Imperial War Museum North (IWMN) in Manchester has selected German architects Topotek 1 as the preferred design team to develop the external spaces of the museum. According to Jim Forrester, IWMN director, Topotek's scheme was chosen due to the fact that it best addressed a complex brief and complemented the Daniel Libeskind-designed building. Topotek's design includes "contemplation zones", a new quayside walkway with access across the water frontage; a landscaped

Daniel Thwaites, the Blackburn-based pub and hotel operator, has confirmed that it is considering offloading the Stafford Hotel in central London after receiving offers for the property. The company has owned the hotel, which is operated by its Shire Hotels subsidiary, since 1995. However, Shire Hotels' managing director Antony Spencer has now revealed that Savills has been dealing with a number of prospective buyers. Spencer said: "We have received a

Welsh art group, Coastal Galleries, has announced plans to expand into Swansea with the August opening of a new flagship arts centre at the city's historic Ice House. The group, which currently has showrooms at Narberth and Saundersfoot in Pembrokeshire, has agreed a deal to lease two-thirds of the Grade II-listed building from the Landas Group. It is hoped that a South Wales-based restaurant company will occupy the remaining third

Work on a new £70m University of the West of Scotland (UWS) campus in Ayr is set to get underway in September after the development was given the go-ahead by the local authority. South Ayrshire Council has awarded full planning permission and approved the transfer of land to the university for the new 18,000sq m (193,750sq ft) facility, which will be situated on the Craigie Estate alongside the River Ayr.

Plans for the construction of new multi-million pound entertainment arena in the centre of Leeds, West Yorkshire, have received a boost after the government agreed to help fund the scheme. Yorkshire Forward, the regional development agency, has confirmed that it will invest in Leeds City Council's (LCC) proposals for the 12,500-seat venue, despite concerns that the project will threaten the future of the 13,000-seat Sheffield Arena. Tom Riordan, chief executive

The new Ohio Statehouse Museum has opened to the public at the historic Statehouse building in downtown Columbus, Ohio, US. The 5,000sq ft (460sq m) museum is housed in a purpose-build space within the Statehouse and includes a number of galleries and exhibits telling the history and stories of the state of Ohio. Galleries include the Great Ohioans Exhibit, presenting recipients of the Great Ohioan award on a large touch

The Science Museum in London, UK, is to undergo a £100m modernisation. Designed by Wilkinson Eyre Architects, the designs for the revamp are intended to match with wider plans for the South Kensington area, and will boast a new glass feature called the Beacon on the Exhibition Road façade is intended to "present an exciting new image of the Science Museum as a dynamic and engaging place to visit". The

Fitness operator Club Company is investing £750,000 in the upgrading of its Nizels club in Kent. The revamp, which is designed to make the club more family friendly, will include a refurbishment of the Pulse Bar. A new 240sq m children's area will be added to the bar, while the club's crèche will also be enlarged and refurbished to double its current capacity. Club Company's chief executive, Thierry Delsol, said

The Irish Film Institute (IFI) has announced that work on a major 1.7m euro (£1.5m) redevelopment of its Old Quaker Meeting House premises on Eustace Street, Dublin, is expected to start next month. Plans include the creation of a new 60-seat Cinema 3 in addition to the two existing screens at the institute, which will be equipped with digital projection technology and is designed to help the IFI expand its

Surrey County Cricket Club's (SCCC) plans for the £35m redevelopment of the Brit Oval venue in Kennington, south London, have been approved by the government following a public inquiry. The scheme had been given the go ahead by the London Borough of Lambeth in January 2008, but was called in after the Health and Safety Executive expressed concern over the close proximity to a nearby gasholder. Plans include the construction

Work on the first phase of the £5.5m redevelopment of Durlston Country Park in Dorset is to get underway this summer with the restoration of the Great Globe and other stone inscriptions. Stone conservation specialists Sue and Lawrence Kelland have been appointed to repair and repaint the 40-ton globe, which was first erected during the late 19th century by the owner of the Durlston Estate, George Burt. The next phase

Plans for the £58m Birmingham Aquatics and Leisure Centre have been revealed for public consultation. The proposals comprise a 50m swimming pool and an Olympic diving facility able to accommodate training sessions by visiting teams during the Olympics, as well as a leisure pool with rides and a teaching pool. A fitness suite will house exercise studios, saunas and steamrooms, while sports facilities on offer will include an eight-court sports

Boris Johnson's latest initiative to improve the lives of Londoners aims to boost the number of volunteers in the capital. Johnson said: "Volunteering is good for individuals and great for London in tough economic times. By giving your time, whether a one-off few hours or a regular commitment, we can both help to make the capital a more civilised, pleasant place and reap the rewards of putting something back into

Proposals to convert the redundant 1930s Odeon cinema on Clerk Street, Edinburgh, into an arts hotel called ZED have now been referred to the Scottish Government. A planning application submitted by Duddingston House Properties to the City of Edinburgh Council for the conversion and part demolition of the grade B-listed art deco building was approved in October 2008 on the condition that the project be referred to Historic Scotland. However,

Work is set to get underway on the two-phase restoration of Bishopsgate Institute, one of London's most iconic cultural venues, after it received a £1.5m grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF). The first stage of the scheme includes the transformation of the institute's lower ground floor to provide a refurbished studio space, a new library learning space and an archive store, as well as the installation of toilets, changing

The Jewish Museum London, in Camden Town, is set to reopen to the public in November 2009, after having undergone a £9m redevelopment of its facilities. The revamp, funded partly by a £4.3m grant from the Heritage lottery Fund, has resulted in the museum tripling in space in order to accommodate its collections, which are currently housed at two separate sites in Camden Town and Finchley. Five new galleries have

Members of Chard Community Forum have been given the opportunity to view the first draft of South Somerset District Council's (SSDC) masterplan for the transformation of the Somerset town. Improvements to leisure and sports facilities are included in the draft masterplan, which has been developed by LDA Design over the past four months following consultation with local residents and stakeholders. The creation of an easily accessible, public town centre space

Swansea-based contractor Dawnus has been selected to construct a new £4m bridge for pedestrians and cyclists over the River Clywd in Rhyl, as part of a wider regeneration of the North Wales town. Designs for the 80m (262.5) bridge, which incorporates two walkways connected to a central mast to enable boats to pass, was unveiled by Denbighshire County Council (DCC), sustainable transport charity Sustrans and the Welsh Assembly Government on

London mayor Boris Johnson has approved plans for the £1bn regeneration of the Ferrier Estate in Kidbrooke, one of the largest and most deprived housing estates in London. Proposals for the estate, which was built in 1974, include the redevelopment of the Thomas Tallis secondary school to provide a dual-use gymnastics centre, a martial arts dojo, a floodlit, all-weather pitch and a six-court sports hall. A theatre and performing arts

Russian Fitness Group (RFG) opened its latest World Class health club - the 19th in the chain - in St Petersburg in April. Located on Krestovsky island, it's the operator's first luxury club. Built over three floors, the 3,800sq m club has an 800sq m gym with almost 12m-high ceilings. Facilities include group cycling and martial arts studios, both of which have panoramic windows looking out over the embankment. There's

Ribble Valley Council has approved proposals to improve Roefield Leisure Centre in Clitheroe. A £1.1m investment will provide a new fitness suite equipped with 46 stations of Life Fitness cardiovascular and resistance equipment with fully integrated screens and a VIVO connectivity system, dedicated to young people and the over-50s. It will also offer daily access to activities such as the Time Out Youth Activity Centre and the GP Exercise on

The Andreus resort and spa has opened in northern Italy within the Passeier Valley. Schletterer Wellness and Spa Design were responsible for the design of a number of areas, including the spa and gym as well as the hotel's lobby and restaurants. Wood and natural stone is used throughout the hotel, as well as a large amount of natural light and this is followed through into the design of the

Plans for a new purpose-built living and working community for the creative industries at Pinewood Studios in Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire, have been submitted to South Buckinghamshire District Council (SBDC). The £200m Project Pinewood development is designed to provide filmmakers and producers with a range of streetscapes for film and television productions, including New York and Paris, without having to travel around the world. However, the proposals for the 44-hectare (109-acre)

Designers have been appointed to masterplan the 100-hectare development of a waterfront site in the southern part of Helsingborg, Sweden. The municipality of Helsingborg chose Denmark-based Schønherr Landscape and Copenhagen architects ADEPT to create their project, called The Tolerant City, which will comprise a network of city squares and recreational areas among residential units. The fully design team includes Transsolar Klima Engineering, VIA Trafik, General Public Agency, bbn consult, FB

Top Notch Health Club in Chesham will soon feature a £500,000 underground swimming pool. General practitioners will be able to refer patients with disabilities to the new facility for fitness and rehabilitation sessions. Chiltern District Council approved the plans, submitted for the third time, by six votes to two. The previous two applications were rejected owing to concerns over Green Belt land and a lack of car parking spaces. The

The new four-star Valamar Lacroma Resort, Conference and Spa has been unveiled by Special Hotels of the World (SHOTW) on the Babin Kuk peninsula near Dubrovnik, Croatia. Facilities at the 401-bedroom resort, which is to be part of the Valamar Hotels and Resorts Group, include one of the largest conference halls in Croatia, capable of accommodating 1,000 delegates, as well as two restaurants, four bars, a fitness centre and two

A new 11.2m euro (£9.7m) stadium in Dublin, which is home to Shamrock Rovers Football Club (SRFC), has been officially opened by the Irish minister for arts, sport and tourism, Martin Cullen. The purpose-built Tallaght Stadium currently boasts of a capacity of 3,300 spectators, but that is set to increase to nearly 7,000 when construction of the venue's East Stand is completed later this summer. Future development of the stadium,