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Fashion faux pas? Pierre Cardin's plan to build futuristic skyscraper near Venice 'more suited to Dubai'

A futuristic skyscraper to be built by fashion magnate Pierre Cardin near Venice has been branded 'more suited to Dubai' than the World Heritage city.

Critics claim the 800ft £1.2 billion Palace of Light is too large and vulgar and will have a negative impact on Venice's historic skyline and church spires.

They say that the tower, to be built in Porto Marghera, a former industrial zone a few miles from Venice, will be clearly visible and dwarf the iconic bell tower in St Mark's Square.

The 60-storey building - three shard-like towers connected by six interlocking horizontal discs made of glass and steel - will be double the height.

Mr Cardin, 90, with an estimated fortune of £230 million, designed the Palais de Lumiere with his architect nephew, Rodrigo Basilicati.

He has described the skyscraper as his 'last great project.' It 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 has seen the closure of chemical plants and oil refineries in recent times.

Mr Basilicati said: 'We chose this apparently ugly and difficult location because we hope it will convince people that Porto Marghera can enter a new chapter.'

Luca Zaia, head of the Veneto region, believes 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 the building could pose a problem for planes flying into Marco Polo airport - the destination for millions of tourists every year.

Art historian Tomaso Montanari told the Sunday Telegraph the project was something the 'emirs of the Gulf' would have dreamt up

Mr Cardin,is due to lay the first symbolic stone in September, but is so fed up with the delays he has threatened to take his project to another country.
*Dailymail.co.uk

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Pierre Cardin's Sky Scraper 'Palais de Lumiere'