Fender Katsalidis and Koichi Takada will be working on one of Australia’s most amibitious luxury living projects to date.
Called Saint Moritz, the project is valued at approximately $550 million, spread between 120 residences offering beachfront luxury, along with over 5,000sqm of private amenity and a world-class hospitality venue.
Each of the residences will be priced at around $3.5 million, with the project “gearing up to be the most ambitious luxury project launched in Australia at this level”.
The developer is currently amending the permit for the high-profile site at 14 – 16 The Esplanade, St Kilda, to effectively halve the number of apartments from 240 to just 120, and focus on the ultra-luxury end of the market.
Fender Katsalidis has been appointed lead architect, with Koichi Takada Architects appointed to design one of the three buildings. Meanwhile, interior designer David Hicks has been appointed to craft the interiors, while Jack Merlo has designed oasis-style landscapes throughout.
The first of the three buildings, Pacific House, is set to launch to the public mid-year, and features 45 residences with an average price-point of $4m.
The $30 million penthouse that sits atop Pacific House will offer 650sqm of internal space along with a substantial 175sqm terrace with private pool, six bedrooms, a seven-car private garage with direct access lift, four living rooms, in-home sauna and gym.
The double-storey penthouse also includes features such as a cascading two-storey water feature surrounded by marble-clad walls, a solid Nero Marquina bathtub with 180 degree water views, another internal pool that submerges into the rooms below – complete with transparent glass that can be viewed from the lower level - a floating fireplace and a 1000-bottle, temperature-controlled wine cellar, accessible via a sculptural spiral staircase.
If sold, the penthouse will break the record for Melbourne’s most expensive off-the-plan apartment, which developer Tim Gurner is confident they will achieve.
“This penthouse has been designed to be the best in Australia and arguably one of the best in the world,” says Gurner.
“The design of the buildings is driven by a desire to create absolute visual connectivity with the elements of nature and the everchanging state of the bay, whilst providing a serene interior environment for the residents,” says Nicky Drobis, director at Fender Katsalidis.
“The buildings’ expressive fluid and sinuous forms take inspiration from the ephemeral movement of the waves of the bay and the oscillating markings of the sand.”
“Simple lines, forms and materials merge into an architecture of light and air; architecture that breathes - a crafted form that is of light and air,” adds Koichi Takada, principal of Koichi Takada Architects.
