Mansion Global
If real estate in 2020 was defined by buyers fleeing to the countryside, 2021 will be seen as the year they returned to the city.
Sales in cities across the world soared, with volume breaking records and prices steadily inching up. That’s a trend that’s set to continue into next year, with buyers looking for larger units with dedicated outdoor space as well as access to amenities like parks or the water. Many buyers are also looking at boutique buildings with fewer units that feel more community-oriented.
Still, projects with building amenities that include large, open parkland or expansive roof decks with summer kitchens are also popular, as many look to entertain outside and keep connected with their natural environments.
Branded residences will also remain strong, as they provide in-house spas and dining experiences alongside five-star service and the security of a full-time staff keeping an eye on the property when the owners are away. In addition, big-name architects also attract buyers, as they are known for both the quality of the projects and their strong investment values.
Here are five standout projects launching sales in 2022.
Although Beverly Hills is better known for expansive megamansions, Mandarin Oriental is betting that some Angelenos will be lured by the white-glove service at its new Beverly Hills residences. Located just above the shopping destination the Golden Triangle, the six-story project will bring 54 one-to-four-bedroom residences, all with outdoor terraces, to the area.
Michelin-starred chef Daniel Boulud is on board to design the bars and restaurants at the project, which plans to launch sales in January or February. Other amenities will include a wellness center including a pool, fitness center, spa and indoor-outdoor yoga and meditation spaces, a private porte-cochere with valet parking and an entry courtyard off the Wilshire Boulevard entrance. Swiss landscape architect Enzo Enea created the outdoor spaces.
Los Angeles-based MVE + Partners is behind the design, while SHVO, based in New York City, is the developer. The London-based design studio 1508 London conceived the interiors, and homes feature a cool grey color palette with details such as indoor bonsai gardens. Residential packages are available for buyers looking for a home that’s truly turnkey—not even a toothbrush is required.
The building is set to be completed this spring, with prices ranging from $3.6 million for a one bedroom to $9.5 million for a three bedroom.
Highly sought-after architect Robert A.M. Stern and his New York-based firm RAMSA worked with Union Theological Seminary, the 180-year-old non-denominational divinity school associated with Columbia University, on Claremont Hall. The new 41-story building will tower over Riverside Park, General Grant National Memorial, also known as Grant’s Tomb, and the Hudson River, with views of Central Park in the distance. The project takes cues from the seminary and nearby Riverside Church with its brick-and-stone facade and cathedral windows.
Claremont Hall will bring 165 residences to the Morningside Heights neighborhood, plus 54,000 square feet of classrooms, offices and faculty apartments. The architecture firm CetraRuddy designed the common spaces and amenities, while Lendlease, L+M Development Partners and Daiwa House Texas partnered for the development.
Amenities include an indoor pool and fitness center, a lounge with a terrace, a maker’s room where guests and residents can work on artistic endeavors, a children’s playroom and onsite parking.
The new building, aiming to achieve a LEED Gold Certification for sustainability, is set to launch sales in February and is expected to be completed in 2023. The building will offer one- to four-bedroom homes, with prices ranging from $1 million to $6.5 million.
RAMSA, along with the Rockwell Group, is also bringing a bit of New York to Miami, which stands to reason since so many New Yorkers have migrated south since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The two-tower St. Regis Residences Miami, a 354-unit project in the Brickell neighborhood, will boast views of Biscayne Bay, as well as more than 55,000 square feet of amenities.
“Miami is truly coming into its own and Brickell is at its epicenter,” Jon Paul Pérez, president of Related, said in a statement. “Much like the first St. Regis hotel solidified New York City as the global hub for culture, commerce and society 100-plus years ago, our plans for this property cement Brickell as an international metropolis.”
The brand’s butler service will be part of the experience, as will the St. Regis Tea Room.
Built in conjunction with the Related Group and Integra Investments, sales are set to launch in early 2022. Homes will start at $2 million for a 1,300-square-foot one bedroom.
Japanese architect Kengo Kuma, who designed Japan National Stadium in Tokyo for the 2020 Summer Olympics, is bringing his first project to the banks of the Brisbane River. In the city’s West End, it will be focused on “embracing and integrating nature into [residents’] everyday lives,” Mr. Kuma said in a statement.
That means open spaces next to the waterway “where people can connect with one another while enjoying the views, sounds and atmosphere of this beautiful river,” he added. Biophilic design elements, like cascading gardens, are also planned throughout the project, which will include apartments, penthouses and terrace homes.
The development, which has not yet been named, will have water views from the residences and their private terraces. It is on track to have 473 units over four 12-story buildings, with sales launching in the second half of 2022. Common amenities planned include rooftop gardens and entertaining spaces, a pool and wellness center and private dining spaces for residents, as well as retail offerings to support their lifestyles.
Sydney-based Crown Group is developing the towers, the first phase of which is expected to be completed in 2024. Prices have not yet been released.
On the Riviera Maya, along the Caribbean coastline on Mexico’s northeastern Yucatán Peninsula, Fairmont is bringing 14 new residences to its gated resort community Mayakoba. These three- and four-bedroom penthouses range from 3,400 square feet to more than 6,200 square feet, incorporating locally sourced Mexican marble, as well as wood and other organic finishes.
That creates a neutral color palette that offsets the lush greenery and blue lagoons outside. Each residence also has a plunge or swimming pool. Floor-to-ceiling windows and open floor plans maximize light and the indoor-outdoor lifestyle one expects in a Caribbean locale.
Residents will have access to resort amenities, which can be reached by river gondola, golf car or bicycle. That includes the 26 restaurants throughout the four hotels within the complex, Rosewood, Andaz and Banyan Tree, in addition to Fairmont. There’s also a golf course, four spas, a dive center, a VanDutch private yacht and a “El Pueblito,” a city within the community. There will also be a residents-only clubhouse, pool and kids club.
Sales are set to launch in the first quarter, with prices starting at US$1.4 million.
By: V.L. Hendrickson I Mansion Global I December 24, 2021