Design of Bengaluru's tallest tower estimated at Rs 4.57 cr

Bengaluru: Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar’s efforts to erect Bengaluru’s tallest tower has gathered pace as the BBMP has selected a consultant to craft the Detailed Project Report (DPR).

However, the civic body will spend Rs 4.57 crore as against the originally estimated Rs 2.62 crore, given the “complexity of the work”.

Bengaluru-based Designtree Service Consultants Pvt Ltd, which reportedly inked an agreement with Austria-headquartered architecture firm Coop Himmelb(l)au, won the contract to design the project.

The 250-metre tower, designed to be a new tourist attraction, was initially estimated to cost Rs 100 crore, with the BBMP budgeting Rs 2.62 crore for the design alone. However, officials now believe the project could balloon to Rs 350 crore. “Since this is a first attempt in the country, there was no thumb rules to assess the project cost,” they explained.

“It is an extreme engineering endeavour. The tower has a unique and complex architectural design that requires extensive soil exploration and testing, (besides) intricate façade work. Additionally, (installing) a high elevator is challenging due to the structure’s significant height of 250 metres,” the consultant said during the negotiations to reduce the bid amount.

Two options 

After evaluating nearly a dozen large, vacant areas, the BBMP narrowed down the potential homes for the SkyDeck project to two options: the former New Government Electric Factory (NGEF) site in Baiyappanahalli and the property belonging to the Sandal Soap Factory (Karnataka Soaps and Detergents Ltd) near Yeshwantpur.

While NGEF seems like the frontrunner, the choice would depend on approvals to be taken from different authorities given the place’s proximity to the HAL airport.