High-rise construction, which in recent years has been associated primarily with Limassol, is starting to gain momentum in the capital of Cyprus.
Projects at various stages of implementation in Nicosia will soon change the face of the city forever.
Nicosia Municipality Urban Development Committee member Chrysanthos Fakas said that the company that manages The Landmark recently submitted two separate applications to the Nicosia Municipal Council regarding the construction of 17- and 27-story high-rises, as well as changes and additions to the existing The Landmark (formerly Hilton).
In addition to the construction of new high-rises, the developer intends to create an underground parking lot for 600 cars on the site of the hotel halls intended for holding conferences and entertainment events, and build new halls for public events above it.
Another application concerns a building called Radisson Blu The Capital, which they want to build in the Palouriotissa, Nicosia, next to one of the main and outstanding landmarks of the capital - the Famagusta Gate.
The project is a mixed type of condo-hotel complex. According to the plan, it provides for the construction of two sections: one for the hotel, the second for private apartments. It is worth noting that recently the Department of Antiquities refused to issue a license to the developer. However, the final fate of the skyscraper will be decided by the Department of Urban Development, which was commissioned by the Nicosia Municipality to study the project.
Commenting on the trend towards the construction of high-rise buildings in Nicosia, Fakas explained that the city municipality, in an effort to limit the increasing outflow of new investments in peripheral municipalities within the capital, prepared in 2016 a development plan for Nicosia, which provides for an increase in the number of new buildings, especially in the city center.
As part of this policy, an impressive number of residential complexes from 4 to 30 floors are being built in the center of Nicosia today.
On the basis of new incentives, due to the increase in the number of residential and commercial buildings, as well as the migration of the population to the center of the capital, the building rate is automatically increased. For the first time, a core of a commercial zone is being created, the border of which runs through Spyros Kyprianou Avenue, Griva Digeni and Makarios, Fakas noted.
At the same time, he stated that "after the completion of road works on the avenues of Makarios, Stasikratos and Evagoros and the parallel construction of several tall buildings, we will see a completely new Nicosia."
Now, in the center of Nicosia, between Foti Pitta and Mikinonn streets, construction of the 22-story Labs Tower is in full swing.
In addition to office space, the building will have 18 apartments for company employees, conference rooms, cafes, restaurants and a fitness center. The approximate cost of the construction of the building (contracted by Zemco Group) is about €25,000,000.
Other significant construction projects include:
- Metropolitan is a high-rise building next to the new Eurobank branch. Construction work will begin soon. The building will have 17 floors and its height will be 66 meters.
- Santa Roza - A 29-storey tower with luxury apartments and offices will be erected on Spyros Kyprianou Avenue. The design for the high-rise building was developed by the London-based architecture firm Atkins. The project cost is 60 million euros.
- Eurobank Cyprus - The Cyfield Group has already delivered a modern building, which is now the headquarters of Eurobank Cyprus. The 16-storey building is located in the center of Nicosia on Spyros Kyprianou Avenue, one of the busiest streets in the capital.
- Asteroid Business Tower is a 14-storey office building located on Limassol Avenue, opposite the GEEF and the Police Department, in the municipality of Aglanzia. The building is owned by BG Waywin.