When it comes to choosing between luxury properties in the capital, buyers are increasingly looking at the lifestyle afforded by the residents’ amenities available on their doorstep.
With access to facilities that offer the opportunity to switch off and relax featuring high on the priority list for today’s property purchasers, some of London’s hottest new developments are delivering first-class amenities that offer residents the chance to escape the fast pace of London life – from more traditional spa facilities for pampering sessions through to carefully designed outdoor spaces and rooftop terraces with space for meditation and relaxation.
More traditional health and wellbeing facilities, like pools and gyms, are still proving as popular as ever with prospective buyers.
At Taylor Wimpey Central London’s Postmark development in Farringdon, residents of the latest phase, Signature Place, benefit from access to an impressive Wellness Centre, which boasts a suite of luxurious amenities.
A swimming pool, sauna, steam room, treatment room, experience shower and state-of-the-art gym – designed to emulate the most sophisticated of hotels (prices start from £980,000 for a one-bedroom apartment www.postmarklondon.co.uk).
With facilities reminiscent of the world’s finest five-star hotels, developers often seek design expertise from some of the world’s most acclaimed architects and designers to create something even more unique for residents.
In the sought-after neighbourhood of Fulham, residents of St William’s new landscape-led development, King’s Road Park, will enjoy a lavish suite of amenities designed by EPR Architects – the creative minds behind Rosewood London and The Ned.
At 23,000 sq. ft, and set to be one of the largest in the capital, they incorporate a health and wellbeing suite with a 25m swimming pool, a vitality pool, a steam room and sauna, a spacious gym with two fitness studios as well as two treatment rooms (prices start from £700,000 www.kingsroadparksw6.com).
Over in north London, One St John’s Wood, by Regal London (www.regal-london.co.uk), where prices start from c. £1 million, also offers buyers a luxurious lifestyle.
Nestled in the sought-after residential enclave of St John’s Wood and designed by the world-renowned Squire & Partners, the development includes a spa and wellness centre with a 20m swimming pool, a state-of-the-art gym, a sauna and a steam room – providing residents with a calming sanctuary at the centre of the city.
Meanwhile, the communal roof terrace, with views overlooking Lord’s Cricket Ground and across the capital, offers a unique space to escape the pressures and demands of everyday life.
Alongside these luxurious residents’ amenities, the benefits of having access to green space on the doorstep are also well documented – with more and more developers now looking to create pockets of quiet within outdoor spaces.
Battersea, in south-west London, home to Battersea Park’s 200-acres of green space, is known as one of the capital leafiest areas and a new neighbourhood, Prince of Wales Drive, is adding to the greenery with 2.5 acres of landscaping and green space. =
Developer, St William, is also creating private spaces throughout the development for residents to unwind and relax, including an 8th-floor landscaping roof terrace – a private retreat above the hustle and bustle – as well as a 24th-floor bar and lounge with far-reaching views across the park and city skyline.
Despite this setting, residents are well-connected to the rest of the capital and are just a short walk from the new Northern Line Underground station at Battersea Power Station (prices from £785,000, www.princeofwalesdrive.co.uk).
Another developer championing green open space Ballymore has taken inspiration from west London’s very green setting for its major riverside regeneration project, The Brentford Project, where prices for the new homes start at £445,000.
Alongside a series of raised podium gardens, designed to offer a serene spot and unique perspective across the water, Ballymore is transforming the gardens of the deconsecrated Grade II* Listed St Lawrence’s Church to create a tranquil setting for residents with sensitive landscaping, covered walkways and porticos and an outdoor swimming pool (www.thebrentfordproject.com).