new stadium. The proposals - due to be submitted to Haringey Council - have been improved following consultation with English Heritage and the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment, as well as other agencies. In addition to a new 56,250-seat stadium, the plans now boast a redesigned

Leicester-based Haley Sharpe Design (HSD) has been awarded the interpretative planning and exhibit design for a major redevelopment of Hong Kong's Maritime Museum. The group will work as part of a team led by Hong Kong-based P&T Architects on the development, which will cost HK$110m (£9.8m, US$14.1m, €11.4m) and is due for completion in October 2012. Currently at the schematic design stage, the redevelopment will see the attraction move from

London's Olympic Park site could house a new urban residential field studies centre after the Olympic Park Legacy Company (OPLC) struck a deal with the Field Studies Council (FSC). The two parties have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to explore the possibility of establishing the facility at the site once the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games are concluded. Under the proposals for the field studies centre, students would have

The Heritage Wing of Mumbai's Taj Mahal Palace and Tower hotel, which was damaged in a terrorist attack in November 2008, is to re-open on 1 July. The structure has undergone a complete restoration and refurbishment programme and the hotel - owned by Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces - has been renamed The Taj Mahal Palace, Mumbai. Refurbishment work has taken place on the hotel's bars, restaurants and banqueting spaces,

Plans for the development of a new £5m cultural venue to replace the Floral Hall in Hornsea have received the green light from local councillors. An existing leisure centre will be extended to provide a new multi-purpose community facility under the plans, which were approved by East Riding of Yorkshire Council's (ERYC) planning committee. A 313sq m (3,369sq ft) auditorium capable of accommodating 300 people, a 65sq m (700sq ft)

Work on the second phase of a £12.6m renovation at Leatherhead Leisure Centre in Surrey is expected to be completed on 7 June, according to the local authority. Mole Valley District Council (MVDC) has confirmed a range of new facilities are set to open on the weekend of 12-13 June, including new first-floor male and female gym changing facilities. Sauna, steam and therapy rooms; a reception area and a café

The 82 room Arch London has opened in London's West End. The hotel is housed in a row of nine Georgian Grade II listed townhouses and features 82 rooms and suites over six floors. It also has a lounge and study, a cocktail bar, a restaurant and a library serving afternoon teas and martinis. The architecture was by Graham Seabrook Partnership, with interiors by RDD. The interiors mix modern technology