The 150-cover restaurant, which will be accessible via a lift from Moshimo, will 'emerge like a periscope' within the square and give diners views of the sea and Brighton's Old Town while those looking at it from the street will see a 'lantern in the sky'.
Moshimo co-owner Karl Jones told BigHospitality now planning had been granted work could start on constructing Skylight, which has been designed by architects studioSPOON and engineered by Atelier One.
"We’ve had massive support for the project, including all of the main hotels and restaurants nearby, who believe Skylight will encourage visitors and inward investment to the area. We’re grateful to them and the Council for seeing Skylight’s potential to transform this square into a buzzing, exciting space in the heart of the city," he said.
The Skylight building will be constructed in Littlehampton before being transported to Brighton via the sea. Work to extend Moshimo and create the structure for the lift shaft will start next March with the whole project expected to take about six months.
Japanese restaurant
Although attached to Moshimo, Skylight will be run as a separate restaurant. It will feature a bar and central kitchen serving a range of Japanese dishes.
Jones said: "The way the market is with sustainable fish, we can't do another restaurant on this scale that is solely dedicated to fish, so the idea is to broaden it to all kinds of Japanese food. The accent will be on all foods that are to do with invaders so we'll have some ceviche-based dishes and yakitori, all the Japanese food trends that have been spread around the world."
Moshimo co-founder Nicholas Rohl, who built Moshimo out of a disused faux Regency building 16 years ago, said new restaurant Skylight had the potential to 'transform and inspire.
"We came up with this idea as a way of revitalizing a tired and under-utilised square in the heart of Brighton, and we’re thrilled that Brighton and Hove City Council has given the building the go-ahead," he said. "It’s a bold decision that will see Brighton continue to thrive and adapt into the future.”