Plans submitted for huge 50-storey skyscraper that will be tallest building in Wales
Ted Peskett – Local democracy reporter
Plans for what will be the tallest building in Wales have taken a major step forward after the firm behind the scheme submitted a planning application.
REAP 3 Limited, a subsidiary of Bluecastle Capital, launched a pre-application consultation document on its plan for the 50-storey Cardiff skyscraper, proposed for land at Central Square, in August.
A full planning application for the development, which will provide 528 flats if approved, was submitted to Cardiff Council in September.
Should permission be granted for the scheme construction could begin in 2026.
A design and access statement prepared on behalf of REAP 3 Ltd also states the building could be completed by late 2028.
Plans were approved in May 2024 for a building at plots four and five of Central Square where this 50-storey tower block is earmarked for.
Design
At the time the scheme by Rightacres proposed 364 apartments and would have measured 35 storeys in height.
It also proposed a separate pavilion building, a public realm, and cycle parking.
The design and access statement for the new proposal states: “Whilst the consented scheme has many positive aspects the submission of a full new application provides the opportunity to improve and optimise key elements.”
It goes on to propose the expansion of amenity provision, improve the character of the building to “provide it with the landmark status worthy of the site”, and enhance the energy performance of the building.
The planning document also states that the developers are proposing to increase the amount of public space compared to what was put forward last time and “create a true destination for the city”.
Skyline
At the moment the tallest building in Wales is the The Tower at Meridian Quay, Swansea, standing at 107m tall.
Cardiff’s skyline has changed dramatically over the past decade.
A topping out ceremony was held in June 2025 for a 30-storey tower block at Guildford Crescent which became the tallest building in the city.
Before this the Gramercy Tower in Curran Road, which is 28 storeys high, was the tallest building in Cardiff.
However it looks as though the Guildford Crescent building won’t be the tallest in Cardiff for long.
Cardiff Council’s planning committee approved plans in October for a 30-storey block of flats at the former site of Harlech Court in the city centre.
If approved the 50-storey skyscraper at Central Square will dwarf both of these.
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I note that the artist’s impression is looking down on and not up to this massive block of flats; it will be 20 storeys higher than anything else in the city.
Indeed. I thought Cardiff was better than erecting penis compensating buildings all over the place. There’s a Vas Deferens between producing new much needed housing for skin t people and selling instead to the well off hoping to se men playing with their balls in the stadium from their landscape windows. I mean come on! Residents are getting shafted. I’ve got these developers pegged! Any planner passing this should prostate themselves and ask for forgiveness
Comment of the year. Well played.
From the ground you can’t tell the difference between 30 and 50 storeys.
Swansea has a tall building.
Cardiff then has to have something taller.
Yes, they are completely obsessed with everything Abertawe
Not that I care, but that is SE of the stadium and even with the roof open, it will throw the field into the shade all morning along with that other one North of it. And in the cooler months throw the outside seating of a number of bars into the shade including (checks Google Maps) Brewdog, Queens Vaults and Zero Degrees in Westgate street and also more venuies in St Mary’s Street (though they might already be in shade from the tall buildings on the Western side anyway. I don’t currently have the tools to do a sun path… Read more »
These applications always include daylight analysis. Did you check?
So ugly and unnecessary.
No!
Where’s the imagination? For example, other cities have ‘green’ foliage covered highrises not ugly steel skyscrapers.
Unfortunately Cardiff is still struggling with the so-called Hadid-effect where residents successfully told the entire global architect industry that Cardiff doesn’t like anything bold and different when they rejected her opera house.
Looks like the design of the building is inspired by the cells of an Excel spreadsheet.
Designed with a ruler
As one commentator has mentioned, a building that just blocks out the sun in a city that is hardly known for its sunshine. Horrendous. What is particularly disgraceful is that I presume all the flats will just be for rent, with the landlord being an international pension fund or similar? No affordable housing either. I just cannot believe this project is even being considered.
Brown envelopes?
50 storeys high full of brown envelopes. Lush mun, no wonder the boys and girls at Cardiff Council are salivating.
50 storeys of council tax revenues that will mean the rest of us can pay a bit less.
Not really. Past performance teaches us that the increased revenue will be used for anything other than mitigation of council tax
Same thing. That extra spending could happen without raising ctax even further, so we are paying a bit less than we would be without the extra revenue.
This is a ridiculous idea, compromising security of a packed stadium and the occupants of the building. There is plenty of other space needing redevelopment in Wales. Really stupid.
What security risks do you foresee?
Any building should not be visible from any seat within the Principality Stadium
You want to demolish Stadium House?
Pathetic. Unless its a much needed hospital
Cardiff now has a uniformity of a maximum 30 storeys, so this carbuncle stinks of the ‘look at me attitude’ trying to overshadow one of the the best stadiums in the world. It may as well have a pink cowboy hat on the top to reflect those fans that have moved in on the rugby.
Restrict the height to the uniform and original 30. But this decision will be made by individuals in Cardiff Council, who hopefully haven’t found a modern replacement to that scheme where they received shares in development companies they were meant to be regulating!
You’re as bad as the Tories making up arbitrary targets. What difference does 30 or 50 storeys make to your life? A better complaint would be about the lack of a Empire State building style public viewing deck because Cardiff looks awesome from above.
What happens when a resident makes a noise complaint?
Looks good to me,…..height is not intrinsically a bad thing, esp if a high-quality design? (and more density is a good thing). If a developer can afford and build a high-quality scheme like this, all well and good. PS if we want more affordable homes (I do) then the public sector needs to step up and build them….the Private Sector will never build out at the scale or price we need to address that market failure.
A blight on the landscape . We are known world wide for being a beautiful small city. A city of sunshine and open spaces. A building of this size is not needed in our city.. besides the city center streets already dealing with traffic chaos. This building will add to it. And a building this size will be blocking out the sunshine for a vast area of the city center. What use is it. We have some beautiful hotels ,that struggle to get filled . Build it on the outskirts . With a much improved train and bus service ,… Read more »
More residential accommodation means more places to live. It will reduce traffic because living centrally means residents can choose not to own a car. Building up means Cardiff can stay a compact city without sprawling outwards. Which green space would you prefer to sacrifice on the outskirts to build these 500 homes?
I’d love to know who the people are renting or buying the hundreds of extremely expensive flats & apartments in all of these tower blocks in the city centre. This isn’t London with a big financial sector. It’s Cardiff, a very small City. My suspicion is that the true purpose of these monstrosity’s has yet to be revealed, and we may end up seeing all of the illegal immigrants currently housed in hotels moved onto them. Or, they will be used to house the thousands of newly unemployed & homeless people after the next financial crash, war, rise of AI… Read more »
When visiting Paris one of the most wonderful thing you notice is the lack of tall buildings/skyscrapers. Pity Cardiff is now putting these up, it won’t be the last I expect.
New York is famous for tall buildings and is rated number 3 in the world vs 19th place Paris.
https://www.timeout.com/things-to-do/best-cities-in-the-world
Typical Cardiff, gets everything. Nothing for north or mid Wales.. Typical no investment in Wrexham. The South get it all…