When penthouse apartments in Sydney, New York and London are breaking world records - for asking prices, if not yet for sales in some cases - prices for the handful of Auckland’s luxury penthouses seem positively modest.
In January an apartment in New York’s 220 Central Park West sold for US$238 million, while back in October a London developer sold his One Hyde Park penthouse for £160 million. Compared to those two, the Boyd penthouse in Sydney’s ANZ tower is a relative bargain at AU$66 million.
Closer to home, the developers of Auckland’s two premium towers, the Pacifica on Commerce Street and Seascape, around the corner on Customs Street, are vying for the crown of tallest building and most expensive penthouse. Both towers clock in at 57 floors, but Seascape, at 187m wins by 9m on the height race, while Pacifica’s asking price of $35 million for the two floor super penthouse tops Seascape’s $20 million.
However, if $35 million feels too steep, Gavin Lloyd, from CBRE, who is marketing Pacifica, has a deal that carves the the penthouse (strictly speaking it is on floors 53 and 54) into two separate residences, a snip at $18 million each.
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Further east in Auckland's CBD, the luxury International on Princes Street has sold the penthouse on its 17 level block for $15.3 million, although developer Gary Groves, of Sanctuary Group, keeping mum on who the purchaser is.
You’re too late to pick up the penthouse of the boutique 51 Albert on Albert Street (it sold last month for $13 million), but Bayleys agent Joe Telford has two whole floor sub-penthouses going for upwards of $11 million. More modest sky homes start at $1 million through to $4 million, including carparks.
Find out more about them here.
If you don’t want to wait for a building to complete, Telford also has the penthouse of the MAC on Remuera’s St Marks Road. An American couple combined penthouse and sub-penthouse floors to create one luxury home, complete with outdoor fireplaces, $100,000 La Cornue range in the kitchen and all the marble, luxury bath tubs and spare space you’d expect (there’s even reinforced ceilings to hang those chandeliers you’ll want to install). They’re leaving it all behind to return home, leaving a brand new build for lucky new buyers.
You can find out more about that apartment here.
The Metropolis built in 1999 by developer Andrew Krukziener, could be considered the first of Auckland’s wave of luxury towers, right down to the Art Deco trims that pay homage to Manhattan’s finest. Ray White City Apartment’s agent Dene O’Kane is marketing the three bedroom 205 square metre 33rd floor sub-penthouse with price by negotiation.
Find out more about the sub-penthouse here.
Auckland doesn’t have New York’s pre-war towers of apartments, but the converted George Courts building in the heart of K Road is the closest we’ll come. Kerry Aitken, from Apartment Brokers, is marketing the penthouse of the 1920s building, reached by the gracious sweep of stairs that enchanted the department store’s shoppers until it closed in 1988. The modern build on the roof has terrific elevated views over the city, a high 3.2 metre stud (and well proportioned french doors to match), brand new kitchen, new oak floors and a generous roof terrace.
Find out more about the listing here.
Lower rise apartments are more common on the city fringes, but Almorah Rise has - as its name suggests - elevation that gives the penthouse owners views across Newmarket and Remuera to the Harbour, and around to Mount Eden. The 217 square metre three-bed apartment is roomy enough for a grand piano, a striking circular entrance hall and plenty of decks. The 12 residences share park-like grounds, heated swimming pool, a barbecue area, all cared for by a live-in manager. Sotheby’s International agents Richard Burt and Steward Morgan are bringing this to auction May 29.