Kingston’s skyline could be transformed if plans for a 22-storey tower block and arts quarter near the Thames are given the go ahead.

The 67m building, planned for Thames Side Wharf, north of John Lewis, would become the borough’s second tallest building, behind Tolworth Tower which stands at 81m.

The plans envisage two main buildings with art displays and cafes at street level, and a public square suitable for concerts and an open-air cinema.

The new arts quarter would be publicly accessible 24-hours-a-day, and run by a committee of stakeholders, including the council and Rose Theatre.

The developers said the slender tower would be an iconic building welcoming people entering the borough over Kingston bridge.

Canary Wharf and the Wembley arch would be visible from the top storeys, but development manager Giles Sequeira said the tower would have little effect on views from Hampton Court Palace or Richmond Hill.

He said: “Achieving the elegance we want, you need to be at a certain height. If it’s shorter, it’s too stubby. If it’s taller, it’s completely too tall.”

Teddington architect Matthew Allchurch said the design has received a mixed reaction from 50 people who visited an exhibition at Canbury Pavilion this week.

Discussions with planning officers are ongoing, but the site is expected to include about 115 flats, with two apartments per floor in the tower.

Mr Sequeira said he expected significant demand from the elderly market and young people, but said the homes would not be suitable for families.

He said the proportion of housing that was affordable had yet to be settled, but it would be provided on the site in a self-contained unit.

The developers plan to submit a planning application in September, and hope to start work by June 2012, to be completed within two years.

The land is owned by Fenwick, which took over the Bentall Centre in 2001.