Skyscraper plans for Kingston

A curved glassy skyscraper reaching up to 15 storeys has been revealed with controversial images of what could become Kingston's tallest building.
The ambitious, multi-level building plan for a hotel and flat development on the old EDF Energy power station site in Skerne Road has been formally submitted to Kingston Council, three months after it was first reported in the Surrey Comet.
Its design has been developed in consultation with officers from Kingston Council, the Greater London Authority and the Commission for Architecture and Built Environment.
The site is a 3.5 acre area between Skerne Road, Henry Macauley Avenue and Down Hall Road and the buildings would include 389 flats and a 150-bed hotel.
One of the two curved towers of residential flats would reach to eight storeys at its highest point, and the other tower would reach to 15 storeys. Both towers are raked and become more narrow, meaning there would be only one luxury penthouse flat on the 15th floor.
Philip Trim, managing director of NHP said: "Kingston needs a landmark building.
"It is a very important town, very well known and a huge shopping centre. It lacks a landmark development and we wanted to create something special."
He added: "We think it looks great. The curved beams give it shape and it has a translucent effect. It curves away from Canbury Gardens and is back from the river. It starts at a very low level and closest to Canbury Gardens it is only three storeys."
Mayor of London Ken Livingstone has been encouraging tall "iconic" buildings that would add to London's impressive skyline, and next year could win the power to approve some projects despite local opposition.
This design has similarities to other nearby riverside buildings such as Battersea Reach and the Putney Wharf development.
Local reactions to the Kingston design have ranged from tentatively positive to damning.
Tony Leitch from the Kingston Society said that although members need to see more details, initial reactions were that the building is "glitzy, clich-ridden and exploitative".
“I thought it looked different, very 21st century. It would be good to have a big hotel and try to encourage tourists, and hopefully with the theatre, people will want to stay in Kingston.”
Councillor Geoff Austin.
Mr Leitch said he would approve of a modern building, but said: "We deplore the idea that this development should be described as iconic."
He added: "The housing element at 15 storeys is far, far, too high and is wholly inappropriate, towering over Canbury Gardens and the relatively decent architecture of Canbury Place."
Hugh Scantlebury from the Canbury and Riverside residents' Association (CARA) said it backed the idea of a good quality hotel, but was also unsure of the design.
He said: "A lot of it comes down to taste - I still think it is too high for the location and although I am a fan of modern architecture I almost think it doesn't have enough character to make it stand out.""Brave" design
Town centre manager Graham McNally called the design "brave" but said he was not sure it was right for Kingston.
He said: "I would like to see it in context of the relationship to the river and the height of the railway bridge. Initially it looks somewhat on the grand size for the scale of the site itself."
Councillor Geoff Austin for the Canbury ward said he needed to see more details and there should be public consultation.
He added: "I thought it looked different, very 21st century. It would be good to have a big hotel and try to encourage tourists, and hopefully with the theatre, people will want to stay in Kingston."
NHP had previously planned to build a hotel and flat development on Vicarage Road, but reached a stalemate in June over car parking problems.
This new plan includes underground car parking for 385 cars.
NHP hopes it will be considered by a planning committee in December after an environmental report has confirmed that the old power station site is safe.
If planners approve, building work would start in the spring.