Standing on the “infinity terrace” of the six-bedroom duplex The Townhouse at The Bryanston, high above Hyde Park, you can forget you are in the heart of London’s west end. The greenery seems to stretch to the horizon, from the vantage point of the supersized balcony – at 4,177 sq ft, the largest private terrace on the royal park. The hubbub of Marble Arch recedes to a gentle hum. That’s why the developer, Almacantar, has named it The Townhouse in the Sky. It’s not just the immersive view of the city’s biggest green space and its curious sense of seclusion that makes The Bryanston such a remarkable eyrie. The 18-storey tower was the first and last residential London project designed by Rafael Viñoly – the world-renowned architect behind art museums and university buildings; the skinny skyscraper at 432 Park Avenue; and 20 Fenchurch Street, known as the Walkie Talkie tower, in the City – who died in March. Buy this, the largest of the 54 properties in the development, and you bag a piece of architectural history as well as some of the best sightlines in the capital.
The interiors of The Townhouse, designed by Linda Morey-Burrows, the founder and principal director of StudioMorey, are just as spectacular, featuring a mix of hand-crafted furniture and tactile fabrics in a palette of colours and textures that reflect the natural world outdoors. Artworks, curated by her husband, Patrick Morey-Burrows, of ArtSource, reference the flora and fauna of the park. Linda Morey-Burrows says: “The brief from Almacantar was to try and find something that would connect all the different types of people who might be interested in living here so . . . other than the obvious . . . we decided art, love of nature and uniqueness were the elements that would connect people all round the globe.” What was the obvious? “Money.” The price tag for the duplex is £132 million, including furniture and art.
At this level in the market, buyers often want a turnkey solution, rather than waiting for months for an interior fit-out. This is partly for swiftness and also because they are not buying to sell. They typically already have homes for their existing furniture across the globe, and would like the decor for their latest place to reflect its unique location.
The residents will doubtless be among London’s wealthiest (a 14th-floor lateral at The Bryanston achieved one of the highest prices in the new-build market this year) but they will also have the facilities to be some of the healthiest. The building – with a 25m pool, hydro pool, steam room, sauna and gym – has an air-handling system that regulates temperature and removes particulates, carbon monoxide and pollen. The Bryanston is believed to be the first luxury residential development to register for AirRated certification.
Emerge from the private lift into the apartment and your first impression is of a dazzling gallery-style space. In the 6.5m double-height entrance hall, a central staircase spirals around a floating sculpture by Tomás Saraceno, the Argentine artist whose Web(s) of Life exhibition continues at the Serpentine Galleries until September 10. Pneuma 11 consists of 12 glass spheres connected with polyester cord. “It’s about spiders and webs, planets and clouds, immigration, and finding places to live,” Morey-Burrows says. The installation is what’s known as a traffic stopper – so large that it had to be craned in over the balcony.