A veil of secrecy surrounds proposals to ditch the planned Octopus building at Chiswick Roundabout in favour of a 42-storey 'Gateway' tower.
The controversial Octopus, with its tentacle-like base, was granted planning permission by Hounslow Council in 2011.
But work has yet to begin on the 50-metre office block beside the M4, which was to be cloaked in an LED shroud turning it into potentially the world's most lucrative billboard.
Now the Architects Journal reports the Octopus has been shelved by developers Galliard Group and London and Bath Estates in favour of a 140-metre tower, which would be easily the borough's tallest building.
getwestlondon has made numerous enquiries to the Galliard Group but has yet to receive a response. LOM Architects, the firm reported to be working on the new proposals has also failed to respond to getwestlondon's enquiries.
When getwestlondon approached Make Architects, the company which designed the Octopus, it received a curt response saying it was not involved and it was best to speak to the developer.
A spokesman at Hounslow Council said it had been in informal discussions about a possible alternative scheme but could not give any details of the new proposals or when a planning application could be expected.
The proposed new Gateway Tower building is reported by the Architects Journal to include 410 flats, a 140-room hotel and 4,170 sqm of office space.
The council's vision to regenerate the Golden Mile between Brentford and Chiswick, which was only unveiled last month, clearly includes the Octopus as part of the 'Kew Gate' quarter surrounding Brentford FC's new stadium.
