Plans for the London 2012 International Broadcast Centre (IBC) and Main Press Centre (MPC) have been given the green light by the Olympic Park Planning Committee. The decision means that Wolverhampton-based contractor Carillion can start construction work on the main structure of the two new buildings within the next few weeks, with work already underway on the IBC and MPC's foundations following the earlier approval of a previous planning application.

The designers for China's new cultural center located in the heart of the city of Shenzhen, southern China, have been selected and will form part of the city's Crystal Island project. The Office for Metropolitan Architecture, in partnership with Shenzhen-based architects Urbanus, were awarded first place in the design competition and will now push forward with their creation of the Shenzhen Creative Center. The centre will be situated within 20-hectare

Manchester City Council (MCC) has announced that it will continue with plans for the restoration of Heaton Hall, Prestwich, despite failing in its bid to secure funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF). The council plans to submit a revised, phased bid for funding early next year after the HLF said that it was unable to provide financial support for the £9.4m restoration of the Grade I-listed Heaton Hall, as

Plans for the £1bn transformation of Coventry city centre may need to be reconsidered after the government announced that the city's 1950s Retail Market has been awarded Grade II-listed status. The market, which was built in 1957 and designed by Coventry City Council's (CCC) Architects Department, features a number of East German murals and has been described as an important part of England's architectural heritage by English Heritage. Deborah Porter,

Colchester Borough Council (CBC) has announced it has appointed the construction company behind the London Eye attraction, Mace Group, to help get plans for the town's new art gallery back on track. The proposed Visual Arts Facility (VAF) is set to provide Colchester with a new purpose-built centre of excellence and innovation for culture, education and learning, and had been expected to open to the public at the end of

A public inquiry has got underway to examine plans for the £150m mixed-use redevelopment of Lancaster's canal corridor, after the scheme was called in by the government earlier this year. The Castle View project, which was given the green light by Lancaster City Council in October, is facing opposition from English Heritage as the proposals include the demolition of 19th century buildings. Proposals drawn up by Centros, the London-based urban

A designer has been selected for the Cairo Expo City project. a new exhibition and hotel complex, being developed by the Government of Egypt. Zaha Hadid Architects won the competition to design the 450,000sq m (4,843sq ft) development featuring 33 storeys with two 1,000-room hotels, conference centre with two 140,000sq m (1,506sq ft)exhibition spaces, an office block and a shopping centre. The government project belongs to GOIEF, which reports to

Plans for a major £330m village development at Forestmill, Clackmannanshire, have been given the go-ahead by the Scottish Government after a public inquiry into the proposals was scrapped. The inquiry was cancelled following the approval of the Clackmannanshire Structure Plan 3rd Alteration, and Fife-based developer Muir Group now expects work to get underway within the next three years. A 100-bedroom hotel, a championship-standard golf course and a housing development are

The City of York Council (CYC) is to decide whether to press ahead with plans for the development of a new multi-million pound community sports stadium. Four options for the proposed venue have been identified as part of an outline business case for the scheme, which will be put before CYC's executive on 23 June and recommends that £100,000 be spent on compiling a detailed feasibility study. Among the options

The flagship spa for the Viceroy Resorts & Residences group has opened in Miami within the ICON Brickell Tower in Florida, US. The Spa at Viceroy Miami has been designed by Philippe Starck and covers 28,000sq ft (2,601sq m). The spa features a 5,000sq ft (464.5sq m) Water Lounge boasting views over Biscayne Bay. Designed to resemble a floating library, the lounge has bookcases, an oversized chandelier and waterborne sofas

A new £8.35m visitor centre has been officially unveiled on the summit of Snowdon, North Wales, to replace a building once referred to as "the highest slum in Britain" by the Prince of Wales. Hafod Eryri, which has been constructed 1,063m (3,488ft) above sea level by Carillion, was designed by architect Ray Hole to withstand a range of extreme conditions, including wind speeds of up to 150mph (241.4kmph) and temperatures

Eclectic Clubs and Bars will open its re-designed Embargo nightclub on King's Road in London later this month, following a £750,000 refurbishment. The interior has been completely redesigned by Julian Taylor, and is described as "opulent with a hint of Cuban fusion", featuring exposed brick and gold floors and ceilings while an illuminated dance floor adds to the 1950s feel. The venue's capacity has also been increased to 300. Eclectic,

A new elevated public park, stretching 1.45miles across New York's disused steel freight railway, has opened to the public. Called the High Line, the park was designed by Diller Scofidio & Renfro and created by landscape architect James Corner Field Operations and runs between Gansevoort Street in Manhattan's meatpacking district to 34th Street. Section one, which reaches 20th Street, is open to the public while the remainder awaits completion. The

Plans for the transformation of the 12.8-acre (5.2-hectare) Chelsea Barracks site in Westminster, London, have been withdrawn by the company behind the scheme, Project Blue (Guernsey) Limited (PBGL). PBGL, which is fully owned by investment company Qatari Diar, has revealed that it will now conduct a "comprehensive review" of the proposals after designs drawn up by Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners were criticised by the Prince of Wales. The residential-led

The respective owners of Villandry and Relish Restaurants, Jamie Barber and Ed Standring, have opened a new joint venture called Villandry Kitchen in High Holborn, London. The sister restaurant of Villandry in Great Portland Street and Bicester Village was designed by Sophie Douglas of Fusion, who was also responsible for the 2005 revamp of the Great Portland Street site. The restaurant will be an all-day café, bistro and bar, and

Architect David Chipperfield has been commissioned to design a new gallery for the Jumex Foundation’s Coleccion Jumex in Mexico. The Coleccion Jumex is run by Jumex, a fruit juice company, and features contemporary art from around the world. The new 4,000sq m gallery will double the site’s exhibition space and will be host to 2,000 pieces of art from the collection. Work is expected to being in March next year.

Imperial War Museum North (IWMN) in Manchester has selected German architects Topotek 1 as the preferred design team to develop the external spaces of the museum. According to Jim Forrester, IWMN director, Topotek's scheme was chosen due to the fact that it best addressed a complex brief and complemented the Daniel Libeskind-designed building. Topotek's design includes "contemplation zones", a new quayside walkway with access across the water frontage; a landscaped

Daniel Thwaites, the Blackburn-based pub and hotel operator, has confirmed that it is considering offloading the Stafford Hotel in central London after receiving offers for the property. The company has owned the hotel, which is operated by its Shire Hotels subsidiary, since 1995. However, Shire Hotels' managing director Antony Spencer has now revealed that Savills has been dealing with a number of prospective buyers. Spencer said: "We have received a

Welsh art group, Coastal Galleries, has announced plans to expand into Swansea with the August opening of a new flagship arts centre at the city's historic Ice House. The group, which currently has showrooms at Narberth and Saundersfoot in Pembrokeshire, has agreed a deal to lease two-thirds of the Grade II-listed building from the Landas Group. It is hoped that a South Wales-based restaurant company will occupy the remaining third

Work on a new £70m University of the West of Scotland (UWS) campus in Ayr is set to get underway in September after the development was given the go-ahead by the local authority. South Ayrshire Council has awarded full planning permission and approved the transfer of land to the university for the new 18,000sq m (193,750sq ft) facility, which will be situated on the Craigie Estate alongside the River Ayr.

Plans for the construction of new multi-million pound entertainment arena in the centre of Leeds, West Yorkshire, have received a boost after the government agreed to help fund the scheme. Yorkshire Forward, the regional development agency, has confirmed that it will invest in Leeds City Council's (LCC) proposals for the 12,500-seat venue, despite concerns that the project will threaten the future of the 13,000-seat Sheffield Arena. Tom Riordan, chief executive

The new Ohio Statehouse Museum has opened to the public at the historic Statehouse building in downtown Columbus, Ohio, US. The 5,000sq ft (460sq m) museum is housed in a purpose-build space within the Statehouse and includes a number of galleries and exhibits telling the history and stories of the state of Ohio. Galleries include the Great Ohioans Exhibit, presenting recipients of the Great Ohioan award on a large touch

The Science Museum in London, UK, is to undergo a £100m modernisation. Designed by Wilkinson Eyre Architects, the designs for the revamp are intended to match with wider plans for the South Kensington area, and will boast a new glass feature called the Beacon on the Exhibition Road façade is intended to "present an exciting new image of the Science Museum as a dynamic and engaging place to visit". The

Fitness operator Club Company is investing £750,000 in the upgrading of its Nizels club in Kent. The revamp, which is designed to make the club more family friendly, will include a refurbishment of the Pulse Bar. A new 240sq m children's area will be added to the bar, while the club's crèche will also be enlarged and refurbished to double its current capacity. Club Company's chief executive, Thierry Delsol, said

The Irish Film Institute (IFI) has announced that work on a major 1.7m euro (£1.5m) redevelopment of its Old Quaker Meeting House premises on Eustace Street, Dublin, is expected to start next month. Plans include the creation of a new 60-seat Cinema 3 in addition to the two existing screens at the institute, which will be equipped with digital projection technology and is designed to help the IFI expand its

Surrey County Cricket Club's (SCCC) plans for the £35m redevelopment of the Brit Oval venue in Kennington, south London, have been approved by the government following a public inquiry. The scheme had been given the go ahead by the London Borough of Lambeth in January 2008, but was called in after the Health and Safety Executive expressed concern over the close proximity to a nearby gasholder. Plans include the construction

Work on the first phase of the £5.5m redevelopment of Durlston Country Park in Dorset is to get underway this summer with the restoration of the Great Globe and other stone inscriptions. Stone conservation specialists Sue and Lawrence Kelland have been appointed to repair and repaint the 40-ton globe, which was first erected during the late 19th century by the owner of the Durlston Estate, George Burt. The next phase