The design includes affordable housing and a winter garden

Four futuristic towers could change the face of the rundown King Alfred leisure centre in Hove, after councillors opted for designs by renowned architect Frank Gehry on Thursday.

The Canadian is best known for his eye-catching Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain.

Brighton and Hove City Council was faced with a choice between Gehry's vision, put forward by locally based developer Karis and Dutch bank ING, and designs by Barratt/Brunswick.

Affordable housing

Officers had recommended the Gehry design, which includes four distinctive towers containing 438 flats, including a significant proportion of affordable housing.

The Karis/ING scheme would fund a new public sports centre estimated to cost �26m.

Facilities would also include a high-level public viewing platform, a restaurant and a winter garden - with a sculpture by Antony Gormley, who designed Gateshead's Angel of the North.

A study by the council showed the Karis plans would inject most money into the local economy - between �25 and 32m - and could attract tourists in its own right.

The existing site is overdue for redevelopment

A spokesman for Brighton and Hove City Council confirmed on Thursday they had agreed to negotiate with Gehry's backers.

He said: "This is an agreement in principle to deal with that consortium.

"There will have to be further talks about the details of that scheme before a planning application is submitted."

He said it would be months before a planning application was put forward.

Deputy council leader Sue John said before Thursday's meeting: "Both were very good bids but we've been extra-impressed with the Karis team.

"The development itself offers a fantastic new sports centre, much needed homes, a better financial deal for taxpayers and a real boost for the economy."

The council invited bids from rival architects after it realised it was unable to find the estimated �25m needed to build a new sports centre itself.