Therme Manchester – the £250m indoor ‘next generation’ waterpark, thermal bathing and a wellbeing spa, opening in 2025 – will include the world's first "living waterslides". The waterslides are part of the resort's focus on biophilic design and will feature 3D-printed structures housing thousands of biodiverse plants. Thanks to their design, the slides will be made to look like tree trunks, with plants growing out of them. Due to its

A new natural history museum in Abu Dhabi will take visitors on a 13.8-billion-year journey through time and space. Called the Abu Dhabi Natural History Museum and set to open in 2025, the museum will be located on Saadiyat Island, in the Saadiyat Cultural District. The project was officially unveiled by Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, member of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council and chairman of the

The MSG Sphere, a controversial auditorium and music globe designed by Populous, has been given full planning permission by the London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC). If built, the Sphere would tower 90m above Stratford, London, and in addition to the auditorium, would include a nightclub, bars, restaurants, cafés, shops and parking. The sphere would boast the “largest and highest resolution LED screen in the world” – in the form of

Clifford’s Tower in York, considered one of England’s most important buildings, has opened to the public following a £5m redevelopment. The structure is all that remains of York Castle, which was built on the orders of William I and once dominated the former Viking city of Jórvík. While the landmark has played a crucial role in English history during its 800-year-old history, it had been pretty much an empty shell

The Burrell Collection in Glasgow, UK has reopened following a £68.25m refurbishment which took five years to complete. Exhibiting objects from Europe and Asia, the vast collection was donated to the city and people of Glasgow by art collector Sir William Burrell in 1944. A museum housing the collection, which includes more than 9,000 objects, was then built and opened in Pollok Park in 1983. The collection holds items from

Brewing giant Diageo has revealed plans to create a Guinness-themed cultural hub and microbrewery in London, UK, with design by London-based agency, Hot Pickle. Called Guinness at Old Brewer’s Yard, the visitor attraction is set to open in London’s Covent Garden in Autumn 2023. Located on a historic brewing site – ​​the Old Brewer's Yard was the site of beer brewing as far back as 1722 – the £73m development

Culturespaces has announced that its new digital art centre, Fabrique des Lumières, will open in Amsterdam on 22 April 2022. Located in the historic former gas plant of Westergasfabriek – built in 1885 by the Imperial Continental Gas Association – the cultural attraction will use "cutting-edge technology" to create immersive exhibitions devoted to some of the most celebrated figures in art history. The venue has a total surface area of

The number of registered visitors to Dubai's Expo 2020 has passed 10 million. Expo 2020, which was, as the name suggests, originally scheduled for 2020 but had to be moved due to the pandemic, is the largest major global event to be held since the start of the COVID-19 outbreak. In addition to physical visits, the Expo's digital platform had seen 37 million visits by 27 December 2021. The Expo

Universal Beijing Resort in China is preparing to embark on the second phase of its construction programme. The project will add around 2.2sq km to the total park area and will include up to five new hotels. This means the second phase will more than double the current size of the 1.8sq km park. The announcement comes less than three months after the park opened its doors to the public,

A new creative hub in Doha looks to position itself as the new heart of Qatar’s fashion and design industry – as well as a public showcase for innovation and entrepreneurship in the region. The M7 Design and Cultural Hub, designed by John McAslan + Partners, is the architectural anchor of the 31-hectare Msheireb mixed-use development. Established by Qatar Museums, under the leadership of Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin

M+, described as Asia’s first global museum of contemporary visual culture, has opened in Hong Kong. Located in the city state's West Kowloon Cultural District, the museum features six thematic exhibitions housing more than 1,000 works. Designed by architects Herzog and de Meuron, M+ will act as a cultural centre for 20th and 21st-century art, design, architecture, and the moving image. As well as the 33 exhibition galleries, the complex

Grimshaw has partnered with The Eden Project to create a special pavilion at the COP 26 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Glasgow. Located in the Blue Zone in the Scottish Exhibition Campus, the Eden Project Pavilion has been designed by Grimshaw as a showcase of – and call to arms for – the actions needed to regenerate the planet. It harnesses the geodesic design reminiscent of the Eden

Construction work has begun on a £13m redevelopment project which will look to transform the V&A Museum of Childhood into the UK’s "premier national museum" entirely dedicated to children. Designed by De Matos Ryan and AOC Architecture, the revamp of the iconic Grade II* listed site in Bethnal Green, London, UK will provide the museum with an entirely new visitor experience. Plans include three new galleries – called Play, Imagine

A new visitor attraction and cultural destination, located at the foot of the historic slopes of Aÿ-Champagne commune, is taking a fresh approach to exploring the history of champagne. Pressoria – designed by Casson Mann and Atelier Phileas Architecture – blends original heritage architecture and contemporary interiors with sensory and digital installations and event spaces to present the culture of the appellation. Described as a sensory experience that blends elements

Saudi Arabia's General Entertainment Authority (GEA) has pledged to provide SAR500m (US$133m, €112m, £96m) worth of loans to companies, in order to create new attractions and entertainment projects in the country. GEA has signed a memorandum of understanding with the country's Social Development Bank (SDB), which will see soft financing opportunities being made available to investments that contribute towards the growth and sustainability of the Saudi attractions and entertainment sector

The new H.C. Andersen House, designed by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma, has opened its doors to visitors in the Danish city of Odense. Dedicated to the life of the celebrated author – famous for his fairytales, such as the Little Mermaid, The Emperor's New Clothes and The Ugly Duckling – the US$62m visitor attraction consists of both indoor and outdoor spaces. The attraction is located on the site of Hans

Kew Gardens has established a "living laboratory" at its wild botanic garden at Wakehurst, UK. The move is part of a research project to explore the benefits of biodiversity in the UK. The Wakehurst site is open to visitors and includes a number of botanical attractions to explore – such as the 150-acre Loder Valley Nature Reserve, an area called The Wetlands and a six-acre American Prairie. As well as

Work has been completed on the redevelopment of Montreal's Biodome – a science museum which occupies the site of the former velodrome built for the 1976 Olympic Games. The Biodome allows visitors to walk through replicas of five ecosystems found in the Americas – a tropical rainforest, a maple forest, the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, a sub-Antarctic island environment, and the Labrador Coast. Biodome is one of four attractions located

Little Island, an urban park built on stilts on the Hudson River in New York City, has opened to the public. Designed by Heatherwick Studio, in partnership with Arup and Mathews Nielsen Landscape Architects (MNLA), the 1.1-hectare (11,000sq m) park and performance venue features 540 metres of pathways and a range of performance spaces. Little Island’s distinct exterior is supported by 132 "tulip-like" concrete piles. Each tulip’s shape is unique

The Eden Project has signed a memorandum of understanding with the owners of its preferred site for a planned Eden Project Dundee attraction. The proposed site – the former Dundee Gasworks – is located close to the Dundee waterfront on the bank of the River Tay and is less than a mile away from V&A Dundee and the city's main train station. The agreement between Eden Project and the site's owners,

CLAD understands the launch of Hasbro's Live Monopoly attraction in London is back on the cards, with 14 August 2021 slated as the official opening date. The attraction will be created by a design team drawn from across the worlds of immersive theatre, tech and escape rooms: creative producers are Tom Beynon and Paul Mansfield, with set design by Tim McQuillen-Wright – designer for Secret Cinema experiences Stranger Things, Blade

The Skydeck attraction at the Willis Tower in Chicago – which held the title of the world's tallest building for 25 years – has reopened following an extensive redevelopment. Designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), Thinc Design, and Chicago Scenic Studios, the Skydeck forms the centrepiece of a visitor experience which also includes a new interactive exhibition showcasing how architecture has shaped Chicago’s history and identity. On entering the

Work has been completed on the Khor Kalba Turtle and Wildlife Sanctuary in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates (UAE). Commissioned by Sharjah’s Environmental Protected Areas Authority (EPAA) and situated on Kalba Creek, one of the most sensitive and biodiverse nature reserves in the Gulf, the complex comprises a cluster of rounded building forms, creating a sanctuary for rehabilitating turtles and nurturing endangered birds. Designed by Hopkins Architects, the sanctuary will also

A new museum telling the stories of the people exiled from Germany by the Nazi regime is set to open in Berlin in 2025. The Exile Museum will incorporate the ruins of the Anhalter Bahnhof railway station, which was used by people fleeing the country during World War II before it was bombed in 1943. The museum will include biographies of famous exiled Germans – including Albert Einstein and Thomas

Global design and production agency BRC Imagination Arts has appointed Christian Lachel as chief creative officer, taking over the role from BRC founder Bob Rogers. Previously vice president and executive creative director, Lachel first joined BRC in 1997. Since then, he has helped guide the company during a period of rapid GLOBAL growth, and has taken lead roles on projects including Destination Scotland (Johnnie Walker Princes St, Glenkinchie Distillery), Jameson Distillery

Construction work has been completed on the M+ museum building in Hong Kong, ahead of its grand opening later this year. The Herzog & de Meuron-designed museum – created in partnership with TFP Farrells and Arup – is the latest addition to Hong Kong's global arts and cultural landscape and is set to become a new international architectural icon. Located in Hong Kong’s West Kowloon Cultural District on the Victoria

The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles has announced a busy programme of virtual events ahead of its grand opening later this year. Set to open to the public for the first time on 30 September 2021, the museum will launch the virtual programme to coincide with the Oscars ceremony, taking place in April 2021. The programme will feature panel discussions with film industry leaders, as well as