Architecture and design news
Omran and Musstir enter JV to develop Anantara Dhofar, as development in Oman picks up pace
by Kim Megson | 17 Feb 2016
A new luxury Anantara hotel and spa complex will open later this year in Dhofar, Oman, with a design inspired by the region’s coastal fortresses. The Anantara Salalah Al Baleed Resort is a joint venture between Omran – the state-owned company currently investing huge sums of money into the country’s hospitality sector – and property developer Musstir. The resort will be located in the Salalah, the capital of Dhofar province,
Sparcstudio leads redesign of lavish London lifestyle club
by Jak Phillips | 17 Feb 2016
Third Space has jump-started its quest to become London’s premium health club operator with the £3.5m relaunch of its Tower Bridge gym. The 28,000sq ft (2,601sq m) club – which was formerly 37 Degrees before being taken over by Third Space owner Encore Capital in 2014 – has been given a comprehensive makeover. Specialist spa, fitness and wellness designers Sparcstudio led the redesign of the Tower Bridge site and is
MVRDV unveil Beijing leisure hub with an ever-changing façade
by Kim Megson | 16 Feb 2016
Work is nearing completion on the Chongwenmen M-Cube; MVRDV’s latest high-profile leisure building. Located in Beijing, the the 44,000sq m (473,600sq ft) M-Cube is due to be completed by Q3 this year. Once open, it will be a cultural hub for the Chinese capital – with leisure, retail, dining and nightclub facilities housed beneath a rooftop garden overlooking many of the city’s landmarks. The building's most striking feature will be
Bernard Tschumi launches international architecture competition to 'encourage new modes of living'
by Kim Megson | 16 Feb 2016
An international student architecture competition is exploring the relationship between architecture, movement and the senses. In an unorthodox brief, the fifth edition of the annual UIA-HYP Cup is challenging entrants to design a hotel, museum, library, clinic or cemetery which “can foster and encourage new modes of living unknown today.” The global contest is organised by Tianjin University and Chinese media company Urban Environmental Design, with support from the Union
Vittorio Grassi designs fluid Italian stadium for disability sports
by Kim Megson | 16 Feb 2016
Milanese architects Vittorio Grassi + Partners have designed a fluid multipurpose building for the Italian city of Lamezia Terme, which will host international sporting events for disabled athletes. The asymmetrical design for the Palazzo dello Sport is inspired by the pebbles found along the city’s Mediterranean shoreline. The distinctive shape allows for 8,000sq m (86,100sq ft) interior space to host a range of events – from sports events to concerts
Heartcore launches latest boutique fitness studio in former London church
by Jak Phillips | 16 Feb 2016
Boutique fitness chain Heartcore has launched its eighth studio, this time in the London district St John’s Wood, as the operator continues its focus on prestigious postcodes in the city. Sited in a former church, the new location has a heavy emphasis on design – with the Heartcore team creating the entire concept in-house. The property’s soaring ceilings lend an airy, ‘Californian-feel’ to the studio, which is complemented by natural
Does the future of design lie underwater, in the clouds or even on the surface of the Moon?
by Kim Megson | 15 Feb 2016
A new study into how we will live, work and relax a century from now has predicted a future where underwater bubble cities, drone-delivered mobile holiday homes and super skyscrapers are the norm. The SmartThings Future Living Report, commissioned by Samsung SmartThings and authored by a collection of British-based architects, academics and scientists, suggests the way we lead our lives will “will change beyond all recognition” over the course of
Film City Tower: Architecture competition launched for Bollywood landmark building as Mumbai takes on LA
by Kim Megson | 15 Feb 2016
Designs are being sought for a large-scale cultural landmark celebrating the Indian film industry in Mumbai. Competition organiser Archasm is embarking on a mission to “put Bollywood on the global map” by organising a design contest for a “vertical Film City tower” which will emulate Los Angeles’ film industry neighbourhood and the iconic Hollywood sign. “The film industry in Mumbai is scattered and too low profile to match the cult
Sculptural Burgh Island hotel suite will be suspended over the water
by Kim Megson | 15 Feb 2016
British architects Carmody Groarke will build a luxury hotel suite suspended over the sea on an isolated tidal island. The London studio are the winners of a RIBA competition to create the building – an extension of an existing Art Deco hotel – on Burgh Island in South Devon, UK. Four practices proposed designs for the dramatic headline site, which is cut off from the mainland twice each day when
Stunning digital installations encourage creativity, play and immersion at Silicon Valley art show
by Kim Megson | 15 Feb 2016
Japanese digital art collective teamLab have partnered with Silicon Valley gallery Pace Art + Technology to create a large-scale interactive art exhibition described as a “digital playground for all ages”. The exhibition, called Living Digital Space and Future Parks, features 20 innovative art pieces spread across several rooms and 20,000sq ft (1,850sq m) in the Californian gallery. The show encourages participants to embrace their curiosity by interacting directly with the
Greening Madrid to fight climate change
by Kim Megson | 15 Feb 2016
City planners in Madrid are responding to the challenge of climate change by covering the Spanish capital’s unused spaces in plants and greenery. According to reports in Spain, the local government has given the green light for 22 vacant areas to be transformed into urban gardens and for a million-dollar investment to plant trees along the banks of the Manzanares River. The projects – which follow a decision in 2014
Europa City will play key role in Paris 2024 Olympic bid
by Kim Megson | 15 Feb 2016
The director of Europa City – one of the largest ongoing leisure developments on the continent – has told CLAD how the scheme can bolster the Paris bid to host the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games. In an exclusive interview, Christophe Dalstein said the €3.1bn (US$3.5bn, £2.4bn) Europa City – which has been masterplanned by Bjarke Ingels Group – will be perfectly placed near the proposed Olympic venues in northern
Is this how to win a job with Bjarke Ingels?
by Kim Megson | 13 Feb 2016
When architect Étienne Duval decided to apply for his dream job – a position at Bjarke Ingels’ studio BIG – he chose a rather unorthodox alternative to a traditional cover letter. In a bid to stand out from the crowd, Duval posted a special rap on YouTube in which he sets out his suitability for the practice – who are perhaps in need of extra staff having announced a host
Herzog & de Meuron complete €47m renovation of historic Unterlinden Museum in France
by Kim Megson | 12 Feb 2016
After three years of work, the Unterlinden Museum in Colmar, France has re-opened to the public, with a new subterranean gallery space created by Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron. The museum – which exhibits historic works of art from the likes of Claude Monet and Pablo Picasso – has almost doubled its interior space by linking the museum with an adjacent complex of historical buildings, including a 13th century
RPW Design create new look for Marriott London hotels and health club
by Kim Megson | 12 Feb 2016
London studio RPW Design have revealed more details about their multi-million pound renovations of two Marriott properties in London, including the transformation of a health and wellbeing space on the capital’s famous Park Lane. Refurbishment of The Club – the 342sq m (3,600sq ft) health facility at the five-star London Marriott Hotel Park Lane – will be completed in April 2016. RPW are designing a brand new treatment room, a
Kevin Spacey to deliver keynote speech at architecture convention in Philadelphia
by Kim Megson | 12 Feb 2016
Kevin Spacey, the award-winning US producer and actor, is to give the keynote speech at the 2016 American Institute of Architects convention in Philadelphia. The star of hit Netflix series House of Cards will address the convention on 19 May about the importance of innovation and risk-taking. “What can architects learn from an award-winning producer and actor whose Netflix Original Series made appointment TV obsolete?” the AIA asked in a
Why not spend a night in Van Gogh's bedroom?
by Kim Megson | 12 Feb 2016
The Art Institute of Chicago is giving visitors to the US city the chance to step directly into the world of Vincent Van Gogh. To celebrate an upcoming exhibition on the Dutch post-impressionist, the institute has recreated a human-scale model of Van Gogh’s bedroom from his famous French ‘Yellow House’, and is renting it to guests via room listing website Airbnb. Van Gogh was so taken by his room –
MAD Architects are building a floating art museum in China
by Kim Megson | 12 Feb 2016
Pingtan Art Museum, a spectacular floating cultural island designed by Beijing-based innovators MAD Architects, has entered the construction phase in China’s Fujian province. Pingtan is the largest island in the region and has been designated by the government as a primary location for cultural and tourism development. The museum has been in development since 2011 and will be the cultural centrepiece of the zone. It will float in waters just
World of Science's CA$40m redevelopment turns facility into its own science lesson
by Tom Anstey | 12 Feb 2016
Edmonton’s Telus World of Science in Canada has unveiled proposals for a CA$40m (US$28.6m, €25.3m, £19.8m) redevelopment to transform the ageing facility. The ice-inspired concepts by Dialog Design will turn the facility itself into a science lesson. Dialog’s design pools precipitation from the roof, using it to feed wildlife around the building, demonstrating how the freeze-thaw cycle works. In the colder months, water will come from the roof to form
COBE win design competition to masterplan Copenhagen leisure island
by Kim Megson | 11 Feb 2016
Danish architecture practice COBE have today (11 February) been named the winner of an international design competition to masterplan a new leisure district on an artificial quay in Copenhagen’s harbour. Despite its location next to the city’s opera house and the Royal Danish Playhouse, Christiansholm Island is the last undeveloped area along the city’s waterfront. It has been used over the past 50 years by the Danish press for newspaper
Geothermal pools will overlook Palisades mountains at planned Napa Valley Four Seasons
by Jane Kitchen | 11 Feb 2016
Four Seasons is planning a new luxury resort in Napa Valley, California, that will include a spa using the natural geothermal waters unique to the Calistoga region. Owned by Boston-based real estate private equity firm Alcion Ventures and developed in partnership with Colorado-based boutique firm Bald Mountain Development, the Napa Valley resort will include 85 guest rooms and 20 private residence villas. Designed by O’Bryan Partnership Architects, with interior design
New national sports complex for Guyana revealed by Baker Barrios Architects
by Kim Megson | 11 Feb 2016
Miami design studio Baker Barrios Architects have unveiled their vision for a national football stadium and sports complex in Guyana, South America. The proposed project – which has been developed by former Canadian international footballer Alex Bunbury, who was born in Guyana – is anchored by a 24,000-seat stadium which will host the nation’s home football fixtures. Baker Barrios’ 230-acre masterplan for the scheme also includes an 80,000sq ft (7,400sq
Frosts step in to save Miami science museum after funding shortfall
by Kim Megson | 11 Feb 2016
A turbulent bid to build a world-class science museum in Miami is back on track after two principal donors stepped in to provide crucial funding to the cash-stricken project. The US$307m (€283.5m, £214.1m) Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum of Science is entering the final construction phase, but a US$45m (€41.5m, £31.3m) funding shortfall emerged last month due to higher-than-expected construction costs and a failure to finance donor pledges. However, the
Bjarke Ingels will design 2016 Serpentine Gallery pavilion
by Kim Megson | 10 Feb 2016
Danish architect Bjarke Ingels and his studio BIG have been chosen to design the 2016 Serpentine Gallery Pavilion within London’s Kensington Gardens. The studio now have six months to develop and complete their design before it goes on display as the centrepiece of this year's Serpentine Galleries summer pavilion exhibition. For the first time, the galleries have also announced an expansion to the annual four-month event, with four other architects
Parisian restaurant Frenchie opens theatre-inspired London location
by Kim Megson | 10 Feb 2016
French artist and interior designer Emilie Bonaventure has drawn on her experience as a set designer to create an adaptable new restaurant in London’s Covent Garden. A 19th century marble fireplace and theatrical staircase are the focal points of Frenchie Covent Garden, which has been designed to recreate the immediacy and intimacy of the crowded eateries in Paris’s garment district. Frenchie was opened this month by chefs and restaurateurs Greg
National Arts Centre in Ottawa begins million-dollar makeover
by Kim Megson | 10 Feb 2016
A groundbreaking ceremony has been held to mark the beginning of “an architectural rejuvenation” for Canada’s National Arts Centre (NAC) in Ottawa. Toronto studio Diamond Schmitt Architects have designed a CAD$110m (US$79.3m, €40.4m, £54m) extension to the Brutalist 1960s structure, adding a new North Atrium and entrance made from glass and a marquee tower which will display live performances from the main stage on a huge screen. According to the
Ennead Architects complete cantilevered Westmoreland Art Museum expansion
by Kim Megson | 10 Feb 2016
The architects behind the US$20m (€17.7m, £13.8m) renovation of the Westmoreland Museum of American Art in Greensburg, Pennsylvania, have claimed their work has launched “a new era” for the institution. New York studio Ennead Architects have used a simple palette of materials and textures – including precast concrete, zinc, brick and glass – to unify the 13,500sq ft (1,250sq m) expansion with the existing neo-Georgian structure. A new eastern brick
Malta pays tribute to Renzo Piano with special carnival float
by Kim Megson | 09 Feb 2016
A huge carnival float has been built in Malta as a rather unorthodox tribute to one of the world's most famous architects. Renzo Piano – the designer of The Shard, the Whitney Museum of American Art and the nearly-completed Stavros Niarchos Cultural Centre – was honoured at last week’s Maltese Carnival for his architectural contribution to country’s capital, Valletta. A gigantic smiling depiction of Piano appeared on a special float,
Norman Foster to restore historic sports pavilion for Kulm St. Moritz
by Kim Megson | 09 Feb 2016
British architecture studio Foster + Partners have been commissioned to restore a historic pavilion in Kulm Park, Switzerland so that it can be used at next year’s Ski World Championships. The two-storey Ice Pavilion, which is owned by ski and spa getaway Kulm Hotel St. Moritz, was constructed in 1905 in a traditional Swiss Art Nouveau style. Despite being listed for protection, the structure is on the verge of collapse
Bahamas US$168m project to include Six Senses resort
by Jane Kitchen | 09 Feb 2016
A recently-approved US$168m (€150m, £116m) expansion of the Deep Water Cay Resort in the Bahamas will include Six Senses as the operator of a five-star, mixed-use resort, according to a news release from the Bahamian government. Representatives from Six Senses were not able to comment on the news. Dr Michael Darville, minister for Grand Bahama, said the build-out will be phased over a seven-year period and will include 68 hotel
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