A £186m cultural centre, set to transform the arts and music scene globally, will open its doors in June this year. Factory International, based in Manchester UK, but with a global outreach, is the largest investment in a national cultural project in the UK since the opening of London's Tate Modern in 2000. The centre will house 13,350sq m of flexible floor area, utilising supersized moveable walls that can be

Planning approval has been granted for Camden Highline, a project to transform a section of disused railway into a new elevated urban park for London. Similar to the High Line in New York, US, the new green space will run for 1.2km, connecting Camden Town with the King’s Cross and St Pancras area – an important transport hub for the capital. The elevated public walkway is forecast to bring new

A new landmark maritime centre has opened to the public in Esbjerg, Denmark. Created by WERK Arkitekter and Snøhetta, the centre has been designed as a shared space for watersport clubs and visitors along the port, providing the town with a social maritime hub and architectural landmark. Dubbed "The Lantern", WERK Arkitekter and Snøhetta were chosen for the project following a design competition in 2019. Designed as a "community first"

Saudi Entertainment Ventures (SEVEN) has signed an exclusive partnership agreement with Warner Bros. Discovery to bring purpose-built indoor adventures centres to the Kingdom. The new Discovery Adventures centres will integrate Discovery’s media content and will be designed to enable young people to "be entertained and gain informed insights with educational value". SEVEN, a wholly owned subsidiary of Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF), has a goal of transforming the entertainment

Universal Parks & Resorts has revealed plans to launch two entirely new visitor attractions concepts – a family-focused theme park and resort in Texas and a year-round horror experience in Las Vegas. Described as a "one-of-a-kind theme park, unlike any other in the world", the new Texas resort will feature immersive themed lands, family-friendly attractions, interactive shows and character 'meet and greets' utilising Universal’s IP. Designed as intimate and engaging for

A planning application has been submitted for the creation of The Seahive, a surf wellness resort on the site of a former colliery spoil tip in Betteshanger Country Park, UK. Designed by architecture firm Hollaway Studio, the £40m (US$48.1m, €45.4m) flagship project near Deal in Kent would be integral to the wider country park. The overall masterplan for the 15-acre site features a Wavegarden Cove surf lagoon at its centre,

Saudi Entertainment Ventures (SEVEN), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Kingdom's Public Investment Fund (PIF), is to invest SAR50bn (US$13.3bn) to develop 21 integrated entertainment destinations across 14 cities in Saudi Arabia. Developed in partnership with a range of international brands, the destinations are set to feature more than 150 "innovative attractions". SEVEN has so far signed deals with Warner Bros., Discovery, Clip ‘n Climb and toy giants Mattel (for its

A new floating visitor center and art installation is showcasing aquaculture, informing the world on how to better feed the planet with sustainable seafood. Called Salmon Eye, the aquaculture centre is located in Norway’s Hardangerfjord, just outside the town of Rosendal. Created by Kvorning Design, the project was conceived and financed by Sondre Eide, the CEO of third-generation salmon farming business Eide Fjordbruk. A world-class visitor and learning center, Salmon

An immersive audiovisual experience that "observes everything as it is" was a among the highlights of this year's Noor Riyadh festival in Saudi Arabia. Created by design studio Nohlabs, the installation – called Everything – is true to its name and questions everything in existence by suggesting new possibilities for them. Offering visitors the opportunity to observe the elements that construct their everyday lives, the experience ascribes new meanings to

Disney is set to undergo a "major restructuring" following the shock return of CEO Bob Iger. Iger, who steered Disney as CEO from 2005 until 2020 – when his contract expired – returned to the entertainment giant recently. His return follows the exit of Bob Chapek, who took over as Disney CEO from Iger in February 2020 – just as the COVID-19 pandemic began hitting the entertainment and visitor attraction industry

A permanent public art sculpture allows the public to observe the galaxy's exoplanets – which human life could potentially exist on. Data Gate is the brainchild of creative media studio, Ouchhh, and is comprised of 360 LED installations. Commissioned by the Chinese Government and located in Nanjing, the installation utilises NASA's Kepler data sets to create AI-driven content. Weighing 15 tons, the sculpture was created in collaboration with Dawn Gelino,

Warner Bros. Discovery Sports (WBD Sports) and metaverse services provider Infinite Reality have entered into a multi-year agreement that will deliver new immersive and interactive metaverse experiences to sports fans. The scope of what’s on offer – described as “new avenues for sports communities, athletes and brands to interact with each other within unique virtual environments” – can be experienced and previewed for the first time at the UCI Track

A huge "film city" and visitor attraction project in Nigeria has reached a major milestone, following the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between marketing and development agency Del York International Group and The Lagos State Government. The two partners signed what they described as a "monumental agreement to transform the face of the creative industry on the continent of Africa". The deal will see the state government officially

The iconic Battersea Power Station on the south bank of the River Thames, London, UK, has finally reopened, following a £9bn redevelopment project. The Grade II* listed former coal-fired power station has been transformed into an entirely new district featuring a blend of residential and leisure, with health clubs, a visitor attraction, spa and wellness offerings, retail, bars, restaurants, entertainment venues, parks and historic spaces. Developments within the 42-acre site

The Red Sea Development Company (TRSDC), the developer behind the AMAALA tourism project on the shores of the Red Sea, has revealed detailed plans for a marine life institute. Designed by Foster and Partners, the institute will function as both a scientific research centre and a tourist destination, with 10 zones providing a range of experiences, from augmented reality to submarine dives. The 10,340sqm institute will be built three levels

Hospitality and entertainment design firm HBG Design is helming the design of Michigan's new Gun Lake Casino Resort Aquadome – a glass-roofed, climate-controlled, indoor landscaped pool and event centre atrium environment. The six-storey, 32,000sq ft Aquadome is part of a US$300m (£259.1m, €298.4m) site-wide overhaul of the casino. The investment is also funding the construction of a 252-room hotel and further entertainment amenities. “The Aquadome is sure to become a

The International Museum Construction Congress (IMCC) will take place in the Norwegian capital city, Oslo, from 6 to 8 November 2022. Now in its seventh edition, the three-day IMCC is designed for international museum leaders, architects, project managers, museum leaders and any other professionals involved in the construction, renovation and expansion of museums. The planning committee for this year's event is chaired by Göran Joryd, project manager for the new

The Grand Egyptian Museum is set to finally open its doors after a design and construction project which has taken more than 20 years to complete. Touted as the world's most anticipated museum – thanks to both its unique design and the treasures it will house – the attraction was first announced to the world in 2001. A design competition in 2002 received more than 1,500 entries, from which Heneghan

Adjaye Associates and Ralph Appelbaum Associates (RAA) have been named as the preferred bidders to lead the design of a £57m redevelopment of the International Slavery Museum and Maritime Museum in Liverpool, UK. National Museums Liverpool (NML) picked the two design firms for the project which will see the Dr Martin Luther King Jr Building become a prominent new entrance to the International Slavery Museum. According to NML, the work

Liseberg theme park in Sweden has confirmed the opening date for its new Grand Curiosa hotel. A highly themed family hotel, the Grand Curiosa will have 457 family rooms, a restaurant with a fully functional merry-go-round from 1923, and a rooftop bistro with a view of the park and several bars. The theming has been inspired by the history of its home city, Gothenburg, and the West Swedish East India

Detailed plans have been revealed for the National Juneteenth Museum in Fort Worth, Texas, US. Designed by architects Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG), the 50,000sq ft visitor attraction will anchor a larger mixed-use development on the Historic Southside of Fort Worth. It will explore the events of June 19, 1865, when Union General Gordon Granger issued Order No. 3, in essence declaring that “all slaves are free” in the state of

A visitor attraction celebrating the history of the Scottish parish of Gretna Green – and its heritage as a destination for 'runaway marriages – has opened to the public. Gretna Green, located just inside Scotland on the border with England, first became famous for its weddings nearly 260 years ago, following the Clandestine Marriages Act 1753. The act prevented couples under the age of 21 from marrying in England or

A project to save the UK's last major bellfoundry has moved to the next stage, with the launch of a tender to find contractors for the redevelopment work. The Loughborough Bellfoundry was built in 1859 and has since ​​cast and sent 25,000 bells to more than 100 countries. Bells made at the foundry can be found at some of the world's most iconic buildings, including London’s St Paul’s Cathedral, the

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