India’s South City announces Colombo’s tallest residential tower

The Urban Development Authority (UDA) of Colombo, supported by foreign investment, is in advanced stages of developing the shoreline around Beira Lake. Situated in the heart of the Sri Lankan capital, the man-made lake is already surrounded by major productive use buildings such as offices, hotels, shopping malls, apartments, banks and commercial and leisure establishments.

A 10-acre parcel of land originally belonging to the erstwhile Colombo Commercial Company is now being undertaken for redevelopment. Spanning an impressive lakeshore stretch, the waterfront will be converted into an all-pedestrian boardwalk and promenade bordered by fashion, retail, restaurants, spa and entertainment services.

Indocean Developers (Pvt) Ltd, a venture of Indian property group South City Projects (Kolkata) Pvt. Ltd. (SCPKL), has acquired two acres of this land to build a high end, eco-friendly 65-storey condominium tower.

The exclusive residential tower is looking to target expatriates, non-resident Sri Lankans and HNIs among others. In-house facilities will include a swimming pool, gym, lounge, function room, play area for children, tennis courts etc.

Located opposite Beira Lake, the 400-apartment development with top-of-line finishes, by Indocean is expected to be launched shortly, with piling work commencing in August.

It has already created extensive interest in Sri Lanka’s real estate and HNI circles.

Kolkata-based SCPKL, established in 2000, is one of the largest property groups in India. SCPKL has an impressive track record developing large-scale residential and commercial projects, including the record-making, tallest South City residential tower in Kolkata, and the South City shopping mall covering one million sq.ft, the largest mall in the country, also in Kolkata.

In addition, the company has built numerous IT Parks, industrial estates and townships in Chennai, Hyderabad, across Gujarat and in Kolkata.

In their first overseas venture, SCPKL has commissioned world renowned architect Moshe Safdie and his team at Safdie Architects to design an iconic residential tower.

At 65-storeys the building will be the tallest in Colombo, and is to be Moshe Safdie’s first project in Sri Lanka.

Moshe Safdie doesn’t need much of an introduction. Among the recent ‘creations’ by theversatile architect, urban planner, educator, theorist, and author is the much-admired Marina Bay Sands Integrated Resort in Singapore. A building which has not only defined the country’s skyline but also has substantially increased visitor arrivals to the island-nation, thereby giving the economy a great boost.

The mixed-use project is recognised by its 57th floor SkyPark with its 150-meter infinity swimming pool, Observation Deck and restaurants.

Besides this, of the almost 100 projects Safdie has done across the globe to date, some currently under construction, a few noteworthy recent ones include Khalsa Heritage Memorial Complex in Anandpur, Punjab, the national museum and heritage centre of the Sikh community in India; the United States Institute of Peace Headquarters in Washington, DC.; Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas; and Golden Dream Bay, a residential and retail complex in Qinhuangdao, China.  

Safdie first caught the world’s attention at the very young age of 24 when he designed Habitat ‘67 in Montreal, Canada – making it one of the few ‘timeless’ residential buildings in the world which has retained its popularity even 45 years later.

Safdie Architects is committed to responsible architecture and their projects are known to absorb and integrate the location’s geographic, social, and cultural elements.

Reputed to set benchmarks with each design, the same is expected for SCPKL’s tall tower in Colombo.