Opting for vertical living has long involved tradeoffs: services versus square footage, turnkey versus autonomy, convenience versus community. But with highly equipped, low-density condominium towers, buyers no longer have to compromise: Distinctive architecture, oversize residences and ultra-luxe services are turning high-rise structures into high-networth communities, with amenities fostering social interaction and a sense of place among affluent neighbors.
In the U.S. alone, the landmark 58-story Woolworth Building in downtown Manhattan recently underwent a multiyear conversion, as French-born architect Thierry W Despont transformed the top 30 floors into 33 loft-like condominiums called the Woolworth Tower Residences. In Miami, the Zaha Hadid-designed One Thousand Museum, overlooking Museum Park, will offer 83 units over 62 stories later this year, an area of nearly one million square feet. “We could have maxed out the density and had up to 500 smaller units,” says co-developer Louis Birdman. Instead, residences range from 4,600 to more than 10,000 square feet, with 30,000 square feet of amenity space that include a private dining hall, sky lounge, aquatic center, spa and rooftop helipad. Also in Miami, the 54-story Turnberry Ocean Club in Sunny Isles Beach, due in late 2019, will feature 154 residences and six stories of amenities, notably a stock-trading lounge and sky theater. Mayi de la Vega of One Sotheby’s International Realty calls these buildings “among the most innovative developments in South Florida.” Birdman concurs: “Buyers don’t mind paying more as long as they’re getting more. Someone who goes in to buy a Rolls Royce is typically not asking what kind of gas mileage it gets.”
New York-based writer Iyna Bort Caruso has contributed to The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Newsday and other publications.
MIAMI, FLORIDA, US
One Thousand Museum, South Florida’s most prestigious new residential tower, is redefining Miami’s skyline. Conceived by the late Pritzker Prize-winning architect Zaha Hadid, the building masterfully combines art, architecture and design, while featuring the most luxurious services and amenities.
