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Plans submitted for huge 50-storey skyscraper that will be tallest building in Wales

By Emily Price
An artist's impression of what the new 50-storey tower block proposed for Central Square in Cardiff could look like - Picture: LDRS

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.

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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”.

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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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35 comments

Ian

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.

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Agnes Nutter

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

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Mike T

Comment of the year. Well played.

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Harry

From the ground you can't tell the difference between 30 and 50 storeys.

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Nobby Tart

Swansea has a tall building. Cardiff then has to have something taller.

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Nia James

Yes, they are completely obsessed with everything Abertawe

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Agnes Nutter

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 study but this will happen. Just for about an hour at a time like a massive, ugly, oversized sundial

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Harry

These applications always include daylight analysis. Did you check?

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Robert

So ugly and unnecessary.

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Simon Hobson

No!

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Steve D.

Where's the imagination? For example, other cities have 'green' foliage covered highrises not ugly steel skyscrapers.

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Harry

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.

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Mawkernewek

Looks like the design of the building is inspired by the cells of an Excel spreadsheet.

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Peter Williams

Designed with a ruler

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Mike T

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.

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Arthur

Brown envelopes?

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hdavies15

50 storeys high full of brown envelopes. Lush mun, no wonder the boys and girls at Cardiff Council are salivating.

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In reply to hdavies15

Harry

50 storeys of council tax revenues that will mean the rest of us can pay a bit less.

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In reply to Harry

hdavies15

Not really. Past performance teaches us that the increased revenue will be used for anything other than mitigation of council tax

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In reply to hdavies15

Harry

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.

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Anonymous

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.

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Harry

What security risks do you foresee?

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Steve

Any building should not be visible from any seat within the Principality Stadium

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Harry

You want to demolish Stadium House?

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Mr Ross Rochford

Pathetic. Unless its a much needed hospital

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J Jones

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!

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Harry

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.

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Harry

What happens when a resident makes a noise complaint?

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Mark Barry

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.

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David Carr

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 , this would decrease the traffic and pollution , this Labour council is always on about decreasing . But their ideal solution is to charge the citizens and visitors coming into Cardiff for the privilege . Just another tax to pay . And if they talk about the hundreds of jobs constructing it . Those hundreds of jobs will still be there . Wherever they build it. Maybe it's a disguise for another migrant hotel. Giving our city more no go areas in our city than Manchester or London. ???

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Harry

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?

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jeff lang

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 or whatever the globalists have planned for us next.

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Peter Williams

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.

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Harry

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

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David Williams

Typical Cardiff, gets everything. Nothing for north or mid Wales.. Typical no investment in Wrexham. The South get it all...

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Replying to Mark Barry Cancel

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...

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