Preston to have glass 'gateway'

17:08:20 12th August 2008

In the latest in a line of iconic glass buildings to be announced, Preston is to get its very own.

A £20 million glass hotel complex is set to be built on the corner of Corporation Street and Ringway after council leaders approved plans for the building.

It will consist of 52 apartments and 126 rooms overlooking a courtyard and will act as a gateway to the city.

The building is the brainchild of Kibik Design, from Liverpool, which hopes that the building will become an icon in Preston, both during the day and at night when it will be colourfully lit.

It will also contain a restaurant, bar and shops on the ground level and will built on the current site of Fox Street car park.

Cardiff recently unveiled its glazed library, while London's Gherkin building remains an architectural triumph.

The trend for glazed buildings looks set to continue to spread throughout the country with these latest plans showing there is no evidence of the movement abating.