Two developers remain in the race to develop the Preston Barracks site in Brighton with futuristic designs.

CDHA and Urban Catalyst have been chosen from a shortlist of four for the site off Lewes Road. The unsuccessful bidders were Urban Life and Rokeagle.

All four gave presentations a month ago to the city council, the regional development agency SEEDA and the city regeneration partnership.

CDHA plans more than 400 homes, many of them low-cost, offices, shops and workshops.

Three tall buildings would be lined up on the site with an "innovation centre" fronting Lewes Road.

The buildings would open on to landscaped courtyards featuring public art, private gardens and water features.

Urban Catalyst proposes a tower designed to resemble a flower with three "leaves" up to 25 storeys high.

It would be connected to two other lower towers at perhaps 14 and six storeys.

Besides homes, the scheme includes a gym and health club, a three-star hotel, an education centre and a surgery.

The two schemes were selected because they met the criteria to create local jobs, build new homes and help the community.

They also have to ensure 40 per cent of the housing is affordable and aimed at key workers.

Architects had to conform to a brief saying the former Ministry of Defence site of 2.2 hectares was suitable for a mixed development.

Finance councillor Simon Burgess said: "We had a fantastic level of interest for Preston Barracks and we are very happy with the final two chosen to transform this disused site.

"All four finalists set a benchmark for urban development and any of them would have made a significant contribution to the area."

Opposition Tory leader Brian Oxley said: "I thought these two were the best of the four schemes submitted to us."

Peter Field, who chairs Brighton and Hove Regeneration Partnership, said: "The A development brief was issued to 156 organisations and 18 expressed an interest, Four were invited to submit detailed proposals.

The city council bought the site, which has been in military use since the 1790s, last year.