The Shacolas group is planning to demolish the DebenhamsOlympia centre in Limassol to make way for the 197 metre high rise Auradevelopment of luxury apartments that will be the tallest in Cyprus.
Shacolas’ Woolworth Properties has already applied for atown planning license for the 197-metre-high tower of luxury apartments throughits subsidiary Limassol Beach & Seaview Properties. A decision will be madeat the municipality’s next meeting.
Last week Interior Minister Constantinos Petrides said thegovernment had issued building permits for 25 high rise buildings in the firstthree months of the year and and that 60 more were pending, most of them inLimassol.
Designed by architects Foster + Partners, the Aura willconsist of 137 two-to-four-bedroom apartments and a five-bedroom penthouse withpanoramic views of the Mediterranean. The building is designed to look like ithangs over its landscaped gardens.
The tallest building currently under construction inLimassol is the One, at 170 metres and scheduled to be completed in 2019. Onits completion it will be the tallest seafront tower in Europe. Trilogy,another high rise development in Limassol consists, according to its developer,Cybarco, of three towers, the tallest of which will be 161 metres above sealevel. It is slated for completion in 2023.
Petrides said there are advantages to high rise developmentsas they leave larger open spaces, and that, contrary to common belief, they donot create a ‘visual wall’ along the sea but afford better visibility thanlower wider ones. Under the new rules, studies of microclimate impact on growthwill be evaluated, in relation to sunlight, shading, airflow, thermal effect,reflections and light pollution and any other studies that may be required inaccordance with environmental legislation.