SimpsonHaugh has designed landmark that is set to be one of ten towers at Kings development
The tower would be a new landmark for Liverpool(Image: UGC)
Designs for Liverpool’s tallest ever building standing at 70-storeys tall have been revealed. Davos Property Developments Limited in conjunction with Beetham Davos Ltd have given the first look at its tower proposed to form the centrepiece of its £1bn Kings project on the city’s waterfront.
The tower, designed by SimpsonHaugh, would comprise a 5-star hotel and luxury residences managed by the hotel operator. The designs, revealed at the MIPIM international property trade fair at a private event for investors and end-users, comes after the scheme’s first tower of 28 storeys, named No. 1 Kings, received consent from Liverpool Council.
The hotel would occupy the first 23 floors of the building, offering 212 high-specification rooms, with the balance taken up by 563 luxury residences. Guest and resident amenities would include bars, restaurants, gymnasiums, banqueting and meeting facilities and a rooftop terrace.
The tower is one of 10 buildings anticipated in the emerging masterplan for the site, which will go out to public consultation later this spring, before an expected planning submission in late summer. The hybrid application will seek detailed consent for layout and site services and outline consent for each building plot and will include residential towers, two hotels, Grade A offices, a new arts venue, shared workspace for start-ups and tech businesses and a range of food and beverage outlets.
Hugh Frost, chairman of Beetham Davos, said: “This will be the scheme’s signature building and is the ultimate expression of our confidence in Liverpool and the council’s backing for our ambition.” He said talks are “well underway” with a global hotel brand to take the whole of the building.
Mr Frost added: “They share our view of Liverpool as outward-looking and international and therefore a good fit for their brand.” In all, the building would provide 924,000 square feet of space, making it the second largest building by floor space in Liverpool, after its famous Tobacco Warehouse.
Ian Simpson of SimpsonHaugh said: “This is a landmark intervention for Britain’s most dramatic waterfront skyline. It is rooted in the city’s architectural vernacular and its maritime history but offers a very contemporary expression of both.
How the tower could look in Liverpool city centre
“The tower’s setting optimises the high-quality public realm around it, whilst the soft corners maximise the panoramic views in every direction. I wanted to deliver a building that not only sat well with its neighbours, but also reflects the ambition of the city.”
Last month, Liverpool Council planners gave consent for a 28-storey tower to be built on a plot within the city centre. Beetham joined forces with KEIE – part of the TJ Morris group which owns Home Bargains – to buy the former King Edward industrial estate on Gibraltar Row on the edge of Liverpool city centre.
Cllr Liam Robinson, leader of Liverpool Council, said it represented “one of the most significant and ambitious projects I believe our city will see this century.”