Designs have been unveiled for a 70-storey tower to form the centrepiece of the £1bn Kings project on the Liverpool waterfront.

The tower, designed by SimpsonHaugh, will comprise a 5-star hotel and luxury residences managed by the hotel operator.

The latest designs come just weeks after the scheme’s first tower of 28 storeys, named No. 1 Kings, received consent from Liverpool City Council.

Demolition works are set to start this spring for Davos Property Developments Limited in conjunction with Beetham Davos Ltd.

Hugh Frost, chairman of Beetham Davos, said: “This will be the scheme’s signature building and is the ultimate expression of our confidence in Liverpool and the council’s backing for our ambition.”

The hotel would occupy the first 23 floors of the building, offering 212 high-specification rooms, with the balance taken up by 563 luxury residences.  Guest and resident amenities would include bars, restaurants, gymnasiums, banqueting and meeting facilities and a rooftop terrace.

The tower will rise to 727ft in height – Liverpool’s current tallest building is the nearby West Tower, developed by Beetham in 2007, which stands at 459ft.

Frost said:  “Only last week it was confirmed that there will be 135 cruise ships visiting Liverpool during the 2026 season.  This number will grow as the new cruise terminal is completed and the landing stage extended to accommodate two ships at a time.

“Demand for the hotel will be driven in part by cruise passengers seeking to start or finish their journeys in the same style and luxury offered on board.”

The tower is one of ten buildings anticipated in the emerging masterplan for the site, which will go out to public consultation later this spring, before an expected planning submission in late summer.

The hybrid application will seek detailed consent for layout and site services and outline consent for each building plot and will include residential towers, two hotels, Grade A offices, a new arts venue, shared workspace for start-ups and tech businesses and a range of food and beverage outlets.