Latest news with #FosterPartners
Condé Nast Traveler
3 days ago
- Condé Nast Traveler
Abu Dhabi's Long-Awaited Zayed National Museum Is Slated to Open in December
Abu Dhabi's long-awaited Zayed National Museum will open its doors in December. Located at the Saadiyat Cultural District, the museum will tell the story of the UAE, dating back more than 300,000 years. Named after the country's Founding Father, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, it will house many rare artifacts, including one of the world's oldest pearls, discovered in Abu Dhabi, as well as folios from the Blue Quran, and a 60-foot reproduction of an ancient Magan boat, set to be displayed in the museum's atrium. Regular visitors to Abu Dhabi will have witnessed the museum's construction in recent years. The Foster+Partners-designed structure is impossible to miss against the Saadiyat Island skyline, with its five feather-shaped steel structures inspired by the wings of a falcon, the UAE's national emblem.
Times
18-07-2025
- Times
Capella Singapore hotel review: polished serenity on Sentosa Island
Quiet luxury remains all the rage, and this place has it in spades. On top of a grassy hill on the Singaporean island of Sentosa, elegant terracotta-roofed buildings — built in the 1880s and with restored creamy colonnades and lengthy verandas — stand by a lawn where twisty-trunked angsana trees and a spiral steel sculpture are displayed with equal reverence. While nods to its past as a British Royal Artillery barracks remain — sepia photos of days-gone-by gala suppers and help-yourself afternoon sandwiches — it is rich in modern appeal. A looping infinity-shaped wing by the hotshot British architectural firm Foster + Partners gives way to 113 rooms and villas dressed by the interiors maestro André Fu in enveloped-in-the-forest sage shades and mid-century modern curves; buggies whisk guests to a wildly tasty yet unpretentious Italian restaurant by the renowned chef Mauro Colagreco, while three swimming pools inspired by Balinese paddy fields tumble down a hillside. Frankly, what's not to love? Everything is just-so without ever feeling showy and, while kids are warmly welcomed, there's an air of grown-up tranquillity, broken only when oriental pied hornbills crash into the canopy. This article contains affiliate links, which may earn us revenue Score 9/10Views-wise it's impossible to feel hard done by. Bedrooms housed in the sienna balustrade-wrapped contemporary wing, have balconies looking out to gardens filled with rustling grasses and lipstick palms or electric blue pools, some backdropped with a hint of the ocean. Fu's light, contemporary mid-century aesthetic is homely but alluring — plush sand-coloured sofas upholstered in soft flax stand next to an ash wood rocking chair and hand-carved teak bowl. Walk-in wardrobes are hidden behind king-size beds made with Frette linens, while smart oak and rattan-weave drinks cabinets include complimentary Fever Tree fizz and fruit juices. The rooms are among the largest in Singapore (from 77 sq m), with the curtains closed by a no-fuss button touch. The stone-floored bathrooms have double basins, baths and rainforest showers stocked with geranium-leaf-scented Aesop amenities in glass bottles. The set-up of the suites is similar, save for an additional lounge that is revealed by pulling back a theatrical wooden partition. Several villas with one to three bedrooms that are scattered down the hillside sport similar decor and also have petite outdoor plunge pools, indoor and outdoor rainforest showers and alfresco tubs for under-the-stars bathing (the one-bed villas are prime honeymooner territory). There are two grand heritage manors that tend to be taken over by visiting celebs, who the amiable staff are too discreet to name, of course. Score 10/10Colagreco's Fiamma brings a taste of la dolce vita to Sentosa, in a timber-beamed space decorated with a bronze-cast chandelier, Portuguese marble and a wood-fired pizza oven. For breakfast the 'semi-buffet' spread means that you can order from a menu featuring dishes such as buttermilk vanilla pancakes, onsen eggs with kaya (coconut jam) toast, Singapore laksa and avocado toast, plus help yourself to fruit, salad, cheese and freshly-baked pandan swirl brioches and even bloody marys — it offers plenty of what you fancy without feeling excessive. Roaming staff pass by tables with matcha-turmeric-lemon wellness shots for extra pep, while myna birds and peacocks strut past tables on the 30m terrace. Lunches and dinners are rooted in just-like-nonna-made recipes with modern twists — think burrata with apricot and pistachio, pesto trofie, grilled fish and, the star dessert, tiramisu. The heritage wing's Fu-designed Cassia is a more formal, white-tablecloth affair where glammed-up guests feast among lacquered screens and latticework lanterns on Cantonese crystal dumplings, double-boiled chicken soup and poached peach in osmanthus. Sundowner spots are plentiful — try the Siloso Sours on the terrace of Bob's Bar or opt for rum, cherry and pineapple Scarlet Rouges with card games in the convivial Pineapple Room. Still peckish? Complimentary sandwiches and nibbles arrive in the living room mid-afternoon. • Discover our full guide to Singapore• More of the best hotels in Singapore Score 10/10The scene-stealing, three-tiered, lava-stone swimming pools cleverly separate different guest categories — the top level infinity-edge adults' pool is a hit with blissed-out honeymooners, the middle level is a family affair and below is a slender adults-only lap pool. A bucket sunhat and staff appearing with icy mango slushies make pool time really feel as though you've hit the holiday jackpot. The Auriga spa is equally appealing; follow a curving path — in which sculptural shoals of koi carp appear to swim from the walls — to a zen space where tailored 90-minute massages, vibrational therapy and treatments inspired by the lunar cycle take place. Leave time to make the most of a bubbling vitality pool, sauna and steam rooms, as well as mindful colouring books and mini zen gardens to rake while nibbling sesame-tahini cookies and sipping rose-infused tea. There is also a gym, fussball and pool tables, on a veranda in the heritage wing, and a schedule of workshops from sunrise yoga to scavenger hunts to keep the whole family entertained. Score 9/10The Capella is conveniently close to the entry bridge for Sentosa, making it a strong choice for those keen to have a calm base to explore the city, about ten minutes' drive away, and the buttery sands of Palawan beach, which can be accessed in ten minutes via a footpath leading down from the hotel. As for exploring, free island-wide shuttles and trains mean that most attractions can be reached in under 25 minutes — be that theme-park hotspot Resorts World, Sensoryscape's light walk or the Merlion cable-car stop for rides to the zip lines and bars at Siloso beach. The hotel's clued-in 'Capella culturists' can arrange pretty much anything, from mahjong sessions (an absolute hoot) to street art tours combining dosas in Little India with mural-adorned laneway explorations or rounds at one of the two championship golf courses on Sentosa. Price room-only doubles from £832Restaurant mains from £26Family-friendly YAccessible Y Ianthe Butt was a guest of Capella Singapore ( • Best things to do in Singapore• Best serviced apartments in Singapore
Daily Mail
17-07-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Man United 'to open new £50m training ground - featuring a Premier League-first in-house barbers - in WEEKS' as Red Devils finally address Cristiano Ronaldo concerns
Manchester United 's new £50million training ground complex is set to open next month once the club are back from their pre-season tour of the United States. Ruben Amorim 's side have been using academy facilities since the Portuguese's appointment and for the last year after their Carrington base was gutted ahead of a major revamp. According to The Times, facilities away from football have been included in a bid to help performance, including a barbers and other recreational areas. If a barbers is indeed included, it will be the first known facility in the country to contain one. It's reported that several seats and equipment will be provided, though it's unclear if a barber will be provided of if players can take their own. Behind the idea is to encourage players to stay at their training base for longer periods of time instead of rushing home. A high-class canteen is also thought to be included. Commissioned to work on the project was Foster + Partners, led by Manchester architect Norman Foster, in a bid to create an environment for under-performing players. Foster is also the man leading the project behind a potential new stadium for Manchester United. Though no pictures have been obtained, there is said to be more than one floor at the new-look Carrington, with the ground floor employing a flow system that sees players visit the changing rooms, gym, pool and medical and massage areas in the 'right' order before football training. State-of-the-art cryogenic chambers are said to have been put in, with gym facilities upgraded. United have also addressed an issue that Cristiano Ronaldo pointed out during his second stint at the club. When he arrived in 2021, the Portuguese noted that the pool was the same one he had used during his first spell between 2003 and 2009. Owners Ineos are said to have accepted that the pool needed an upgrade, and it has now been remodelled. Staff are reported to have complained that areas were too dark, so more windows are said to have been installed in the bottom floor corridor after it was likened to a hospital. The second floor is also said to be more open plan with fewer offices and more senior figures taking base at Carrington rather than Old Trafford with the view of making the training ground the base of the club operation. United will return from the States on August 4, where they will take on West Ham, Bournemouth and Everton. After that, they will host Fiorentina in their final pre-season match before the start of the Premier League campaign. They will also face Leeds in Stockholm on Saturday, with their first league match against Arsenal on August 17. In terms of a new stadium, United will attempt to build a stunning, 100,000-capacity new Old Trafford under a vast 'umbrella' – complete with a public plaza twice the size of Trafalgar Square and their own version of Wembley Way in a breathtaking 'city of the future'. Sir Jim Ratcliffe has vowed to deliver 'the world's greatest football stadium' and Mail Sport shared the staggering plans drawn up by renowned British architect Foster, which include a cheeky nod to Manchester's infamous climate. Three giant towers, inspired by the Red Devils' trident, dominate the skyline and effectively hold up the 'umbrella' - a sweeping glass and steel canopy above that will keep fans dry inside and outside what would be comfortably Britain's biggest stadium. A huge wraparound scoreboard also features, along with a three-storey museum and canal-side restaurants as part of a vast fan village in a project Ratcliffe says will 'preserve the essence of Old Trafford… while transforming the fan experience only footsteps from our existing home'. Man United have also ambitiously proposed that the stadium, which would become the largest covered space in the world, will be completed within a timeframe of just five years.
The Sun
17-07-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Man Utd's new £50million training ground to have barbers and swimming pool after Cristiano Ronaldo complaints
MANCHESTER UNITED'S swanky new £50million training ground is set to open next month - and players will be treated to their very own BARBER SHOP. The Red Devils are pulling out all the stops to catch up to their rivals after Cristiano Ronaldo blasted the club's "stagnant" infrastructure during his second spell. 7 7 7 7 And with Sir Jim Ratcliffe taking on Ronaldo's words of wisdom a year ago, the five-star sporting complex will be ready to welcome back Ruben Amorim 's squad from their pre-season tour of the United States in August. The plans were drawn up by Ratcliffe's pals at Foster + Partners, who have also been brought in to build United's new 100,000-seater Wembley of the North by 2030. Meanwhile, Amorim and his players have been using academy team facilities over the past year while the two-tier first team building at their Carrington training ground was renovated. United are yet to publicly reveal images of the facility, but The Times report that it contains state-of-the-art equipment designed to help performance. Supposedly cash-strapped United funded the upgrade through Ratcliffe's £236million fresh capital investment to improving the club's infrastructure after purchasing a 27.7 per cent minority stake. Upstairs, there will be a recreational area for players to relax and they can also have their hair cut in a specifically-designed barbers room. It is believed to be the first training ground in the UK with a dedicated barbers. It remains to be seen whether United will employ their own club barber or allow players to bring in their own. 7 The idea behind having a barbers, a top-class canteen and new swimming pool at Carrington is to persuade the players to stay for longer, and not dash off home as soon as training is over. Team bonding is a must for Amorim, who hasn't enjoyed the summer reset he was hoping for, with several stars, including Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho, still needing to be sold before next season. Juventus want Rashford! On the ground level, a flow system has been introduced that means the players visit the changing rooms, gym, pool, and medical and massage areas in the right order before they head out on to the pitches for their training session. State-of-the-art cryogenic chambers have been installed at Carrington and gym facilities have been upgraded. After returning to the club that made him in 2021, Ronaldo pointed out that the swimming pool was the same one since he left for Real Madrid in 2009. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner complained that "loose, chipped and missing tiles" within the pools were a safety hazard - and refused to use them. Senior figures felt the criticism was harsh, but Ineos accepted that the pool needed a revamp. 7 7 Windows have been installed in the corridor on the bottom floor because staff complained the areas mimicked a dingy NHS"hospital". Ineos also wanted the offices on second floor to be open plan, which is designed to improve collaboration between departments. The idea is that the training ground will become the club's base of operations, with several senior members of departments other than football, such as commercial, to be transferred from Old Trafford. In 2023, the club opened the £10million building shared between the women's and academy teams, which has been the temporary home of Amorim's squad during works to the first-team building. Ratcliffe's sporting director and right-hand man Sir Dave Brailsford had a huge input into the project, visiting similar facilities at American football teams. Collette Roche, United's chief operating officer, was in overall charge of the project. Carrington was a modern complex when United moved there in 2000 after leaving their former training ground The Cliff. But it had rotted away which is why some staff thought Ronaldo had a point when he said that it had 'stopped in time' after his return to United.
Times
17-07-2025
- Business
- Times
Man Utd's £50m revamped training ground has its own barbers
Manchester United's new £50million training ground, complete with its own barbers, is set to open next month when Ruben Amorim's squad return from their pre-season tour to the United States. Amorim and his players have been using the facilities of the academy teams over the past year because the two-tier first team building at their Carrington training ground has been gutted and refurbished based on plans drawn up by the architects Foster + Partners, who have also designed a proposed new 100,000-seat stadium for the club. United are yet to publicly reveal images of the facility, but The Times has been told that the ground floor of the building, which can only be accessed by first-team players and support staff, contains state-of-the-art equipment designed to help performance. Upstairs, there will be a recreational area for players to relax and they can also have their hair cut in a specifically-designed barbers room, which has a number of seats and hair-cutting equipment. It is believed to be the first training ground in the country with a dedicated barbers. It remains to be seen whether United will employ their own barber or allow players to bring in their own. In recent years, some hair stylists have become famous on social media for cutting players' hair at their multimillion-pound mansions. The idea behind having a barbers, a top-class canteen and other recreational areas at Carrington is to persuade the players to stay at the facility for longer, and not dash off home as soon as training is over. Ineos, the club's minority shareholders, commissioned Foster + Partners, led by Norman Foster, the Manchester architect, to build a complex that would create a better environment for underperforming players, as they look to climb the Premier League table after a disappointing 15th-placed finish last season. Sir Dave Brailsford, the Ineos sporting director and right-hand man of the United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe, had a significant input into the project, visiting similar facilities at American football teams. Collette Roche, United's chief operating officer, was in overall charge of the project. On the ground level, a flow system has been introduced that means the players visit the changing rooms, gym, pool, and medical and massage areas in the right order before they head out on to the pitches for their training session — Liverpool's training ground has been designed in a similar manner. State-of-the-art cryogenic chambers have been installed at Carrington and gym facilities have been upgraded. After returning to the club in 2021, Cristiano Ronaldo pointed out that the swimming pool at Carrington was the same one he used during his first spell at United, from 2003-09. Senior figures felt the criticism was harsh, but Ineos accepted that the pool needed improvement and it has been remodelled as part of the revamp. Windows have been installed in the corridor on the bottom floor because staff complained the areas were dark and dingy. Some likened the corridors to those in a hospital. Another of Ineos's gripes centred on the fact that there were so many offices on the second floor of the building, so the new building is open plan, which is designed to improve collaboration between departments. Some senior members of departments other than football, such as commercial, will be transferred from Old Trafford to Carrington. The idea is that the training ground will become the club's base of operations. After buying a 27.7 per cent stake in United for £1.3billion last year, Ratcliffe, the Ineos chairman, vowed to spend an additional £237million on infrastructure. In 2023, the club opened the £10million building shared between the women's and academy teams, which has been the temporary home of Amorim's squad during works to the first-team building. Carrington was a modern complex when United moved there in 2000 after leaving their former training ground, The Cliff, but it has looked tired of late, which is why some staff thought Ronaldo had a point when he said that it had 'stopped in time' after his return to United. Those behind the revamp acknowledged that United had fallen behind the likes of Manchester City, Liverpool, Leicester City and Tottenham Hotspur, who have all opened hugely impressive training grounds in recent years. Workers are now putting the finishing touches to the building and it is expected to be open and ready for Amorim's squad when they return from their three-match tour to the US on August 4. Five days later, they play their final pre-season friendly of the summer against Fiorentina at Old Trafford.
