The Rezidor Hotel Group has revealed that the 138-room Hotel Missoni Belek, Antalya, Turkey is to open in 2013. The Hotel Missoni brand debuted in 2009, with each hotel being personally designed by Rosita Missoni of the Missoni fashion house. The first property opened in Edinburgh, Scotland, and others are under development in Kuwait, Oman and Brazil. Hotel Missoni Belek, Antalya - with 110 guestrooms and 28 villas - will

Plans for the £75,000 installation of new gates at the Grade II-listed Roker Pier in Sunderland have been given the green light. The project, designed by artist Fiona Herron, forms part of Sunderland City Council's (SCC) £1m bid to overhaul the seafronts of Roker and Seaburn. Scheduled to commence in March 2011, it is hoped the installation will improve the appearance of the pier. The design was chosen following an

A 200-bedroom, 22,000sq m luxury hotel is being planned for the Borjomi-Kharagauli National Park in Abastumani, Georgia. Located on the southern slope of the Meskheti Range, the Aghobili Hotel has been designed by Danish firm Henning Larsen Architects in collaboration with consulting engineers Buro Happold. Aghoboli, which will integrate part of an existing hotel, will also boast conferencing facilities, a spa with mineral water pools and a swimming pool. Anders

Work is to start on a £5m redevelopment of the Ashmolean Museum's Egyptian galleries after the plans were approved by Oxford City Council. Rick Mather Architects are behind the designs, which will see the existing ground floor galleries transformed. Beard Construction will deliver the work. The project - backed by Lord Sainsbury's Linbury Trust - will also include the creation of a fifth gallery in a space currently occupied by

The new £21m Robert Burns Birthplace Museum (RBBM) has been unveiled by the National Trust of Scotland (NTS) in Alloway, Ayrshire. A 500sq m (5,382sq ft) exhibition space includes four areas - Identity, Inspiration, Fame and Creative Work - to explore the bard's life. The museum, which replaces the former Burns National Heritage Park, brings together a number of sites in Alloway with a connection to Burns. NTS has worked

Outline plans for a new £8.5m swimming pool at Blackbird Leys, Oxford, have been put to residents as part of a new council-led public consultation. Members of the public will be able to comment on the proposals at a number of OCC-run leisure venues until 17 December. Facilities mooted as part of the FaulknerBrowns Architects-designed complex include an eight-lane, 25m swimming pool with moveable floor and a teaching pool. 'Fun

Plans for a new £13.6m multi-purpose leisure facility to replace the fire-damaged Afan Lido venue in Port Talbot have been unveiled by the local authority. Neath Port Talbot Council (NPTC) confirmed that the leisure part of the proposed complex is to be run in partnership with Celtic Community Leisure. Facilities at the Holder Mathias Architects-designed centre will include a 25m swimming pool; a learner pool; a sports hall; a fitness

Euro Disney and Groupe Pierre & Vacances Center Parcs have unveiled Les Villages Nature de Val d'Europe (Villages Nature), their new sustainable vacation destination concept. Central to the concept - which envisages 90 per cent of the resort retained as green space - is 'harmony between man and nature', reflected in both the accommodation and the activities offered. The latter would focus on gardening, boating, hiking, horseriding and walking. The

A new beachfront spa is to be created at the independently owned Le Sereno hotel on the Caribbean island of Saint Barthélemy as part of a wider US$10m (£6.4m, EUR7.7m) investment plan. The Spa at Le Sereno is being developed in partnership with product house La Ligne St Barth and is set to incorporate a mixture of indoor and outdoor spaces. Two individual spa suites; a couple's suite; and a

Bangor University's (BU) plans for the development of a major new arts and innovation complex have received a £27.5m boost. The Welsh Assembly Government and European Regional Development Fund will help fund the £35m Pontio project, which will provide a "major focus" for Welsh culture. Due to open in early 2013, the proposed complex has been designed by consultants Atkins, Arup and Grimshaw Architects. Facilities will include an Innovation Hub;

The Royal B.C. Museum in Victoria, BC, Canada is seeking approval for the rezoning of its current site as the first step in a major redevelopment scheme. At the moment, the site is zoned for residential use and a new Comprehensive Zone, with an expanded boundary, could be tailored to the potential needs of the museum for the foreseeable future. The museum has the care of more than seven million

More than one million Lego bricks have been used to construct a new children's centre in Hillingdon, West London, which opened on 19 November. Legoland Windsor modellers and WHAT_architecture worked with Hillingdon Council to build the Cowley St Laurence facility. Children using the venue will be encouraged to use natural resources to play, while services will also include parenting support and financial advice. Hillingdon Council cabinet member for education and

Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group has completed work on a refurbishment of the spa facilities at its property in Miami, US. The remodelling of the spa, which was carried out to help mark its 10th anniversary, has been designed by Robert D Henry Architects. A spa welcome reception and a retail boutique form part of the venue's public areas, while the private areas incorporate separate relaxation lounges for men and women.

India-based Taj Hotels, a subsidiary of the Indian Tata Group, has reopened Falaknuma Palace in Hyderabad, India, as a luxury spa hotel. Originally built in 1884, the former royal residence is spread across 32 acres of gardens and has undergone a 10-year restoration. The palace offers 60 luxurious rooms, a 10,000sq ft (930sq m) Royal Jiva-branded spa, two restaurants and an outdoor pool. The initial design of the Spa was

Club Elyspa in Sidi Bou Said, Tunisia, has opened its doors. The site is regarded as the most exclusive wellness spa in North Africa and is owned by the Tunisian royal family. The clientele at the 1,395sq m club reads like a who's who of Tunisian high society, including politicians and music stars. No official figures are available but industry insiders estimate that the building, constructed using only high quality

England women's footballer Sue Smith has helped officially launch a new £3.7m sports hall at Chipping Sodbury School in Gloucestershire. Designed by South Gloucestershire Council (SGC) in-house architect Nicole Muller, the facility has been delivered by Surrey-based Wates Construction. A 3G artificial pitch also formed part of the scheme, which has been funded by the local authority (£3m) and the Football Foundation (£630,000). SGC executive member for children and young

Emil Galasso, vice president and co-owner of the Howe Caverns visitor attraction in Cobleskill, New York, has unveiled plans for a new park at the site. A major component will be Dinosaur Canyon, a walk-through outdoor attraction offering visitors the opportunity to interact with prehistoric giants. Howe Development, which is handling the expansion, will work with Garner Holt Productions to complete the concept design and take the project through installation.

Emirates Sunland Group (ESG) has announced that its AED2.3bn (€480m, US$630m, £402m) Palazzo Versace Dubai is now 80 per cent complete. The luxury hotel will boast 169 private residences and 213 super-luxury hotel suites, with a range of furniture and furnishings exclusively designed by Versace. Facilities will include a Salus Per Aquum-branded luxury spa, health club, ballroom, restaurants and convention facilities and Versace boutique, all set in landscaped grounds. The

Tate has announced that work on a £45m scheme to transform its original London gallery - Tate Britain - is to get underway in February 2011. Designed to help conserve the Sidney Smith-designed building,, the scheme will also entail a major upgrade of the the Grade II*-listed attraction's galleries. Caruso St John Architects' plans include the reconstruction of nine galleries in the southern part of the building and the revamp

Communities secretary Eric Pickles has approved developer Peel Holdings' plans for the £4.5bn transformation of Wallasey and Birkenhead Docks. Wirral Waters is one of the largest planning applications in the UK and was given the go ahead by Wirral Council in August, but had to go before the government. However, Pickles' decision to opt against calling in the scheme for further review means that a public inquiry will not be

The Oregon-based SRG Partnership is to lead a team tasked with developing a 25-year master plan for Oregon Zoo. SRG, together with CLR Design and Atelier Dreiseitl, will spend a year evaluating operations at the zoo and creating a master plan for projects funded by the US$125m (£80.5m) zoo bond measure passed in 2008. The plan is expected to be completed by the autumn of 2011. Ahead of the zoo

Outline planning permission has been granted for the development of a new £55m golf, hotel and residential development near Broughty Ferry, Dundee. Local entrepreneur Mike Forbes' proposals for The Angus, which have been drawn up by architects Archial, have been given the green light by planning officials at Angus Council. An international competition-standard, 18-hole championship golf course designed by Darren Clarke is at the heart of the scheme, along with

North Tyneside Council (NTC) has unveiled a new £1.2m sports pavilion at Forest Hall in order to replace an outdated timber community centre. East Palmersville Sports Pavilion - designed by _space group and project managed by Kier North Tyneside - will be used by Forest Hall Young People's Club. Facilities include six changing rooms; two officials rooms; a first aid room; a multi-purpose activity hall; and storage space. A floodlit

Oxford University's plans for a major overhaul of its Iffley Road sports complex have been given the green light by Oxford City Council. FaulknerBrowns Architects are behind the design of the multi-million pound project, which is set to include the demolition of the existing grandstand. A lower grandstand will be built to accommodate an indoor cricket school, a projectiles range, spectator seating and changing rooms. Meanwhile, a one double-sized and

Salford City Reds rugby league team has secured a deal that will enable it to use a new £26m community stadium at Barton-upon-Irwell as its home ground. The Super League club has reached agreement with a joint venture between Salford City Council (SCC) and developer Peel to play at the venue, which is due to open in 2012. Meanwhile, construction work on the AFL Architects-designed venue is to start in

Gateshead Council has approved plans put forward by Spenhill - the regeneration subsidiary of Tesco - for the mixed-use Trinity Square development. Designed by 3Dreid, the scheme is poised to deliver a new town square, a student village, 45 retail units and offices, as well as the potential for a hotel. The development is still subject to a legal agreement, although Gateshead Council anticipates that construction work will be able

Derbyshire County Council (DCC) has confirmed that work has started on the creation of a new £1.9m sports hall for Aldercar Community Language College, Langley Mill. Buchans has been appointed to deliver the facility, which was designed by ETC Design and will incorporate four new badminton courts and a fitness room. Changing facilities and two classrooms are also proposed as part of the scheme, which is being funded by the