NEWS Leela plans hotels in Nepal as part of Buddhist Trail


Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts has signed a memorandum of understanding with developers Summit Group of Nepal to collab- orate on the fi rst of four hotels to be built across the country as part of a development rollout. The fi ve-star Leela Kathmandu – designed by John Gerondolis of Smallwood, Reynolds, Stewart, Stewart & Associates of Atlanta, US – will be the fi rst hotel created by the partners, to capitalise on tourism in India and Nepal. Leela Group plans to pave a Buddhist Trail


from Nepal to Bodhgaya, Nalanda and Varanasi in India, with the next hotel being built in Lumbini, the birthplace of the Buddha. Another hotel is planned for Pokhara in Nepal. Gerondolis is expected to incorporate the rich


Newari culture into the designs. He has created Leela Palaces in New Delhi and Chennai and is working on the Leela Palace Agra, where every room will have a view of the Taj Mahal. Nepalese Prime Minister, Sushil Koirala, is


urging the Leela Group to establish hotels in other parts of Nepal. Both Koirala and his Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi, are com- mitted to developing tourism. @theleelahotels John Gerondolis is designing Leela Kathmandu, following his success with Leela Channai (above)


Smithsonian in talks to anchor London’s Olympicopolis


The Smithsonian Institute is in discussions with a view to opening its first loca- tion outside the US. The 40,000sq ft (3,700sq m) Smithsonian gallery would be part of the Olympicopolis educational and cultural quarter being developed at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in East London. In September 2014, London mayor, Boris Johnson, launched a design competition for the new £400m (US$650m, E503m) educational and cultural quarter and nearly 1,000 design and architecture fi rms registered their interest. Several high profi le names, including the


Olympicopolis is a major part of London’s Olympic legacy plans for the site at Stratford CLADmag 2015 ISSUE 1


Victoria & Albert Museum, Sadler’s Wells and University of the Arts, London are already involved in the project and £33m (US$50m,E44m) in private contributions have been raised for the proposed Smithsonian, which would anchor the Olympicopolis devel- opment when it opens in 2021. The Smithsonian currently has a total of 19 museums in Washington and New York City, the National Zoo (also in Washington) and nine research facilities around the world. @smithsonian @noordinarypark


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PHOTO: ROBERT MILLER


SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/RON ELLIS


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