Mandarin Oriental Announces New York Residences; World’s Second-Tallest Building Tops Out

Mandarin Oriental Launches Turnkey Residences in New York

Mandarin Oriental, in collaboration with developer Michael Shvo, has announced that it will bring 69 branded residences to New York, Forbes reports. The residences will be located at 685 Fifth Avenue, the former headquarters of Gucci, and will be delivered fully equipped with furniture, art, and creature comforts like Frette linens on Mandarin Oriental mattresses, Acqua di Parma beauty products, Dyson hair dryers, and Mason Pearson hairbrushes. Residents of the building will also have exclusive access to a private restaurant by chef Daniel Boulud and amenities like a fitness center and a rooftop pool.

“The notion of a hassle-free life is where I believe luxury is moving towards,” Shvo told Forbes. “The idea of a hotel without hotel guests is the fundamental vision I had for this project, because there’s no greater luxury than living in a hotel, but not everyone wants to have hotel guests in their buildings or in their homes.” The residences, ranging from junior suites to two bedrooms, are priced from $2.5 million to $15 million. The penthouse collection will be announced at a later time.

Two Penthouses at Rafael Viñoly’s The Bryanston Hit the Market in London

Two penthouses in architect Rafael Viñoly’s first London residential project have come to market, with asking prices north of £24 million ($28.5 million), Mansion Global reports. The five-bedroom residences top The Bryanston, a new residential building overlooking the verdant 350-acre Hyde Park. The 18-story building has a unique scale for the neighborhood that’s unlikely to be matched by any new developments, owing to new planning laws in Westminster. 

The 54 residences of The Bryanston range from one to five bedrooms and have prices starting from £2.4 million ($2.85 million). The new-to-market five-bedroom penthouses both span more than 5,000 square feet and feature panoramic, curved windows to maximize the Hyde Park views. The Bryanston is part of the larger Marble Arch Place master plan by developer Almacantar. In addition to high-end residences, the development will include dining destinations, office space, and retail. 

Beckford House Sells Out on Manhattan’s Upper East Side

Beckford House & Tower on Manhattan’s Upper East Side is now 97% sold, a milestone marked by the sellout of the dual-building development’s Beckford House. Three penthouses at Beckford Tower remain on the market: the 6,522-square-foot, six-bedroom Penthouse 29, listed for $29 million; the 5,452-square-foot, six-bedroom Penthouse 30, seeking $30 million; and the 4,141-square-foot Penthouse 31, on the market for $20 million. All the penthouses are move-in ready.

Designed inside and out by AD100 firm Studio Sofield, Beckford House & Tower’s penthouse collection pays homage to classical design with gracious proportions, 13-foot great room ceilings, custom Christopher Peacock-designed eat-in kitchens, private elevator entries, and setback terraces.

Merdeka 118, To Become World’s Second-Tallest Building, Tops Out

Five years after its groundbreaking ceremony, Merdeka 118 has topped out in Malaysia. When construction is complete in 2022, the building will stand 2,227 feet, making it the world’s second-tallest building, behind only the Burj Khalifa. Work is ongoing at the 118-story building, which will include office space, a mall, a mosque, a Park Hyatt hotel, and South Asia’s tallest observation deck, according to CNN. Set in the historic downtown of Kuala Lumpur, the building overlooks Merdeka Stadium, where former leader Tunku Abdul Rahman declared Malaysian independence in 1957. The building was designed by Australian firm Fender Katsalidis and is inspired by patterns found in Malaysian arts and crafts. 

220 Central Park South Nears $3 Billion in Sales 

As of early November, Manhattan’s 220 Central Park South has experienced nearly $3 billion in sales. While the Robert A.M. Stern Architects-designed building has yet to pass the major milestone, it has gotten precipitously close, with $2.99 billion in sales, The Real Deal reports. Vornado Realty Trust, the building’s developer, announced on an earnings call in the first week of November that it had closed sales on 104 of the building’s 118 residences.