London, July 22 (ANI): Pierre Cardin's futuristic skyscraper near Venice has been branded by critics as "more suited to Dubai" than the World Heritage city.
According to the critics, the 800ft 1.2-billion-pound 'Palace of Light' is too large and vulgar and will have a negative impact on the city's historic skyline and church spires.
They said that the tower, to be built in Porto Marghera, a former industrial zone a few miles from Venice, will be clearly visible and will dwarf the iconic bell tower in St Mark's Square.
The 60-storey building three shard-like towers connected by six interlocking horizontal discs, and made up of glass and steel will be double the height.
Cardin with an estimated fortune of 230 million pounds, designed the Palais de Lumiere with his architect nephew, Rodrigo Basilicati.
The 90-year-old fashion designer has described the skyscraper as his "last great project."
The building will have a helicopter landing pad, apartments, restaurants, nearly 60 lifts and a cinema complex.
Thousands of jobs will be created in an area which in recent times has seen the closure of chemical plants and oil refineries.
"We chose this apparently ugly and difficult location because we hope it will convince people that Porto Marghera can enter a new chapter," the Daily Mail quoted Basilicati as saying.
Luca Zaia, head of the Veneto region, believes that the new building will be Venice's answer to the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre.
But despite getting the go-ahead earlier this year, the tower has already hit snags with Italy's aviation authority claiming that the building could pose a problem for planes flying into Marco Polo airport - the destination for millions of tourists every year. rt historian Tomaso Montanari told the Sunday Telegraph that the project was something the "emirs of the Gulf" would have dreamt up.
Cardin, is due to lay the first symbolic stone in September, but is so fed up with the delays that he has threatened to take his project to another country. (ANI)
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