It’s been another busy week in the world of leisure architecture, design, investment and development, and we have reported on some particularly exciting trends and discoveries which will have big implications for the industry.

We covered an important new study into graphene, which found that by using biomimicry this nanometre thin material could be applied in buildings as ‘smart wallpaper’ to generate electricity from waste light or heat, potentially revolutionising how we create buildings.

UK scientists use biomimicry to create light-absorbing,ultra-thin "smart wallpaper" for buildings via @CLADglobal https://t.co/SmQITc9UzT

— S. M. Soleri (@smsoleri) March 1, 2016

We also explored the growing movement towards Conscious Cities – built environments which can identify how we feel through sensors and data collection and respond accordingly to meet our needs – after a major conference took place in London to debate the tantalising possibilities and ethical dilemmas these cities present.

This video from @ipalti makes a very accessible case for @consciouscities https://t.co/HudSKkWcF3 …

— CLAD (@CLADglobal) March 1, 2016

.@ruairiglynn ‘I’d rather make technology more human rather than other way. We shouldn’t dehuamise consciousness, even if ambitions noble.'— CLAD (@CLADglobal) March 1, 2016

Back in the here and now, this week saw the opening of Santiago Calatrava’s World Trade Center Hub after over a decade in development, while another long-gestating project, Jean Nouvel’s expansion of Geneva’s Museum for Art and History in Geneva, received less good news after being rejected in a public vote.

It has also been a big seven days for sports architecture. We had our first proper look at HOK’s design for the New Palau Blaugrana – part of FC Barcelona’s hugely ambitious €600m sports district – and Minnesota United’s Populous-designed football stadium.

Ten things you need to know about the New Palau Blaugrana: https://t.co/v2UkdeYs27 #NouPalau pic.twitter.com/7xpHz5yiJk— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) March 2, 2016

CLAD also broke the news of Grimshaw Architects’ competition win for a horse theme park in South Korea, intriguingly promoted as “an unplugged horse utopia”.

In hospitality design, we reported on the James Beard Foundation’s inaugural restaurant design icon award, which will be presented to the Four Seasons Restaurant in New York; some beautiful design work by MKV Design for a pair of hotels in Baku, Azerbaijan; and exciting plans for a desert oasis resort in Abu Dhabi.

great project https://t.co/L2WJFsh3TY

— Steve Jones (@VentureXtreme) March 3, 2016

Finally, we looked at some smaller fun projects from around the world – including a hotel suite designed like a space ship, a terrifying glass slide 1,000ft in the air and a rail restaurant in a glass-domed carriage.

For more news from sport to spa, hospitality to museums and urban regeneration to health and fitness, you can check the CLADwebsite everyday and follow us on twitter @CLADglobal