Chelsea Football Club owner Roman Abramovich is set to realize a three-year dream to renovate a historic property overlooking the Thames - including a new art studio to show off his priceless collection. The 17th century building was once home to artist James Whistler. Now the Russian billionaire, 46, promises to transform its front garden to resemble one of Whistler's paintings of the Thames embankment at night. Kensington and Chelsea council is poised to grant approval next week for a US?$ 15 million scheme to restore three linked Cheyne Walk properties into a super-home. The project, which began in November 2010, has sparked concerns from a number of neighbors who fear they will suffer a loss of light and views and have their homes put at risk by plans to excavate a two-storey basement. According to plans drawn up by architects 6a, Mr Abramovich wants to transform the Grade II-listed property into a "beautiful and meaningful contemporary home". A report by the council's executive director of planning said the basement would not harm the "special architectural and historical interest" of the two surviving houses, dating back to one built in 1521 by Sir Thomas More. The proposal would see a garage block demolished and replaced with a "bespoke" art studio "with a particular focus on the quality of light and display of artworks" for the collection of priceless modern paintings he has amassed with partner Dasha Zhukova, 31. One property would be separated from the main home to create a "secondary building for staff and guests". Grand drawing rooms overlooking the Thames would be restored in the main house, with oaks replacing the lime trees in its front garden. The main property has access via a private side road. Work is unlikely to be finished for three years.

British football club Tottenham Hotspur has released plans for a new stadium designed by Populous. Planned to be built in the London borough of Haringey, the "visually dramatic" 61,000-seat proposal is designed to host both English and American football. If approved, it will feature a state-of-the-art retractable pitch and a 17,000 capacity single tier end stand that will be the UK's largest. The state-of-the-art stadium, due to open in the summer of 2018, will feature a retractable grass field with an artificial surface underneath that would be used for NFL games. This field will be multi-use and capable of hosting other sporting, entertainment and community events. Both sports will have dedicated facilities ensuring that the new stadium, designed with a focus on atmosphere, will deliver the optimum experience for both teams and fans. It will be one of the most environmentally sustainable in the UK and also include a clear focus on accessibility via public transportation. Beyond the field, the new stadium will feature a permanent visitor's center and arrivals hub with an interactive museum to celebrate club history and local heritage, a cinema, the club megastore, ticket office and cafe. At the top of the stadium will be a 40 meters high "Sky Walk" showcasing vistas of London. The stadium is part of the Northumberland Development Project, which will include a new community health center, 180-room hotel and four new residential buildings with 579 apartments designed by Allies and Morrison. New four residential buildings from 16 to 32 stories will offer a mix of 1, 2 and 3-bedroom apartments, including affordable housing. The new development will provide 275 parking spaces for cars and 900 spaces for bicycles. There also will be a 25 thousand square meters of employment space.

Thierry Henry has lodged controversial plans to demolish his US$ 9.5 million north London house and replace it with a larger property - incorporating a 12 meters high fish tank that will cost US$ 400 thousand to build, reported The Daily Mail. Henry wants to rebuild his luxury home - which was completed only in 1999 and is described as one of the finest examples of modern architecture in the UK. Stretching 12 meters from the bottom of his house to the very top, it will take 5.5 thousand gallons of water to fill house 300 fish. The aquarium will actually be made up of four separate tanks, one for each storey of the house. Each will be made of Perspex-like material and will give the optical illusion of one giant aquarium - but will be cheaper to clean, run and maintain than a single tank. Each aquarium will require a filtration system to ensure the water stays clean and fresh. Experts say there are 2 thousand species of marine life suitable for the tanks, ranging from smaller breeds of shark to clown fish, yellow tangs, blue tangs and angel fish. Henry's new home will be taller than the existing one and include a bar, a cinema and a swimming pool. Despite spending at least US$ 3.2 million on rebuild costs, the finished house is likely to be worth at least US$ 16 million. The footballer is keen to highlight the eco-features of the new home, which includes extensive glass paneling to capture natural light and a so-called "biodiverse" roof, which will incorporate plants and trees. The French footballer is the latest in a long line of celebrities including Madonna, the Beckhams, Cher and Premier League footballers Stephen Ireland, Joe Hart and Micah Richards, to splash out on opulent fish tanks. Ireland has reportedly spent more than US$ 160 thousand on his 4 meters aquarium, and is now believed to be planning a shark tank under his kitchen floor. But Henry's super-size version will dwarf them all.