New tower of glass opposit the golden cross

Funny looking at it in the last image, the Radisson looks so small. Just shows how low-rise the city actually is.

Indeed, but if this goes ahead, along with JR Smart's two 20+ towers and the blades tower in central square, the skyline will start to look a lot more respectable. From certain angles (like from the central link bridge) it is starting to look great already, and will look fantastic when some of these towers go up.

And who knows, maybe this new trend in high-rise building will see even more towers proposed! There's quite a few empty/run-down spaces that will no doubt be built on eventually. The day that Rapport building gets replaced will be a day to celebrate. Such a prime piece of land.

Yes, totally agree.

I'd personally rather the new building respected the ground level and its relationship to the street instead of an unnecessary push for height for the sake of it. I think there are more urban design benefits in that respect which have been missed by the majority of high rise developments along this street, many of which have no active frontage. Walking down this street is quite boring and, I think, an opportunity has been missed to create something a bit more vibrant.

I'd personally rather the new building respected the ground level and its relationship to the street instead of an unnecessary push for height for the sake of it. I think there are more urban design benefits in that respect which have been missed by the majority of high rise developments along this street, many of which have no active frontage. Walking down this street is quite boring and, I think, an opportunity has been missed to create something a bit more vibrant.

Bute Terrace is a boring street to walk down but that's not the fault of the buildings being high-rise but of how their bases relate to the street. If anything the northern low-rise side is duller than the southern side with its three towers. Part of the problem stems from the decision to retain the Victorian municipal gas works (later New college) as a plinth for two of the towers. I can see why it was done but there should have been more effort to work in some additional retail/A3 spaces. It's difficult though, given the width of the street and the volume of traffic, to see how those businesses would be viable at least in the short term.

A little on the subject from the proposal pdf..

"The aspiration for the development is to create a high density mixed development comprised of circa 450 managed student accommodation bedspaces with communal ancillary facilities plus a retail unit at the ground floor level.
The retail unit and student accommodation reception will provide an active frontage to Customhouse Street and Hope Street and create much needed animation to this important junction."

pdf here..

http://www.cardiffwalesmap.com/WatkinJones.pdf

450 units over 35 floors. now arithmetic isn't my strong point but that is around 12-15 per floor. That's quite a lot of units for such a small footprint.

It's bedspaces, so I would imagine 2 x 6 bed flats per floor, not that bad.

It's bedspaces, so I would imagine 2 x 6 bed flats per floor, not that bad.

Not enough though. Surely has to be at least 13 per standard floor, with presumably a lobby and possibly one other floor with less.

If you look at the plans most of the floors have 14 en suite bedrooms.

i see broom cupboards but not bedrooms