Disney announces first new park in 15 years, Airbnb bets big on major redesign, and NYCxDesign kicks off with myriad openings, exhibitions, and ICFF. All that and more in this week’s Five on Friday.
Disney unveils plans for Middle East theme park
A rendering of Disneyland Abu Dhabi; courtesy of Disneyland Abu Dhabi Disney/Miral
The Walt Disney Company has announced plans for Disneyland Abu Dhabi, its first new theme park in 15 years and its seventh global resort destination, writes CNN. Located on Yas Island (home to Seaworld Yas Island and Yas Waterworld), the resort marks Disney’s entry into the Middle East and will feature one theme park and multiple hotels, with Miral overseeing development and Disney Imagineers leading creative direction. Targeted for the early 2030s, the park will emphasize local culture and cutting-edge technology, including real-time gaming integrations and a unique waterfront castle design. Abu Dhabi’s strategic location and growing leisure infrastructure influenced Disney’s decision, despite past regional theme park struggles. The announcement comes amid strong earnings, with Disney reporting $23.6 billion in revenue and growth across its parks, streaming, and sports segments.
Airbnb’s $200 million reinvention
The updated app interface for both guests and hosts; courtesy of Airbnb
In late 2023, following Sam Altman’s return to OpenAI, Airbnb’s Brian Chesky experienced a burst of inspiration that catalyzed a major reimagining of his company. Alone during Thanksgiving weekend, Chesky drafted a manifesto to expand Airbnb beyond vacation rentals into a comprehensive platform for real-world services, according to a profile of the CEO in Wired. Now being implemented, the $200 million reinvention includes more than 10,000 vetted service vendors across 260 cities and a relaunch of Airbnb Experiences, offering thousands of curated local activities. Chesky envisions Airbnb profiles becoming digital IDs and the platform evolving into a trusted space for everything from hairstyling to tutoring. Design is central to the relaunch, with collaboration from former Apple designer Jony Ive. Enhanced trust, communication tools, and a deeper integration of AI are also key to the transformation. Chesky sees this as a pivotal moment to reshape Airbnb—and his own legacy—as a platform for everyday life, not just travel.
Inside the high stakes restoration of Hagia Sophia
Inside the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul; photo courtesy of Adobe Stock
Architect Hasan Fırat Diker is leading the restoration of Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia, aiming to preserve the nearly 1,500-year-old structure amid rising seismic threats, reports The Guardian. Originally built in 537 AD under the Byzantine Empire, the Hagia Sophia has endured centuries of damage from earthquakes and successive repairs. Once a cathedral, then a mosque, and later a museum, it was reclassified as a mosque in 2020, prompting criticism, including from Unesco, which called the Hagia Sophia “an architectural masterpiece” and to reclassify it undermined “the universal nature of its heritage.” Diker’s team will address structural vulnerabilities, including fragile joints between the central dome and its surrounding semi-domes, the uneven supporting pillars, and subterranean foundations. With Istanbul situated on active fault lines and recent tremors highlighting the building’s fragility, the restoration is deemed urgent. Though the project has no fixed timeline, scaffolding will allow continued public access, with efforts made to protect both visitors and the historic structure throughout.
What to expect from NYCxDesign and ICFF
The Keff Joons installation from the Brooklyn show in April; photo courtesy of Cj Hendry Studio
In case you missed Cj Hendry’s Keff Joons installation in April, the artist is brining a mini version to ICFF next week, May 18-20th at the Javits Center in New York. Inspired by Jeff Koons but pushing into absurdism, the work features a sprawling inflatable labyrinth of oversized balloon forms in vivid colors. At the Brooklyn exhibit, visitors were able to climb through the structureless maze, which distorts perception and scale in a space that feels part bounce house, part Escher drawing. ICFF also coincides with NYCxDesign festival, which started Thursday, May 15th. Curbed shared its guide on everything from can’t-miss showroom openings to gallery exhibits. Highlights include the debut of Shelter, a Chelsea design fair by Afternoon Light; offbeat satellite shows like Forced Perspective in a Greenpoint radio station; Vitra’s Chinatown showroom reopening; and new lighting collections by In Common With.
AAPI leaders on heritage, authenticity, and representation
William Li moderated the Future of AAPI Representation in Hospitality panel at 53, featuring Nok Suntaranon, Saori Kawano, Mark Yu, and Ellen Yin; photo by Curated Saga
In celebration of Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, a panel at 53 restaurant brought together leading AAPI voices in hospitality for a conversation on identity, authenticity, and representation, writes Hospitality Design’s Stephanie Chen, who attended the panel. Moderated by ELLE Decor’s William Li, with panelists including Mark Yu, Ellen Yin, Saori Kawano, and Nok Suntaranon, the discussion explored how food connects with personal heritage. Authenticity emerged as a key theme, with panelists emphasizing tradition, personal memory, and technique over external expectations. Suntaranon, chef-owner of Philadelphia’s Kalaya, shared how she cooks food rooted in her upbringing, while Yu, executive chef at 53, spoke of honoring legacy dim sum techniques. Yin, founder of High Street Hospitality, discussed how recent events reshaped her understanding of identity, leading to the creation of the Wonton Project to address AAPI discrimination. The conversation closed with reflections on mentorship and the importance of increasing AAPI representation in hospitality.
