Wuhan, the capital city of central China, could be the home of the world’s tallest pair of buildings by 2018, as part of an ambitious mixed-use scheme.

Chetwoods Architects, a UK based firm, have submitted proposals for the world’s tallest towers and are awaiting final approval from Wuhan’s mayor. The new Phoenix Towers, standing at 3,280ft (1 km) tall, would take up seven hectares of a yet-to-be developed 47 hectare site in the heart of China.

The towers are being billed as a one-of-a-kind tourist attraction, with the aim of setting Wuhan apart from the rest of China. Known as the ‘City of a 1,000 Lakes’, the development will be in tune with the overall landscape and be placed on an island at the end of a 9,842ft (3 km) avenue.

The CH¥12.7bn (US$2.04bn, €1.5bn, £1.2bn) project is in line to be fully commercialised and become a major tourist attraction, targeting locals who have never been abroad. Streets and plazas from all round the world will be built, including a Turkish bazaar and a typical French street amongst others. One of the buildings will have the world's largest kaleidoscope, the other a huge living wall. The two towers will be linked together by ethereal floating bridges.

Wuhan has been designated an environmental city of the future by city and regional governments. In a statement, Chetwoods commented that the development would have numerous eco-friendly aspects, such as “thermal chimneys; suspended air gardens; wind turbines; water harvesting/recycling; waste recycling via biomass boilers and hydrogen fuel cells at ground level. The towers will generate their own power requirement while contributing to the surrounding district.”

The project, it is hoped, will be a catalyst for the city to achieve its environmental goals.