Proposals to enhance the visitor experience at Westminster Abbey in central London have been revealed. The £23m scheme will see the Abbey's small plain pyramid roof being replaced by a more decorative corona. A new museum and exhibition space showcasing historic treasures and artefacts previously unseen by the public will be housed in the upper gallery, known as the Triforium, while an education centre and a café will provide improved

Tim Foster Architects has been appointed to redevelop Polka Children's Theatre in Wimbledon, south London, following a two-stage design competition and the completion of a feasibility study. Plans for the venue include the construction of a new domed structure at the rear of the site to house a new auditorium for children aged between one and five-years-old, while the existing auditorium will be remodelled. The Polka Children's Theatre scheme also

Plans for a £187m leisure and public services complex in Wigan, Greater Manchester, have been given the green light after the local authority reached an agreement with private sector partners. Construction work on the new Wigan Life Centre, which will be located on the site of the former Wigan International Pool, is expected to get underway in early July after Wigan Council's project team secured a deal with the Access

Inspectors from UNESCO's World Heritage Committee have revealed that they have no concerns over Bath's status as World Heritage Site, despite plans for the Western Riverside development. A report published by the committee revealed that proposals for the first phase of the Western Riverside scheme, which comprises 44 acres (17.8) hectares of land to the west of the city centre, will not threaten the future of the World Heritage Site.

A major £6.93m conservation and improvement scheme at Taunton Castle in Somerset has been handed a funding boost by Somerset Archaeological and Natural History Society (SANHS). The £35,000 SANHS donation will be used to fund repair work at the castle, as well as the creation of new gallery spaces as part of the new Museum of Somerset attraction, which will house collections owned by the society. Bridgwater-based developer Henry W

Australia-based JVPlay has announced plans to develop a 69-acre resort in Sydney, New South Wales, boasting a 250-room four-star hotel and indoor and outdoor waterparks. JVPlay, a supplier of amusements, custom themed environments, architectural design, project management services, business planning and feasibility studies to the leisure industry, is currently seeking investors for the scheme, which is to be called The Great Reef Resort. Phase one of the project will see

An internal nine-storey atrium, designed in the style of a Fabergé egg, is at the heart of designs for the proposed new Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Moscow, Russia, which have been unveiled by architects HOK. The 250-room, five-star property, which will be situated on the city's Tverskaya Road, is to be housed in a renovated 19th century manor house and features an 'upside-down' design that will invite visitors to check-in

Eatonfield Group, the Cheshire-based development company, has been given the green light to transform a former NHS hospital in Lesmahagow, South Lanarkshire, into a country house hotel. South Lanarkshire Council has approved plans for the redevelopment of the 83-acre (33.6) Birkwood site, which was acquired by the company in June 2008. The site has been unoccupied since 2002. The Grade B-listed hospital building will be renovated into a new country

Plans for the multi-million pound Buxton Crescent Hotel and Thermal Spa development in Derbyshire have been put on hold while developers await the outcome of an archaeological survey. The results of the survey, together with the findings of geotechnical and hydrological tests into the composition of the ground on which the historic building is situated, are to be used to assess existing designs for the scheme before construction work can

A new multi-million pound entertainment venue has officially opened in Livingston, which will provide a new home for West Lothian Council's (WLC) arts service and a local youth theatre company. The £6m transformation of Howden Park Centre, which was designed by Dundee-based architects Nicholl Russell Studios, has been funded by the council, along with a £1.29m lottery grant from the Scottish Arts Council (SAC). Facilities at the venue, which has

Concerns have been raised over the future of more than 80 theatre buildings across the UK after the Theatres Trust published its latest research into venues at risk from dereliction or destruction. According to the 2009 Theatre Buildings at Risk Register, the Opera House at Blackpool's Winter Gardens complex is among the venues most at risk due to a potential threat of demolition, while the Grade II-listed Derby Hippodrome has

A new multi-screen cinema and restaurants could be created on the site of a former livestock market in Hereford if a development agreement is given the green light by the local authority. Herefordshire Council's cabinet is to consider proposals for the first phase of a new retail quarter put forward by the ESG joint venture company, which was established by the council in a bid to regenerate a 100-acre (40.5-hectare)

Mole Valley District Council (MVDC) has appointed VolkerFitzpatrick, the Dutch-owned construction company, to deliver the £11m refurbishment of Leatherhead Leisure Centre in Surrey. Construction work got underway on the 22-month scheme in April after the council approved plans drawn-up by A+G Architects, which include a new 438.6sq m (4,721sq ft) fitness suite incorporating 100 stations and a 343.4sq m (3,696sq ft) soft play area. A new, outdoor multi-use games area,

Plans for the London 2012 International Broadcast Centre (IBC) and Main Press Centre (MPC) have been given the green light by the Olympic Park Planning Committee. The decision means that Wolverhampton-based contractor Carillion can start construction work on the main structure of the two new buildings within the next few weeks, with work already underway on the IBC and MPC's foundations following the earlier approval of a previous planning application.

The designers for China's new cultural center located in the heart of the city of Shenzhen, southern China, have been selected and will form part of the city's Crystal Island project. The Office for Metropolitan Architecture, in partnership with Shenzhen-based architects Urbanus, were awarded first place in the design competition and will now push forward with their creation of the Shenzhen Creative Center. The centre will be situated within 20-hectare

Manchester City Council (MCC) has announced that it will continue with plans for the restoration of Heaton Hall, Prestwich, despite failing in its bid to secure funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF). The council plans to submit a revised, phased bid for funding early next year after the HLF said that it was unable to provide financial support for the £9.4m restoration of the Grade I-listed Heaton Hall, as

Plans for the £1bn transformation of Coventry city centre may need to be reconsidered after the government announced that the city's 1950s Retail Market has been awarded Grade II-listed status. The market, which was built in 1957 and designed by Coventry City Council's (CCC) Architects Department, features a number of East German murals and has been described as an important part of England's architectural heritage by English Heritage. Deborah Porter,

Colchester Borough Council (CBC) has announced it has appointed the construction company behind the London Eye attraction, Mace Group, to help get plans for the town's new art gallery back on track. The proposed Visual Arts Facility (VAF) is set to provide Colchester with a new purpose-built centre of excellence and innovation for culture, education and learning, and had been expected to open to the public at the end of

A public inquiry has got underway to examine plans for the £150m mixed-use redevelopment of Lancaster's canal corridor, after the scheme was called in by the government earlier this year. The Castle View project, which was given the green light by Lancaster City Council in October, is facing opposition from English Heritage as the proposals include the demolition of 19th century buildings. Proposals drawn up by Centros, the London-based urban

A designer has been selected for the Cairo Expo City project. a new exhibition and hotel complex, being developed by the Government of Egypt. Zaha Hadid Architects won the competition to design the 450,000sq m (4,843sq ft) development featuring 33 storeys with two 1,000-room hotels, conference centre with two 140,000sq m (1,506sq ft)exhibition spaces, an office block and a shopping centre. The government project belongs to GOIEF, which reports to

Plans for a major £330m village development at Forestmill, Clackmannanshire, have been given the go-ahead by the Scottish Government after a public inquiry into the proposals was scrapped. The inquiry was cancelled following the approval of the Clackmannanshire Structure Plan 3rd Alteration, and Fife-based developer Muir Group now expects work to get underway within the next three years. A 100-bedroom hotel, a championship-standard golf course and a housing development are

The City of York Council (CYC) is to decide whether to press ahead with plans for the development of a new multi-million pound community sports stadium. Four options for the proposed venue have been identified as part of an outline business case for the scheme, which will be put before CYC's executive on 23 June and recommends that £100,000 be spent on compiling a detailed feasibility study. Among the options

The flagship spa for the Viceroy Resorts & Residences group has opened in Miami within the ICON Brickell Tower in Florida, US. The Spa at Viceroy Miami has been designed by Philippe Starck and covers 28,000sq ft (2,601sq m). The spa features a 5,000sq ft (464.5sq m) Water Lounge boasting views over Biscayne Bay. Designed to resemble a floating library, the lounge has bookcases, an oversized chandelier and waterborne sofas

A new £8.35m visitor centre has been officially unveiled on the summit of Snowdon, North Wales, to replace a building once referred to as "the highest slum in Britain" by the Prince of Wales. Hafod Eryri, which has been constructed 1,063m (3,488ft) above sea level by Carillion, was designed by architect Ray Hole to withstand a range of extreme conditions, including wind speeds of up to 150mph (241.4kmph) and temperatures

Eclectic Clubs and Bars will open its re-designed Embargo nightclub on King's Road in London later this month, following a £750,000 refurbishment. The interior has been completely redesigned by Julian Taylor, and is described as "opulent with a hint of Cuban fusion", featuring exposed brick and gold floors and ceilings while an illuminated dance floor adds to the 1950s feel. The venue's capacity has also been increased to 300. Eclectic,

A new elevated public park, stretching 1.45miles across New York's disused steel freight railway, has opened to the public. Called the High Line, the park was designed by Diller Scofidio & Renfro and created by landscape architect James Corner Field Operations and runs between Gansevoort Street in Manhattan's meatpacking district to 34th Street. Section one, which reaches 20th Street, is open to the public while the remainder awaits completion. The

Plans for the transformation of the 12.8-acre (5.2-hectare) Chelsea Barracks site in Westminster, London, have been withdrawn by the company behind the scheme, Project Blue (Guernsey) Limited (PBGL). PBGL, which is fully owned by investment company Qatari Diar, has revealed that it will now conduct a "comprehensive review" of the proposals after designs drawn up by Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners were criticised by the Prince of Wales. The residential-led