very excited about this project - the latest renders look better than ever, that building would look great anywhere - so glad it'll be looking great here!!

Are there new renders? I cannot see any.

Looking forward to hearing announcements about other commercial operators, particularly the sky-bar/restaurant.

When will the info centre be open? (i.e. what days, times etc)
When you say "limited purchasing" on the apartments - is that because you are planning to phase release or because you have commitments on a significant number of the apartments already?

here

I'm sure Chris won't mind me quoting hi sown site..

sounds goods and looks promising Chris, can't wait to see this one get started

the linking on the site is kinda glitchy...

I must be missing something; I can't see any new renders.

This project really is great though-very exciting.

Christopher, do you know of any plans to improve the links to ISV? I think it's part and parcel of it's success. Specifically I mean rimproving/rebranding Cogan station, and getting water buses to stop at the ISV.

ta

Guys...the new renders have not been released yet. I have some materiality images which may be of interest which we can release. I have no idea how to post them. Can someone do that for me?

Answers to other questions:

- Apartments are limited due to many having been taken
- There is a new river bus stop within the marina to the front of the hotel. The hotel will run a fast point to point and commuter river bus (in addition to the timetabled service) from Cardiff Marina to the city centre and Mermaid Quay etc. So for a rugby match for example, guests can expect a private transit (approx 10 mins) door to door to the Millenium Stadium...or in reverse guests at the skybar can count on a 5 star service beginning from the moment they step aboard the shuttle in the city centre....you get the drift. We are determined to ensure Bayscape is unique in its experience.

Heh Christopher, I received the images below from Alison - hope it's ok to post them...

I will so be aplying for a job there!

A couple of explanations on these images.

The first is one of a series of approx. 8 which illustrate the actual cladding systems that we will be using. The second two are a comparison study with the orginals as the building has morphed slightly to accommodate specific technical requirements of Wyndham and the sky bar operator. The technical team meanwhile are in the process of discharging pre-commencement conditions with respect to planning.

Absolutely stunning.

I can't wait until early next year to see this start.

Have the changes in design affected things like the number of rooms?

It seems that one of the lower blocks to go between the river and the main hotel tower has been deleted from the new design. Has this involved a reduction in floor space or the number of commercial units? Or a reallocation of space?

Was also wondering - whats that building across the road from Bayscape? Its not the back of Toys R Us? didn't think it was so close. Was it your proposal for the Ice Rink?

This is indeed looking good and overall I think it will show how Cardiff is bearing up and also looking to the future. It will certainly put Cardiff on the international map - the services with the boat taxis are a great point cant wait to try it !!!

For those interested there are a few working images at:

http://www.bayscape.co.uk/gallery

The Bayscape website will soon close with a new website (same address) going live at the end of October. This will just be after the opening of the "Information Suite" in October.

Nice one Christopher, cheers for keeping us posted - looking good!!
Just one of the images...

oh my, oh my indeed!

Ah, skyscraper porn at it's best !

The professional team today re-presented to the Design Commision for Wales (DCfW) for a second time ahead of build. Look out for their feedback when published.

Hear's hoping its better than their last response! I couldn't understand the negativity of it.

That looks a damn fine building. Da iawn Bayscape people!

I am really looking forward to seeing how the whole area will now develop as the bar has been set very high for anything that follows.

its not too disimilar to inacity at piccadilly in manchester...ok so its about 30 floors less but its still a mighty fine building.

the failure that was seren will be worth it if this actually comes off. judging by the performance thus far from Chris et al there is no reason to suggest it will not happen.

Despite the height difference, I think the Bayscape tower is the more imaginitive. I very much like how there are few genuinely perpendicular angles in the design; the subtle lean in the tallest facade especially. I think it's top notch - interesting but not overly complex or gimicky. It's certainly the better of any regional Beetham, for instance - and I'm including Manchester here which, despite being very tall, is not a particularly elegant building In My Humble Opinion.

I recently moved to London from Cardiff to do an MSc course, i live close to Euston Tower. The office block looks rather tall and is 124 meters high, this lead me to realise actually how tall the Bayscape tower will be. I don't think the images of basycape really show its height, google euston tower and see what you think!

When can we expect the Skybar operator?

Whens the new website going live (sometime in late October was suggested).

Has anyone heard anything new on Bayscape? seems to have gone very quiet recently. I was told by a representative that the site office would be up and running by October but so far there's nothing just the hoarding around the site.

All is alive and well. New website opening soon and we are still aiming to get building asap in 2011. The overdue announcements are coming too. Full funding circle also effectively squared.

..sorry. I don't live in the UK most of the time

I love it. I hear things like that in meetings all the time..I have no idea what it means, yet I understand it completely!

I don't think Tor does either. Not exactly tricky to understand...

Before I got hooked on mixing concrete I was a management consultant working pretty much all over the world. No doubt it was this that cluttered my vocabulary. I still run a firm in CH. See www.concise-management.ch Plenty more business speak available if you want...but I suspect we all hear it all the time.

Anyway, I need to lift the hood on a few numbers b4 a pre-planning brain storming session. Bye.

We have a different jargon in economics. As well as the technical stuff there is a 'research jargon'. Talk of 'capacity-building', 'interdisciplinary synergies', 'project deliverables' etc. I've been spending lots of time recently on project applications and methodology papers and its full of such speak. So no worries!

It'll be great to hear some news about Bayscape soon though. We're excited to see this physically commence early in 2011. And it would be great to see it shoot up at a rate of knots like the new Maldron hotel in the city centre.

My favorite: we need to synergise backward overflow.

Promise to come back with news soon. As for speed of construction it is difficult to better than a 27 month build. Being a tower you cannot simply swamp it with resource and (which is obvious I know), we cannot make an early start on floor 31 until 30 have been delivered under it! All in all this will lead to the delivery of the residential units in early 2013 and the hotel tower later in the year.

Whilst on the outside it might appear slow we have been running around madly here to get started.

Great news Christopher.

On the subject of office jargon and cheesey talking I heared somebody I was passing say "we'll touch base at the back end of Monday" earlier.

I almost cried with laughter, must have been one of the sales team or a project manager !

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great news chrisopher. although i think you're not trying hard enough by at least not attempting to build floor 31 before all the others are built.

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As it happens, some reasonably high buildings are actually designed this way, with the floors suspended from the top of the building and supported by the central core. When they demolished such a building at 122 Leadenhall in London a couple of years ago (where the new Rogers tower will - hopefully stand) the floors were dismantled from the ground floor up, gradually revealing the core as they went. There's also a famously ugly building on Dame St in Dublin which is designed in the same way. Forget what it's called.

Yes you are right. Bayscape will be a classic concrete core with steel frame (mini shard if you like). Some special bracing will be included within the upper sections of the tower to ensure stability. I might not have bothered but I know you guys will moan if you spill your pints up there!

Quick question...if we were to instal a book ahead private venue champagne bar on the 32nd floor would you use it? Idea is that it would have a collection of tables for reservation.

I'd certainly give it a go, although personally speaking due to financial constraints I can't see myself becoming a regular customer!

There has to be space in the market for such a venture in Cardiff though I'd have thought. It would certainly have a very strong unique selling point. And even if people would only use a facility like that as a 'one-off', at least you have a constantly changing supply of one-offs with a hotel downstairs…

I think a series of targeted invitation events in the bar would help with marketing - I suggest starting with the contributors to this forum… ;)

I reckon a gathering of this forum at this location is an absolute must! then we will all know what the venue is like - I'm positive it's the kinda place I would want to visit for some of those special occasions throughout the year. Not only to have a building that I'm sure we will all be very pleased with but to be able to enjoy it on the inside and at the top - well let's face it, it's an easy sale to us on here!! bring it on!!

re the private champagne bar..Is this the kind of thing people could book out and use, and then head off elsewhere, or something that you would stay in all night?

Either way, if advertised correctly, I think it would do very well.

Yes...our feeling is that at any one time (and not including hotel residents) there will always be a fair collection of people in Cardiff celebrating a business deal, an engagement, wedding or sporting success. This space would be in addition of course to the sky bar and resturant (24th and 25th floor) and the ground floor food and beverage outlets. Key objective we have is to make Bayscape a net destination rather than lose all the hotel residents at meal times (a typical hotel problem).

We recently conducted a survey in Cardiff asking everyone (business leaders and socialites) to name their top 5 bars and restuarants and why. The spaces are being designed in response to this.

Well the market survey strategy seems to be well on course, hopefully this will be a super response to all the expectations - It's a great addition to the city. Having been to many sky-bars in the world there are indeed a lagre number of one off clients in these sort of places but they fail to keep brand loyalty with the all too important local community in using the price and public relations parts of the marketing mix. This might be a bit of a common way of talking about it but i saw in one skybar - i think it was in South America a members card that worked really well - some of my students worked on the project and the bar saw great increases in turnover from local people as they did a sort of whispering campaign to get everyone excited - a leaf out of hagen Daaz communication stategy could be taken here !!

whats the bar in london called, the one overlooking the thames. the big oxo window...that was pre book only when i was up in london, that was always full

OXO Tower