Blackstone, one of the world's biggest real estate investors, has announced that it will buy Chicago’s Willis Tower, the second-tallest building in the US for US$1.3bn (€1.19bn, £800m). Previously known as Sears Tower, the Willis Tower is an iconic structure – designed by Skidmore, Owings, & Merrill – it dominates the Chicago skyline. Vendors, 223 South Wacker, said Blackstone will be an "excellent steward of this world famous building". Blackstone

The Office for Architectural Cultural (OAC) has revealed the competition winning design for the UNESCO World Heritage site at Daming Palace in Xi’an, China. The scheme will be an all-encompassing urban regeneration. Xi’an is home to several UNESCO world heritage sites, and OAC’s mixed-use project will cover part of the Daming Palace Heritage Park, as well as a large early 20th century Dahua Wool Spinning Factory. Spanning more than 500

Bjarke Ingels and his firm BIG produce enticing concepts and ideas for the architecture world, and their latest project – Uppsala Power Plant (UPP) in Sweden – is no exception. BIG was asked to design a biomass cogeneration plant to supplement Uppsala’s existing energy production during peak times. Instead of a traditional overbearing and forbidding power plant structure, Bjarke Ingels has designed something quite the opposite. The design consists of

Following the announcement this week that negotiations have begun for the funding of the £1bn (€1.3bn $1.42bn) Swansea tidal lagoon project in Wales, UK, CLAD speaks exclusively to Paul Newman, principal of Juice Architects, the firm behind the project's iconic visitor attraction. "The Tidal Lagoon is an extraordinarily important development and I am delighted the Visitor Centre has become the iconic symbol of this pioneering project” said Newman. “I am

International architecture firm Foster + Partners have revealed plans for an 80-storey mixed-use skyscraper in downtown Toronto, Canada. Called ‘The One’, the project has been termed ‘a new model of vertical retail in the city’ by the firm. At 318m (1,043 ft) tall, the scheme will incorporate nine levels of shops, cafes and restaurants, centred around a 60m (196 ft) high atrium at its base. The base of the skyscraper

Luxury Italian car brand Ferrari has opened its latest store in Milan, featuring a new concept focused on lifestyle, experience, entertainment and shopping. Located in Milan’s city centre, the aim of the new operation – designed by architect Massimo Iosa Ghin of Iosa Ghini Associati – is to create the spirit of a memorable location within the brand’s store. The three-storey, 750sq m (8,000sq ft) experience store aims to cater

An evianSpa will open in 2016 as part of a 38,000sq m (409,029sq ft) plaza development in Doha’s Cultural Village Foundation Katara. The first phase of the development opened to the public in October 2010. Leyk & Wollenberg Architecture and Atelier GH will lead the design of the evianSpa project. Gael Hiétin of Atelier GH developed the evianSpa global design concept and is known for his multi-sensory projects. Qatari operator

In an effort to combat a failing economy that has plunged a quarter of its population into poverty, Egypt is planning to build a new US$45bn (€42.3bn, £30.6bn) administrative, business and leisure capital east of Cairo to house five million people. Skidmore, Owings & Merrill's (SOM) Philip Enquist has been placed in charge of urban design and planning for the mega-development, which will be linked to Cairo through extensive public

Abu Dhabi’s Urban Planning Council (UPC) has approved plans for several new major developments in Abu Dhabi as part of a strategy to make the area more tourist friendly. They include a new African safari experience, waterfront developments and a shopping mall. World Desert Oasis in Al Ain is one of 76 new projects, recently approved by the UPC aiming to enhance Abu Dhabi’s appeal as a tourist destination. Designed

International architecture firm NBBJ have revealed concept designs for two light reflecting, shadowless skyscrapers. Created using the design software Rhinoceros, several blueprints for the mixed-use skyscrapers have been generated with the key aim of reflecting dispersed sunlight onto the streets below. With more skyscrapers being built in 2014 than in any other year, targeting the ‘doom and gloom’ effect and allowing sunlight to reach the ground is an important factor

FaulknerBrowns have announced they will design the ‘Beacon of Light’, a sport, wellness and education facility in Sunderland UK. The building will be the permanent home for football club Sunderland AFC (SAFC). The Beacon of Light project is backed by the club's Foundation of Light charity and will be the first of its kind, incorporating sport, health and education in one facility. The site, next to the Stadium of Light

Kinslow, Keith & Todd Architects (KKT) have unveiled concept plans for the Oklahoma Weather Museum in ‘Tornado Alley’ Tulsa, US. The structure, standing at 250-300ft tall, (76-90m) tall, takes design inspiration from a hurricane and has aptly been dubbed ‘Tornado Tower’. The top-heavy spiralling tower would be clad in glass with perforated metal panels, using LED lighting to accent sections and make it appear to rotate. Originally envisaged to house

Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) looks to be reconsidering plans by David Morley Architects for the £200m redevelopment of the Nursery End at Lord’s cricket ground in London, with members seemingly more focused on a £200m redevelopment of the ground’s south-west corner and Warner Stand. Members will vote on the £21m regeneration of the 60-year-old Warner Stand in September, with the development featuring a semi-translucent roof on a new 2,922-capacity stand,

The City of Vienna has announced a two-stage design competition for the expansion and modernisation of the Wien Museum in the Austrian capital. Designed by the architect Oswald Haerdtl in the 1950s, the Wien Museum is situated on Karlsplatz in the centre of Vienna. The structure has been largely untouched for 30 years, save for a partial renovation in 2000 when the central courtyard was roofed over. As Vienna’s key

International architecture practice Populous have been selected to design the £90m (US$135m, €119m) Bristol Arena in the south-west UK city. The winning team, comprising of Populous (with Feilden Clegg Bradley, BuroHappold and Vanguardia) has been selected from a shortlist of five to design the 12,000 seat multi-use venue. In a statement, Bristol mayor George Ferguson said: “The Populous team presented an innovative design. The new arena shone out as the

Auction house China Guardian has commissioned Büro Ole Scheeren to design its new home. Far from being simply a headquarters, the Guardian Art Centre will include a museum, courtyard, the auction house, event space, an 120-room hotel and several restaurants. Construction is now underway on the mixed-use cultural complex, close to the Forbidden City in Beijing, China. Beijing Institute of Architectural Design (BIAD) is also working on the project, which

After much anticipation, Wandsworth Council has revealed the four design teams to be shortlisted for the Nine Elms Bridge Competition in London, UK. With more than 70 entries submitted for the Nine Elms to Pimlico Bridge competition, teams were asked to design a proposal for a new pedestrian and cycle way over London’s River Thames. The four shortlisted design teams are as follows: • Buro Happold Limited – with Marks

James Corner Field Operations (JCFO) has been picked to design the Miami Underline, a 10-mile corridor running below Miami-Dade’s Metrorail. The Underline will be a linear park from Miami River to Dadeland South Station. The project will feature a cycle path/ pedestrian walkway and provide hundreds of acres of green space for public use. Aiming to encourage healthy lifestyles, The Underline will provide an easily accessible place to exercise, create

Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners (RSHP) has revealed plans for sibling towers in Colombia’s capital, with more than 10,000sqm (108,000sq ft) of public space connecting them. The project, named ATRIO, is one of the most significant real-estate ventures in Colombia’s recent history. It has two towers, at 200 metres (656 feet) and 268 metres (879 feet) tall, which will be predominantly offices, with some commercial and retail space. However, the

Maison Souquet, a five-star boutique hotel with spa, has opened in the heart of Paris, near the famous Moulin Rouge. Designed by Jacques Garcia and part of the Maisons Particulières Group, the boutique hotel contains 20 bespoke rooms, each as opulent as the next. Garcia’s interiors ooze hedonism and bring the hotel’s legacy into glamorised focus. Previously used as a 'pleasure house' during La Belle Époque, Maison Souquet’s atmosphere remains

Following the $91m (€86m, £62m) renovation of Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum, in New York, USA, visitors are now offered a truly with interactive and immersive experience, entwined with creative technologies. Masterplanned by Gluckman Mayner Architects alongside Beyer Blinder Belle Architects & Planners with Diller Scofidio + Renfro (DS+R) designing the exhibition spaces on the ground, first and second floor galleries – the Cooper Hewitt Design Museum has been completely

The City of New Orleans is currently evaluating private sector proposals for the redevelopment of the World Trade Center building on the banks of the Mississippi. The building has been vacant since the late 1990s and has been subject to three previously unsuccessful redevelopment attempts. Two Canal Street Investors, a finalist for the redevelopment, has unveiled designs for Tricentennial Tower, a 320ft (98m) observation tower and vertical gondola ride –

Kuwait’s leading mixed use property developer, Tamdeen Group, has announced US$700m (€661m, £472m) plans for the Al Khiran project, located in Sabah Al Ahmed Sea City, Kuwait. Al Khiran will be an an eco-friendly, recreational, residential and retail waterfront development. The resort-like project will spread along 350,000sq m (3,800,000sq ft) and it’s hoped it will become a key tourism driver for Kuwait. Although situated on the waterfront, the heart of

Following an epic week at MIPIM, the 25th MIPIM Award winners were announced last night- 12 March. Leisure architecture once again proved to be a frontrunner, with five leisure buildings being recognised. •Center Parcs Woburn Forest, designed by Holder Mathias Architects, in Bedfordshire UK, won the Best Hotel & Tourism Resort Award. Since it’s opening back summer of 2014, Centre Parcs has been causing a stir in the spa world,

The Corning Museum of Glass in Corning, New York, is putting the final touches to its new wing before its grand opening on 20 March. First announced in 2012, the US$64m (€60.2m, £42.9m) development – by Thomas Phifer and Partners – is made up of a 100,000sq ft (9,290sq m) glass structure, which will house its glass collection of contemporary art and design. The architect’s design is a square, minimalist

MIPIM 2015 has nearly reached its climax and the annual Architectural Review Future Project Awards have been announced. Once again, leisure projects are showcasing some of the best new architecture globally. The overall winner of the Architectural Review Future Project Award was given to the ‘Hanging Courtyards’ The Urban Design of Qing Xiang Historical Cultural Block in Changzhou (China) - Southeast University. The scheme used sustainable techniques as well as

Under the umbrella of Kenya Vision 2030, The DLR Group have released designs for a 30,000 seat stadium for Kenyatta University, near Nairobi, Kenya. Currently at the concept phase, DLR Group have carried out masterplanning, sustainable consulting and architecture services for the scheme so far. Kenya's Ministry of Sports, Culture and Arts intends for 20 new stadia to be built by 2030, and DLR’s proposed scheme fits the bill. Situated