Duckweed survival shelters can launch individually or be tethered together to increase stability, resistance, and visibility in the water.

The Indian Ocean tsunami (2004) and hurricanes Katrina (2005) and Sandy (2012) are recent reminders that we are at the mercy of Mother Nature. Meanwhile, climate change is contributing to rapidly rising sea levels. The Duckweed Survival House utilizes an underwater stem stabilizer that keeps it upright on any size wave (no matter the turbulence)—protecting exposed people from large surf and approaching waters as they seek safety. This would have benefitted those dodging the tsunami or the underwater 9th ward New Orleans. But Biblical proportion 40-foot waves?

More than 227,000 people lost their lives during the Indian Ocean tsunami and 1,245 died due to Hurricane Katrina. Perhaps mandatory Duckweed shelters would significantly lower such casualties. Saving lives is one reason why Duckweed Survival House won the 2015 Red Dot Award for design, issued by the Design Zentrum, one of the oldest and most respected design institutions in Europe.

Duckweed Survival House shelters stay upright in any size wave and resist turbulence via its underwater stabilizer.

Easily accessible in emergencies, the Duckweed shelter can be quickly removed from its storage bag and inflated via a built-in high-pressure carbon dioxide gas chamber. The house features an air-vented roof that allows the intake of fresh air. Most impressively, the shelter’s filtration system (near the base) uses reverse osmosis—coverting sea water to fresh drinking water, which passengers can access through an inlet in the floor.

Duckweed's fluorescent, cube-shaped shelters allow rescuers to locate them easily, even at night.

The cube-shaped Duckweed shelters can be tethered together, increasing their visibility, stability, and resistance to strong wind and waves. Bright yellow or lime green colors and fluorescent markers on the exterior allow rescuers to locate the shelters easily at night. Even Noah didn't plan or engineer this efficiently. The only question is, who saves the animals and pets?

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Sky Pool will be a 90-foot-long, aquarium-styled spectacle protected by eight-inch-thick glass.

Sky Pool will serve as Embassy Gardens’ main attraction of the Nine Elms neighborhood in Southwest London’s Battersea riverside district—currently undergoing extensive upgrades to attract affluent residents, particularly from Asia. Embassy Gardens construction begins this year with a scheduled 2018 move-in date for wealthy thrill seekers. Apartments will start at nearly $950,000 with penthouses costing more.

High-end aquarium designers will construct the transparent, glass-bottomed pool which will measure 90 feet long by 19 feet wide and approximately 10 feet deep (water depth is only four feet deep)—encased in a sturdy eight-inch-thick glass. Residents can traverse the pool to swim to the complex’s rooftop bar, decks, spa, and even an orangery. For residents who want to go the dry route, an adjacent alternative bridge walkway is available.

“The experience of the pool will be truly unique,” said Sean Mulryan, CEO of developer Ballymore Group which is building the development with partner EcoWorld. “It will feel like floating through the air in central London.”

Sky Pool will be a tourist attraction once Embassy Gardens is completed in 2018.

Embassy Gardens is part of the Nine Elms neighborhood in Southwest London’s Battersea riverside district, which is undergoing an extensive facelift to attract affluent residents.

Sky Pool sounds like it will transform residents into Superman…or perhaps Aquaman. The “blue azure” pool is a spectacle—flanked by the luxurious green-glazed bricks of the flats, environmental gardens, solar panels, and lush landscaping—and views of the River Thames, Westminster Palace and the London Eye. Surely London tourists will flock to see it as it makes its way into tour guide books. And for those with extreme hydrophobia (fear of water), acrophobia (fear of heights), or aeroacrophobia (fear of high, open spaces), Embassy Gardens still has a bar.

Photos courtesy of Embassy Gardens

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Turkey's Yunak Evleri hotel is seven ancient cave houses recessed into limestone cliffs of the Cappadocia region.

These caves date back to the Middle Ages––the fifth and sixth centuries.

The hotel has 40 rooms which can accommodate 80 guests.

Ancient cave dwellers are considered lowbrow nomads but there’s little evidence of that here. The Yunak Evleri hotel (in the Cappadocia region) is a series of seven ancient cave houses recessed into limestone cliffs—dating back to the fifth and sixth centuries. Vacant as recently as 2000, the caves were imaginatively converted into an unconventional, 40-room hotel adjacent to a restored 19th century Greek mansion, which comprises the most recent part of the luxury establishment.

A regional attraction since the early Middle Ages, the ancient caves dot the hillside like pock marks, doubling as rustic suites on a reimagined rocky façade. Hotel rooms and public spaces are naturally beautified with multi-level plateaus, nooks, archways, stone fireplaces, and unique windows and doors—all carved into the spectacular landscape. Accommodations range from exotic luxury caves to multi-chamber deluxe suites (including family suites) for up to 80 guests.

Rooms are accessed through a labyrinth of narrow passageways and curved stone stairways on multi-level plateaus.

Hotel rooms and public spaces are beautified with natural nooks, archways, and stone fireplaces.

A beautiful courtyard.

Rooms are accessed through a labyrinth of narrow passageways and curved stone stairways that lead to remarkable rooms decorated in the local traditional style. Décor is highlighted by Emperor marble floors, hand-laced curtains, antique chests and bedside tables, handcrafted writing desks, old kilim carpets, and antique lighting. And what’s a Turkish hotel without Turkish-style baths? Each room features white marble bathrooms accessorized with pedestal sinks, ceramic tubs, hydromassage, steam showers and/or Jacuzzis.

Yunak Evleri earns its five stars via its amenities—a panoramic rooftop restaurant, naturally cool rooms, personal patios that overlook the Turkish Mesa, and antique furnishings from the 1900s Ottoman Empire era. Kilim floor pillows invite guests to relax throughout the hotel. For visitors who wish to fully immerse themselves in Turkish tradition, hookahs (or “narghile”) are accessible as well. The caves were retrofit with modern facilities, such as international TV, Internet, Wi-Fi, a library, music room, power for lighting, and plumbing for the many baths and spas.

A rustic suite in a traditionally Turkish style.

Hotel suites feature marble floors, hand-laced curtains, antique chests, handcrafted writing desks, and old kilim carpets.

Bedroom suite with high, naturally-arched marble ceilings.

The Turkish baths include white marble floors and walls, pedestal sinks, ceramic tubs, hydromassage, steam showers, or Jacuzzis.

Yunak is named for its local neighborhood in Ürgüp, originating from ancient times when women washed and socialized by the village square fountain, which was the center of daily life. The Cappadocia region is famous for carved homes, churches, and monasteries, which villagers crafted from the soft rocks of volcanic deposits (the village of Göreme became a monastic hub from 300 to 1200 AD). The region’s unique rock formations, including “fairy chimneys” and Aktepe Hill, were formed over millions of years following eruptions from ancient volcanoes.

The Cappadocia region’s unique rock formations are leftovers of ancient volcanic eruptions.

Cappadocia is famous for carved homes, churches, monasteries, and now, the Yunak Evleri hotel.

The Yunak Evleri hotel includes the caves and an adjacent to a 19th century Greek mansion.

The distinct regional terrain lends itself to popular local activities, such as hot air ballooning, horseback riding, trekking, biking, and, of course, local customs like belly dancing and whirling dervish ceremonies—offering Yunak Evleri hotel guests a temporary escape from their caves.

Photos courtesy of Yunak

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The futuristic structure's living area features a micro-climate evaporation pool to cool the home during the summer.

Mõ Ventus House boasts a high-concept and zero-energy design.

Mõ Ventus House will cost between $3.5 million to $10 million to build.

Mõ Ventus House boasts a futuristic design, sustainable materials, and an advanced structural system that allow the house to adjust to environmental conditions and weather patterns. The structure is an architecturally unique, zero-energy luxury home not bound by geography, climate, or access to a power grid. It can be built anywhere in the world.

Although currently only a prototype, suitable international locations suggested for Mõ Ventus House include St. Tropez, France; Aspen, Colorado; Bora Bora, Tahiti; Palm Springs, California; Davos, Switzerland; Cabo San Lucas, Mexico; Ibiza, Spain; Maldives; Costa Rica; Thailand; Hong Kong; and more.

A complex system of retractable composite screens and insulated shells slide over cantilevered living areas.

Opening and closing the retractable insulated shells keep the living area cool or warm as needed.

The technologically-advanced residence features four incomparable characteristics: real-time transformation, zero-energy design, environment immersion, and a dramatic home office with a spectacular view.

Motus (meaning “movement” or “motion”) is where the transformation between the home’s main, industrial-style living area and lofty home office-studio occurs. The complex system works via large retractable composite screens and insulated shells that slide over the cantilevered living areas like a sideways elevator (and back into the foundation as necessary).

The screens and shells allow for micro-management of day-lighting, heat gain, openness, and privacy. The movable compartments automatically open and close, powered by rooftop solar panels. The Motus living area, which spans from 5,000- to 12,000-square feet, also features a micro-climate evaporation pool to cool the home during the summer.

The Motus living area section lacks conventional walls, floors, and ceilings.

The home offers industrially-designed interiors.

Glass-walled interiors offer unobstructed views in all directions.

The Motus section’s design is akin to modern shipping containers covered by tarps to protect them from the elements—albeit a much more refined version. The home’s movable compartments are transparent, lightweight, and adaptable—owing to the lack of conventional walls, floors, and ceilings. The protective screens and shells can also be operated manually to allow more or less light and heat into the futuristic living space, simply by opening or closing. The home’s all-glass skin provides 180-degree views (top, bottom, and sides) for full immersion and connectedness to the surrounding environment.

The lofty home-office studio area rises high above all but the solar-powered rooftop, which also houses organic gardens.

The home's all-glass design immerses the structure into the environment, offering 180-degree views from top to bottom to sides.

The Ventus or “wind cup,” (just beneath the cantilevered home office) which captures wind energy for fuel cell storage, is among the home’s most distinctive features. Topographically integrated into the structure, the curved wind basin with four bi-directional wind turbines collects prevailing winds to increase wind speed and resultant energy five-fold. Photovoltaic skins and arrays, hydrogen fuel cells, organic roof gardens, and three microclimatic cooling pools provide enough power to meet the home’s entire operational needs.

The curved Ventus “wind cup” captures prevailing winds via bi-directional turbines, which increase the home's energy five-fold.

Mõ Ventus House comes with an optional outdoor movie screen within a beach-terraced amphitheater.

Mõ Ventus House is adaptable enough to be built anywhere in the world, regardless of climate or geography.

With an estimated cost of $3.5 million to $10 million, Mõ Ventus House can accommodate up to six bedrooms, three-plus bathrooms, a guest house, up to a 10-car garage, gym, climbing walls, rooftop deck, and an outdoor movie screen within beach-terraced amphitheater—all based on client needs.

Photos courtesy of Mõ Ventus

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FAKRO’s contest guidelines asked for designs with comfortable, functional, naturally-lit spaces with a low environmental impact. Furzer used this principle to create “Homes for Homeless,” temporary sleeping units that can be attached to the side of any building or structure, allowing a safe haven for the homeless to get a good night’s rest. The pods blend into their host environment seamlessly.

Parasitic sleeping pods blend in with the host environment.

Furzer’s impetus was a 77 percent increase in London’s homeless population since 2010. He suggests economic hard times can render anyone homeless. With roughly 6,500 people sleeping on the London streets each year (and 750 per night, which he perceives as hurting individuals and communities), Furzer’s plan stated that homeless people are victims of isolation, crime, and physical and mental problems.

Furzer’s pods are “shelter from not only the harsh and unpredictable weather conditions of Britain, but a shelter from the general public who feel the homeless should be frowned upon or mistreated,” he says.

The pods are crafted of plywood, offering good thermal qualities to keep the unit comfortable.

The pods offer no frills with just a mattress and simple plywood shelves for eating or socializing.

In other words, parasitic sleeping pods are temporary shelter and dignity enhancers—which sounds like a better answer (albeit temporary) than what politicians have proposed (if at all). Furzer is providing for people most in need with a home—essentially taking the “less” out of homeless. For the record, the phrase "parasitic pods" doesn’t suggest that homeless people are parasites, but rather describes how the pods temporarily attach to their host building.

These sleeping pods are purely designed for warmth, shelter, and comfort, which Furzer says, most people take for granted. Furzer’s pods utilize lightweight, unfinished plywood–easily replaceable if damaged–to build the pods, which are generally unfurnished—no frills. They feature a simple plywood slab, which holds a mattress, storage beneath, openable windows for temperature control, and multiple pull-down plywood shelves for socializing and eating. Although not required, the pods could eventually be powered with solar power.

These temporary sleeping pods can be attached to the side of any building or structure, providing a safe haven for homeless to get a good night's rest.

A skylight roof also serves as a fire escape while L-shaped FAKRO windows provide ample natural light.

The pods also boast insulated walls, FAKRO L-shaped windows, which flood the internal space with natural light, and FAKRO scissor ladders to access the units. Large non-domed, flat-roof windows serve as a skylight and fire escape. The pods are portable, with just four connection points to the host building (creating minimal damage and maximum transport flexibility). Pods can be assembled individually or in communities.

James Furzer, winner of the FAKRO Space for New Visions international competition

The only question is, who will give up the wall or building space for these parasitic sleeping pods? Perhaps a few parents would volunteer merely to escape their unruly teenagers. But parasitic pods are not meant to be Brady Bunch “Johnny Bravo” rooms. They are temporary solutions to a serious problem. Only time will tell if these sleeping pods actually catch on—to buildings and in general. Either way, Furzer scored 5,000 euros for his altruistic effort—and good will.

Photos courtesy of FAKRO

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Jerusalem's Freedom Pyramid towers 105 meters over the heart of the city.

The mixed-use tower will boast luxury apartments, a hotel, and commercial space. The initial 2011 rendering revealed a curved glass and Jerusalem stone construction . It has since given way to a pyramid design.

As Jerusalem’s second tallest sky rise (105 meters, just below the Holyland Tower 1), an observatory seems appropriate for the modern 26-story building, whose initial renderings boasted a tapered, glass-swirled façade dubbed the "Eden Project." But this redesigned, heart-of-the-city pyramid isn’t merely designed for views—it is to be viewed itself from a distance as part of the city’s emerging, taller skyline.

Generally, pyramids represent the descending rays of the sun so most are polished via highly reflective limestone to give them a brilliant appearance from a distance. Jerusalem’s Freedom Pyramid reflects the city’s ancient tradition and the sun via Jerusalem stone, reflective glass and a triangular eye-in-the-sky top–which are uniquely viewed from a distance or close up. The design allows maximum light into the lower-level plaza below.

The tower will connect to a plaza, a shopping arcade, and surrounding open space.

Freedom Tower will feature an arched colonnade connecting the plaza to a shopping arcade and the surrounding open space at street level. Adjacent to the famous Mahane Yehuda market (a.k.a. the Shuk market), the tower also reflects the local religious culture with Jewish motifs—such as Star of David symbols—incorporated into the exterior.

“The design complements the context and gives the neighborhood a vibrant public space in the heart of the ancient city,” Arch Daily quotes Daniel Libeskind, studio principal who contributed to projects such as Berlin’s Jewish Museum, the Danish Jewish Museum, Contemporary Jewish Museum in San Francisco, and the Military History Museum in Dresden.

Daniel Libeskind, principal designer of “Freedom Pyramid”

Jerusalem is known for its ancient stone architecture. However, the famous city also has a need for commercial modernization amid its ancient structures, religious landmarks, and ruins—which are vital economic and tourist attractions. Enter the Freedom Pyramid, which respects Jerusalem’s architectural landscape with the primarily stone façade. According to Curbed, the tower is among the first high-rise buildings approved since the municipality began enforcement of construction height restrictions. Construction is expected to be completed around 2019.

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The planned 741-foot Premiere Tower in Melbourne, Australia's second most populated city.

Yes, Beyoncé is still with us (well in her prime), yet her body and spirit will forever inhabit Australian firm Elenberg Fraser’s planned 741-foot undulating building inspired by the superstar’s fantastic figure, magically mimicking her famous curves. The recently approved shape-scraper pays homage to Beyoncé’s 2013 video Ghost, where billowing fabrics cling to the curvaceous bodies of the singer and backup dancers. Ghost hails from the pop star’s self-titled fifth studio album and the video was helmed by Belgian director Pierre Debusschere.

Premiere Tower's contours mimic the curves of Beyoncé's famous figure.

The Premiere Tower was inspired by the video for Beyoncé's 2013 song, Ghost.

We expected Beyoncé to be honored in bronze one day but in 68 stories of glass, steel and concrete? Even if you're Drunk in Love, Crazy in Love or Dangerously in Love 2, it was impossible to see that surprise coming. Perhaps Beyoncé is even more influential than we realized. What’s next: Beyoncé Airlines? We can see the 747’s luscious locks of hair blowing in the wind already.

The mixed-used facility features a lounge, spa, pool and plenty of other amenities for all the Single Ladies.

The undulating tower is 741 feet tall.

The recently approved luxurious structure (which will be one of Melbourne’s tallest) will stand high above the city’s central business district, featuring 660 apartments and a 160-room hotel over ground-level retail. There’s even a pool, spa and lounge area for all the Single Ladies (“all the single ladies”). The structurally sound building’s façade swells and curves in all the right places (simulating sinuous hips and waistline) aided by a parametric design process which created the unique and sexy form.

Modern lobby

A sky lounge offers panoramic views of downtown Melbourne.

Indoor pool

As with New York City's new shadow-casting megatowers, Melbourne planners raised concerns about the Beyoncé tower being excessive or intrusive to nearby Batman Park. But the power of Beyoncé usually wins out. What else would we expect from the singer of Get Me Bodied? Mission accomplished, Melbourne.

Interiors are as luxurious and attractive as the outer curved glass façade.

An outdoor terrace with green elements.

Premiere Tower will feature apartments, a hotel and retail.

Financed by Singapore real estate tycoon Koh Wee Meng’s Fragrance Group, the $260 million Premiere Tower will be the main act of the precinct’s redevelopment plan. The city plans a more self-sustaining urban design development that seamlessly blends with the precinct’s current heritage buildings. Premiere Tower will replace the Savoy Tavern (recently resuscitated in 2014 after nearly 20 years of neglect), which will be demolished in favor of Beyoncé—despite the fact that the singer has no involvement in the skyscraper plan. But she could likely get a free room if she tours Melbourne.

Premiere Tower overlooks downtown and Batman Park.

Premiere Tower will be a main attraction in Melbourne's planned downtown redevelopment.

With its familiar hips don’t lie figure (sorry Shakira), this shape-scraper appears a natural extension of Chinese firm MAD’s Absolute Towers, two twisted, hourglass-shaped skyscrapers in Mississauga, Canada, which locals nicknamed the “Marilyn Monroe towers.” Get ready Italy, Chicago and Mexico—Sophia Loren, Raquel Welch and Salma Hayek skyscrapers must be on the horizon (perhaps literally). These hipster skyscrapers are trending as monumental tributes to famous “bombshells” who will be forever immortalized beyond the stage and screen toward the heavens into sexy architecture.

Beyoncé

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Nestled below the Huajuco Canyon southwest of Monterrey, Esfera City Center is a honeycomb-styled residential complex that has the aura of a college campus—though one drenched in luxury.

Esfera City Center is a honeycomb-styled, energy-efficient complex that uses the surrounding environment to reduce solar gain and capture prevailing winds.

Closer up, they resemble a matrix of stacked adobes (likely cement rather than the dried-brick variety) that could very easily double as balconied co-ed dormitories replete with terrace plateaus that virtually mimic the surrounding mountainous terrain. The juxtaposed, jutting balconies create efficient façades that optimize passive cooling.

The juxtaposed balcony façades recall coed dormitories with many expansive terraces.

Esfera City Center resembles an upscale college campus.

Ester City Center's campus features internal and external courtyards, gardens and public spaces.

Esfera City Center meets CPTED standards which reduces crime and its low-rise façades optimize passive cooling. 

Eschewing tall tower structures, Zaha Hadid Architects designed a cluster of interconnected low-rise buildings encircling internal and external courtyards, gardens and public spaces that meet CPTED (Crime Prevention through Environmental Design) standards for a safer neighborhood.

Esfera City Center boasts modern interiors, including this lobby.

Amenities include a pool and fitness area.

The complex features 981 modern-interior residences ranging from single-person lofts to four-bedroom apartments. Reportedly, Esfera City Center will be constructed in three phases, the first of which will include 353 units. The project is scheduled for completion in 2018.

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The $950,000 listed home could pass for something crafted on Treehouse Masters.

The domed structure features a wall-less, open floor plan and allows in ample sunlight via massive curved windows and lofty ceilings.

The dome home features low-maintenance organic materials like cedar, bamboo and limestone.

The dome home was built in 2003 by Domespace, a French company that creates prefab designs. This deck is for lounging and entertaining.

Enveloped by nature and billed as a weekend retreat, the eclectic 2,300-square-foot, wooden curiosity at 116 Canaan Road resembles a prop straight out of an episode of UFO Files or Treehouse Masters rather than a permanent, livable dwelling. The domed home could pass for E.T.’s wilderness rendezvous point with his mothership. This unidentified spinning object in New Paltz sits in the middle of a 28-acre forest near the Mohonk Preserve (naturally, where UFO hunters always seem squat).

Constructed in 2003 by Domespace, a French home kit company, the spacious three-bedroom, eco-friendly prefab dome home rotates 360-degrees via remote (and Passive Solar Energy) to maximize sunlight, adjust indoor temperatures or to change scenery. The house is surrounded by a 40-foot, curved cedar deck ideal for lounging and entertaining.

The New Paltz, NY home offers three bedrooms and two-and-a-half bathrooms.

The UFO-looking home rotates 360-degrees via remote control, allowing the owner to take advantage of sunlight and easily adjust temperatures.

Inside is as unconventional as outside, with lofty ceilings, massive curved windows and an open, wall-free floor plan crafted of low-maintenance organic materials like cedar, bamboo and limestone. The eight-room, two level property includes a master bedroom suite on the first floor, a custom staircase to an upper level library, office, guest bedroom and full bath (the entire house has two-and-a-half bathrooms in all).

If you’re the adventurous type or even a conspiracy theorist, you can book an overnight stay at the domed bed & breakfast. But if you’re in the market for an extremely private, uncommon residence and you don’t scare easily, New Paltz’s unique landmark may be a good option.

What else should we expect from a town with paranormal connections—from its UFO hunters, annual Haunted Huguenot Street tours or as the fictional setting on an episode of the TV show Supernatural?

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Artist rendering of the Dubai Design District

When fully completed, the burgeoning Dubai Design District (a.k.a. D3) will shine as the United Arab Emirates city’s new creative quarter where fine design, art, fashion, cuisine, luxury, and people of influence and affluence co-mingle. D3 doesn’t yet have the reputation of New York’s Meatpacking District or East London’s Shoreditch neighborhood, but it has a cooler moniker that signals similar hotspot hipness.

D3 officially opened last month with the first of more than 200 corporate brands and studios who will call the area their home (Hugo Boss and La Perla included). Now Foster & Partners will deliver Phase 2 of the project by injecting an international design culture into the globally diverse city—all inspired by the Meatpacking and Shoreditch communities in New York and London, respectively.

D3 will serve as an artist colony, modeled after New York's Meatpacking District and London's Shoreditch neighborhoods.

D3 will attract emerging artists, designers, and other young people who will engage galleries, studios, restaurants and outdoor event spaces.

Foster & Partners’ architectural foundation will inspire Dubai's most creative talents and industries to express themselves within D3’s new environment of contemporary offices, communal working facilities, pedestrian streets, and outdoor event spaces. This strategy is designed to attract startup companies, young people, emerging artists, designers, studios, galleries, and even Michelin restaurants into the neighborhood. As reported by Dezeen, a key ambition is to allow these new spaces to evolve organically, so they can adapt to any purpose.

“This is an exciting initiative which supports young creatives, and allows Dubai’s design scene to flourish from within," says Gerard Evenden, Foster & Partner’s studio head. As idealistic as that sounds, Phase 1 could be called "the establishment phase"—delivering the top-down corporate approach before implementing the designer culture—just in case.

Foster & Partner's created D3’s design-centric environment of contemporary offices, communal working facilities and pedestrian streets.

This creative district culture will plant an entrepreneurial seed that gives D3 potential to become one of the world’s premiere destinations for design, fashion, art and luxury, according to Mohammad Al Shehhi, chief operating officer of D3.

Foster & Partners won the project through a design competition. Phase 2 will be completed in 2017, followed by a Phase 3 waterfront promenade. In 2011, Foster & Partners also designed The Souk, a central shopping market of food, crafts and high-end boutiques in the UAE’s other large city—Abu Dhabi.

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But there was a silver lining in his playbook—he got to rent a gorgeous West Village duplex penthouse for two years. Now the 9,000-square-foot duplex with the Godfather pedigree is on the chopping block for $39.8 million. (Dolly Lenz Real Estate has the listing.)

Robert De Niro rented this West Village penthouse duplex for two years before heading back to Central Park West.

Anchored by a lush central courtyard and 5,200-square-feet of panoramic terraces (with views of the Hudson River and the Manhattan skyline), the sprawling five-bedroom, four-bathroom home at 165 Perry Street features a wood-burning living room fireplace, library, a gourmet chef's kitchen, another prep kitchen, and a massive 3,000-square foot seven-car garage (who needs seven cars in New York City?).

The duplex is anchored by a central courtyard which can be seen through this massive two-story window.

Inside, the contemporary home bathes in natural light, aided by a bright white color palette, tall ceilings, and a two-story-tall glass window. The residence's clean design is enhanced by contrasting black beams, black stairs, black railing, glass tile floors, and two balconies that overlook the bright grand hall. The master suite boasts two large windowed walk-in closets, an ensuite bathroom with a steam room, and presumably plenty of mirrors where the eventual buyer can practice De Niro’s “You talkin’ to me?” Taxi Driver stare.

Robert De Niro rented this West Village penthouse duplex for two years before heading back to Central Park West. Now it's listed for nearly $40 million.

Chef's kitchen with twin Sub-Zero refrigerators, overhead pot rack and walk-in pantry.

The 71-year-old De Niro is likely the hardest working actor in Hollywood, with 103 credits on his resume reel, most memorably in films like Taxi Driver, Goodfellas, Meet the Parents, Silver Linings Playbook, The Godfather Part II and Raging Bull—the latter two performances for which he won Academy Awards.

These 5,200-square-foot lush terraces offer panoramic views of the Hudson River and the Manhattan skyline.

The terrace area overlooks the central courtyard.

Legendary actor Robert De Niro

Now, for his real life family (just like the fictional family mantra from Silver Lining’s Playbook), it’s excelsior—New York’s motto meaning “onward and upward.” De Niro and his wife Grace Hightower reportedly upgraded uptown by renting Yankees star Alex Rodriguez’s Central Park West apartment, proving you can always come back home (or at least to the same Upper West Side neighborhood). Then again, De Niro, co-founder of the Tribeca Film Festival, is a native New Yorker who has lived comfortably downtown and uptown. All of New York is his neighborhood. Which still begs one question: is A-Rod now living at Yankee Stadium?

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The crystalized flagship venue (the brand's first), crowned with a $27 million penthouse apartment and countless opulent Baccarat chandeliers, recalls the Gatsby-esque glamour of the roaring 1920s—although modernized with amenities befitting a sophisticated international traveler. Paris is surely proud.

The Baccarat Hotel & Residences has three respective entrances: one for the hotel, one for the restaurant and one for the residences, including the $27 million penthouse.

The Baccarat Hotel & Residences at 20 West 53rd Street (across from the Museum of Modern Art) is billed as a “contemporary Manhattan take on a classically elegant Parisian hôtel particulier.” It blends past and present (and artisanal crystal elements) to create grand and intimate spaces inspired by the famous brand’s noble 250-year heritage. The tower boasts the hotel, exclusive residences, and a restaurant, all with separate entrances.

The Baccarat Hotel & Residences features salon-style public spaces and 114 rooms.

The New York flagship hotel is Baccarat's first foray into hospitality. Next up: Morocco.

Other luxury brands have ventured into hospitality (Bvlgari, Armani, etc.) but none have sparkled as brightly or ambitiously. Future Baccarat Hotel & Residences will follow in Rabat, Morocco (2016) and in Dubai and Doha.

The building showcases 114 light-drenched rooms, 60 of which are luxurious residences with their own chandelier. The full-floor penthouse apartment is the pièce de résistance, boasting 4,600 square feet, four bedrooms, four-and-a-half bathrooms, 14-foot ceilings, floor-to-ceiling windows, and 360 degree views. The design aesthetic was informed by Baccarat’s attention to detail and new materials.

“Every surface that we picked has some reference to a reflection of light,” interior designer Tony Ingrao told The New York Post.

Crystal chandeliers and accessories are a consistent staple in the hotel and each residence.

Each suite offers a classic and contemporary ambiance with a refined color palette of ivory, champagne, platinum, stainless steel and chocolate brown.

Architects and designers paid strict attention to the tiniest details. For instance, most surfaces of the hotel and residences reflect light, including door handles.

The project received All-Star treatment. Ingrao and Stephen Sills designed the building’s residences and ground-floor French restaurant Chevalier. Architecture firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill designed the soaring state-of-the-art tower with its prismatic glass façade which resemble corrugated crystal curtains that reflect and refract light up and down the 50-story structure.

Paris-based Gilles & Boissier created the furniture for the hotel’s salon-style public spaces and the hotel’s 114-light-filled rooms and suites. The interior design firm’s authentic French influence also pervades every reflective surface—the sparkling mica-covered vaulted ceiling, silver-leafed wood paneling, pleated silk walls, monumental marble tables, even door handles.

Parisian art connoisseur, Frédéric Chambre curated extraordinary paintings and photographs from auction houses across Paris—blessing the Baccarat Hotel & Residences with a private collection that spans from the 18th century to today. Chambre also commissioned artists to create original radiant art pieces from 11 Baccarat Harcourt glasses—which are dramatically displayed in lit glass vitrines at the hotel.

The hotel features this grand salon and another petit salon.

Paris-based Gilles & Boissier created the furniture for the hotel.

The chandeliers evoke the elegance of Paris and the roaring 1920s Great Gatsby era.

Baccarat elegance inspired from Paris

The venue features modern amenities (fitness, spa and pool memberships), 24-hour personalized service (concierge, babysitters, in-home chefs), and enough crystal for recording artist Sia to swing from a Chandelier for months. Except you really don’t want to swing from these decorative works of art. It’s more apropos to lounge in the Grand Salon with a glass of wine or cup of tea; or relax in the Petit Salon with a good book or game of chess. Residents and hotel visitors even have access to Citroën City Car, a classic 1970 Baccarat-red sedan which chauffeurs guests anywhere within a 15-block radius from the hotel.

Hotel suites, such as the aristocratic-inspired one-bedroom Baccarat Suite, present both a classic and contemporary ambiance, with refined palettes in champagne, ivory, platinum, stainless steel and chocolate brown. These suites (including the Classic King suite with its oversized four-poster king bed) boast custom-made Mascioni jacquard linens, Italian robes, Baccarat crystal accessories, white marble spa bathrooms with deep soaking tubs and glass-walled showers, and original artwork and drawings from the Baccarat collection, fully stocked Baccarat-red enamel bars and minibars, delicacies from the Parisian gourmet shop Fauchon, and and exclusive amenities created by Maison Francis Kurkdjian Paris.

The Baccarat Hotel and Residences borrows from the rich history of the famous crystal maker.

If we had a crystal ball, we’d guess the elegant Baccarat Hotel & Residences will succeed. But we don’t need a crystal ball here—a crystal clear chandelier will do just fine.

The post Crystal Palace: Flagship Baccarat Hotel and Residences Sparkles in New York appeared first on Haute Residence by Haute Living.

Original post: Boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. is always selling something—a product, merchandise, title fights, and now, his South Florida home. Even with his recent underwhelming championship bout versus Manny Pacquiao and his slightly devalued Miami metro area penthouse, he still comes out a winner (dollar-wise).

The undefeated champion (48-0) just listed his Sunny Isles Beach, FL condo again, this time for $2 million—down from $2.6 million last July. The four-bedroom, five-bathroom home at the St. Tropez Condominiums comes fully furnished, listing agent Tanasha Pettigrew from Galleria International Realty told Gossip Extra. Mayweather bought the 3,020-square-foot, barrier island penthouse in 2010 for a reported $1.5 million (in cash!), but now desires more space, according to Pettigrew.

Boxing champion Floyd Mayweather Jr.'s penthouse is 3,020 square feet.

Mayweather reportedly bought the Sunny Isles, Florida condo in 2010 for $1.5 million in cash.

Mayweather's high end kitchen is proof he desires the finer things in life.

The champion boxer—whose nickname is “Money”—will sacrifice on price this time. That’s easier to do after Money Mayweather cashed a $100+ million check from his May 2nd unanimous decision victory over Pacquiao (a check he literally displayed to the world during his remarkable post-fight press conference). Humility is not his style, unless it has a dollar sign woven into the fabric.

The condo in the prestigious Sunny Isles Beach is listed for nearly $2 million.

The penthouse features four bedrooms and five bathrooms.

The ultimate pitchman defeated Pacquiao while wearing a watch advertisement on his boxing trunks. At the press conference, he suddenly halted questioning to open a Coke can, which he promptly guzzled in refreshing fashion (we suspect he was paid to perform a live commercial). This was followed by mentions of his massive check, his Bugatti cars, Hublot watches, and Fan Duel (again, we suspect more bank deposits encouraged him to do so). He even gave props to the Miami area condo he's selling.

Mayweather is selling his condo in favor of a spacious home (likely an expensive one, relatively speaking).

Under intense scrutiny, Floyd Mayweather Jr. defeated Manny Pacquiao and reportedly pocketed more than $100 million.

Mayweather faced Pacquiao amid intense media scrutiny about his checkered past of serious allegations of domestic abuse (which made Las Vegas underdog Pacquiao the sentimental favorite for many). But Mayweather, known for his counterpunching and great defense inside the ring, used those same skills to duck the issue. It was perhaps his best and most urgent defense yet—armed with media savvy, protective handlers, and of course, money. Mayweather is already the wealthiest boxer ever (and currently the highest-paid athlete), with estimated earnings of $600 million, not counting other ventures. There’s at least $2 million more coming his way soon, minus closing costs.

The post UPDATE: Boxer Floyd Mayweather Dismisses Pacquiao But Keeps Miami Penthouse appeared first on Haute Residence by Haute Living.

Rotterdam, Europe’s largest port city, is coming clean with the proposed Dutch Windwheel, the world’s most innovative and energy-efficient wind turbine. Slated to open in 2020, it will dramatically alter the city’s skyline as a contemporary architectural spectacle and the greatest showcase of Dutch Clean Technology.

The Dutch Windwheel is an attraction that will instantly change the fortunes of Rotterdam as a travel destination.

The 570-foot-tall future landmark will feature pioneering Electrostatic Wind Energy Converter (EWICON) technology, which allows the Dutch Windwheel to convert wind energy into electricity via steel tubes and no moving mechanical parts. This translates to less wear, lower maintenance costs, no noise, and no moving shadows on the landscape.

Developed by a government-funded consortium (the Dutch Windwheel Corporation), which includes TU Delft and Wageningen University, Dutch Windwheel boasts a state-of-the-art design of two intertwined, three-dimensional rings (one as part of the foundation) crafted from a light, open steel-and-glass construction. One ring serves as the foundation, which extends underwater—giving the appearance that the renewable windmill is floating on the harbor.

Rendering of the sky lobby observation deck with panoramic views

The Dutch Windwheel is a mixed-use facility whose inner ring boasts commercial space, underground parking, 72 permanent apartments, a 160-room hotel across seven floors, a sky lobby observation deck, and a panoramic restaurant. The wind turbine is unlike any other windmill in the Netherlands—or for that matter, in the world. The inner ring also features unique circular elevators and staircases in the project’s structural core.

A digital lighting and panoramic 3D interactive roller-coaster experience chronicles the great history of the Dutch water management system (the most advanced in the world) via the façade’s “smart walls,” which are actually glass panels that project a virtual layer of information. Part of this thrill ride includes an underwater film experience with guests literally under the surface of the harbor.

The Netherlands is famous for its sustainable windmills which power towns, cities and its reputation as a world-class efficient energy producer.

The mixed-used Dutch Windwheel features residences, a hotel, commercial space and a roller coaster 3-D experience.

Above the surface, forty traveling, rail-linked coaster cabins sprint through the outer ring, offering tourists sweeping views of Rotterdam, its harbor, architecture, the recently-reconstructed Second Maasvlakte port, Kinderdijk’s group of 18th century mills (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), the sea, and even the cities of Delft, The Hague, and Dordrecht.

Much like the St. Louis Arch, the Dutch Windwheel will dominate Rotterdam’s skyline and inject the city with pride and new energy (both figuratively and literally speaking). The landmark is expected to draw profit within 10 years while attracting hordes of tourists per year to the local economy. With a predicted 1.5 million annual visitors, the iconic Dutch Windwheel offers tourists reason to give another “dam” about the Netherlands—crossing Amsterdam and Rotterdam off of their bucket lists.

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The same will be true when Cairo, Egypt opens "The Gate," a budding $589 million ecological design development expected to attract hordes of affluent, environmentally-conscious tourists, citizens, and businesses who will explore, relax, and transact at the future venue starting in 2019.

"The Gate," Egypt's future eco-friendly complex, will cost approximately $589 million.

The Gate is highlighted by nine mega tree wind-catchers which will help cool the eco-friendly complex.

The Gate will be a hyperconnected, mixed-use ecosystem of residential and commercial spaces that are luxurious, vertical, and sustainable, including a five-star hotel. But the project’s most visible ecological symbols are nine mega tree wind-catchers (known as “Malqaf” in Arabic), which will redirect airflow for a refreshing, natural cooling and ventilation system across the complex (including patios, basements, terraces and the main boulevard).

About 1,000 apartments will benefit from the green technology, which will save 50% on energy costs.

Windcatchers (known as “Malqaf” in Arabic) have been a popular cooling technique in Egypt since ancient times.

Real estate company Abraj Misr (the project’s financier) and designer Vincent Callebaut Architectures (VCA) will team up to create the elite green complex featuring a unique combination of high-end luxury (convenient limousines, spas, fitness and recreation centers, beauty and pet salons), and advanced eco-friendly technology (most visibly solar cells, living walls, wind turbines and rooftop food gardens).

Usually, the only common thread between luxury living and sustainable living is the color green. But The Gate is slated to become an internationally-renowned exception. The project will offer a 50% energy savings and a much lower carbon footprint than a typical luxury complex.

The Gate will be connected ecosystem of luxurious residential, commercial, five-star hotel, and retail spaces that are vertical and sustainable.

Overhead view of the interconnected complex and its mega trees and sky gardens.

According to Green Prophet, a Middle Eastern publication that reports on sustainable architecture and news, The Gate is “designed around a central boulevard,” adjacent rectangular buildings with contemporary apartments and façades “inspired by fish gills” which will offer shade from the sun.

About 1000 energy-efficient residences will benefit from green energy sources (wind turbines, thermal solar energy, photovoltaic solar energy, geothermal energy, biomass) which are seamlessly weaved into The Gate’s bioclimatic design which relies on solar cycles, wind directions and endemic plant species).

A community garden will “provide a social and sustainable space for the building’s occupants," says Green Prophet. The lush rooftop sky garden space (whose amenities include sporting areas, playgrounds, infinity swimming pools, orchards and the food garden) will act as insulation to “reduce urban warming” for all the residences below.

The Gate is scheduled to be completed by 2019.

This solar photovoltaic roof will be covered in “walkable solar panels” which will generate a significant amount of electricity for the building. Green living walls will serve an aesthetic and functional purpose—reducing the overall temperature at The Gate. Green Prophet also says the living walls may allow for water reuse via purification of polluted water and absorbed nutrients. In addition, solar water heating systems will deliver hot water to all bathrooms and kitchens at the complex. Meanwhile, smart home technology will create even greater efficiency via sensors that control zones, rooms, temperatures, and ventilation. We also assume The Gate's plastic and cardboard recycling program will be top-notch.

There’s one more unintended ecological effect: The Gate will still be in the metaphorical shadow of the Great Pyramids at Giza (like everything else in Egypt), where most of the nation's energy is directed. But we’re sure future tourists who stay at The Gate's five-star hotel will be okay with that.

The post Cairo Plans Open ‘The Gate’: a Luxurious Mixed-Use Green Complex appeared first on Haute Residence by Haute Living.

In 2014, the Fox News honcho splurged $57.25 million on the top four floors at One Madison (including a penthouse triplex), and a year later he’s flipping the penthouse for a listed $72 million. Perhaps this is why he’s the 77th richest person in the world, according to the recent Forbes Billionaire’s List.

Rupert Murdoch purchased the top four floors of One Madison, including the triplex penthouse which he had constructed to his taste.

Murdoch purchased floors 57 to 60 in the Madison Square Park luxury building—the raw 6,850-square-foot penthouse triplex from floors 58 to 60 that was under construction; and a full-floor, three-bedroom condo on the 57th floor, where he reportedly lived while architect Jose Ramirez built his new penthouse.

The penthouse boasts a double height Grand Room.

Former rendering showcases sweeping staircases.

Murdoch is selling the penthouse condo for $72 million but he will keep the 57th floor condo.

The One Madison triplex features five bedrooms, five-and-a-half bathrooms, a 750-square-foot wraparound terrace, a double-height Great Room with sweeping staircase, a private internal elevator, and panoramic views of Madison Park, Manhattan's skyline, and the Hudson and East rivers. Luxurious condo amenities include a full-time doorman and concierge, an indoor lap pool, glass-enclosed steam room, gym, lounge, screening room, and access to the private One Club, a residents-only club offering elite levels of personal service—things Murdoch can get anywhere with a snap of his platinum fingers.

One Madison boasts panoramic views of Manhattan's entire skyline, including the Hudson and East rivers.

Updated photos of Murdoch’s completed penthouse have yet to be released. Dolly Lenz of Dolly Lenz Real Estate LLC has the listing. He will keep the 57th floor apartment, according to the The Wall Street Journal (which is also owned by the media mogul), and thus remain neighbors with four-time Super Bowl champion quarterback Tom Brady and his supermodel wife Giselle Bündchen.

It appears Murdoch is playing musical lairs because there’s even more breaking news: the Fox titan also recently bought a $25 million Greek Revival townhouse (nearly 6,500 square feet with a 1,200-bottle wine cellar) in the West Village at 278 West 11th Street, which likely explains his One Madison penthouse listing. The former bed-and-breakfast between Bleecker and West 4th streets was converted into a single-family home by seller George Agiovlasitis, who bought the property in 2011 for $8.2 million. Murdoch paid triple that price, however the townhouse was listed at $30 million so he shrewdly saved $5 million there. Brown Harris Stevens’ David Kornmeier had the listing.

Murdoch's new Greek Revival mansion in the West Village, which cost him a hip $25 million.

Murdoch's new home offers Greenwich Village charm with modern amenities inside.

The mansion was originally built in 1853 for William Bogert, a silversmith for Tiffany & Company. In 1985, owner Hercules Kontos turned the townhouse into the West Eleventh Townhouse bed-and-breakfast: a purple-painted lodging house that offered four kitchen-supplied apartment suites. Post 2011, Agiovlasitis restored the integrity of the original townhouse, which now offers access to Bleecker Gardens, a large communal garden included in ownership of townhouses bordering it. Murdoch's new West Village mansion also boasts terraces on the second and third floors, as well as a modern rooftop deck fully equipped with smart technology.

The rooftop deck is a convenient outdoor space with built-in smart technology.

Murdoch's personal garden has access to Bleecker Gardens which borders his new townhouse.

Still late breaking: word is Murdoch's News Corp. and 21st Century Fox are jointly developing an 88-story skyscraper at World Trade Center 2 as future synergistic headquarters. This fourth office tower would finally complete the new World Trade Center complex, about 17 years after the previous site was destroyed on September 11, 2001.

Murdoch is on the move. News of his real estate spending sprees and success of The Wall Street Journal is positive turnaround from the 2011 Murdoch-owned News of the World London hacking scandal of celebrities and royals, which damaged his empire’s reputation. But it's nothing that time and $72 million can’t fix (not to mention huge future revenue from Fox News' 2016 presidential election coverage). If Murdoch gets his wish (and he usually does), his penthouse sale could also set a record price for downtown Manhattan. If so, start spreading the news.

The post News Flash: Rupert Murdoch’s Penthouse Could Be Yours for $72 Million appeared first on Haute Residence by Haute Living.

He even sacked his Boca Raton, Florida home, ripping it out to the skeleton and completely remodeling it over two-and-a-half years—with surprising All-Pro results (if you like stone, dark brown and natural sunlight). Now the Super Bowl champion has listed his 6,861-square-foot, extensively-renovated estate for $1.99 million.

A grand entrance boasts two crystal chandeliers, huge impact windows, and 21-foot ceilings.

Large kitchen with custom cabinetry and granite countertops

Pierre-Paul converted the residence from an old-fashioned estate into a wide-open contemporary residence.

Pierre-Paul, who bought the home in 2012 for $1.2 million, exhibited eclectic and masculine design instincts while transforming the six-bedroom, six-bath residence from an old-fashioned estate into a wide-open contemporary residence with a massive grand entrance, 21-foot-high coffered ceilings, crystal chandeliers, an upgraded kitchen with custom cabinetry, marble and rich hardwood floors, a spa and four-person sauna, and oversized impact windows that allow the bright Florida sunshine to pervade the home. The house also offers a 400-square-foot master suite with walk-in closet, a master bathroom with whirlpool tub and shower, and an office with built-in shelves and cabinets.

The estate features six bedrooms and six baths.

Four-person sauna

Brown cabinetry and stone floors and walls are recurring theme in Pierre-Paul's design scheme.

A massive exterior boasts a three-car garage, a 800-square-foot pool, a Jacuzzi, a covered deck, a huge second-floor patio, an outdoor shower, and an outdoor kitchen—all flanked by gorgeously tall palm trees. JPP’s friends, family, or even teammates can crash in his two-bedroom, one-bathroom guesthouse with a kitchen, where they can fire up the grill.

Not bad for a 26-year old Florida native who spends six months a year chasing down mobile quarterbacks like Tony Romo and Robert Griffin III—primarily in the cold, windy New Jersey Meadowlands. The 6-foot-5, 278-pound sack-master is known for his unusually long arms, but his reach apparently extends beyond the gridiron. Listing agent Lawrence Weisberg of Agency Luxe admits the extensive house remodeling was executed exclusively around No. 90’s ideas and interests—namely entertaining people and closet space for his large sneaker and hat collections.

Weisberg, who compared the home to a new construction, told Realtor.com, “I don’t think there’s any original house [left] in there.”

Countless palm trees grace the spacious exterior the one-acre estate, which is listed for nearly $2 million.

800-square-foot pool

The estate totals 6,861 feet, including the guesthouse.

Outdoor kitchen for al fresco dining and entertaining

Pierre-Paul’s home is located on one acre in the exclusive Fieldbrook Estates, a private South Florida gated community known for contemporary Mediterranean-inspired homes and exclusive golf country clubs.

Why sell soon after pouring so much time, effort, money, and concrete into the long renovation (after all, flipping the property could have been a lot easier)? Pierre-Paul played in contract limbo, and until recently, he wasn’t sure which team he’d play for in 2015-2016. In March, the Giants franchise tagged him (an NFL team option for retaining elite, indispensable players who are eligible to become free agents). The franchise tag tradeoff means JPP will earn $14 million next season (a hefty raise, for at least one year). He could easily sack another home and renovate again with that much dough in his pocket.

The home is located in Fieldbrook Estates, a gated community of Mediterranean-inspired homes and exclusive country clubs.

Jason Pierre-Paul in his element, about to sack Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo.

So it’s back to New Jersey for now. All JPP needs is a Boca Raton buyer to justify his interior moves off the field. We already know how he’d tackle such problems on the field, especially if they attempt to throw a football. Besides, a $14 million salary is more than enough sunshine—even if the Meadowlands remains your home field.

The post New York Giants’ Star Jason Pierre-Paul Lists Boca Raton Home for $2 Million appeared first on Haute Residence by Haute Living.

French firms Manal Rachdi OXO Architects and Nicolas Laisné Associés dispel that notion with its latest concept—"City Sand Tower," currently a virtual and in futurity a vertical city in Morocco’s Sahara Desert. You can never fault people (even architects) for wanting to play in a sandbox.

French firms OXO Architects and Nicolas Laisné Associés proposed a unique concept—a desert oasis vertical city.

The ground-level pool flooded in natural light

From a distance, the conceptual city’s main structure (dubbed “La Ville Tour des Sables”) resembles a monumental rock over a vast sandy landscape before emerging as mixed-use architectural wonder that includes a hotel, housing, restaurants, an enormous interior pool, hanging gardens, a desert museum, meteorological observatory, and even rooftop helicopter landing pads. Closer inspection reveals a massive maze of interconnected street bazaar souks, ideal for exotic shopping.

City Sand Tower is connected to a maze of external street bazaars.

Hanging vegetation covers the inner structure and and is reflected by a pool below.

A stunning lap pool on one of the upper floors

The huge ground-level flow pool is the tower’s interior centerpiece, reflecting live trees, beam-patterned sunrays, and the vegetation-covered atrium and waterfalls high above. Another large lap pool occupies the upper floor space. The rooftop is equipped with shelves for several helicopter landing areas. Mini sand tower substructures pop-up at various points throughout the city street bazaars.

Helicopter landing pads surround the rooftop of City Sand Tower.

The proposed desert skyscraper illuminates at night.

At 450 meters high, the 780,000-square-meter complex is designed to meet the demands of desert life. According to Design Boom, various spaces to "play, pray, and swim" highlight the upper floors where panoramic views are sweeping (although we’re not sure what can be viewed in a vast desert, aside from mirages and "simoom" sandstorms). However, the City Sand Tower illuminates at night.

If "30 Rock" attracts visitors to New York's concrete jungle, perhaps this Morocco mirage rock can attract desert dwellers. City Sand Tower is between a rock and a hard place, but it's still the biggest sandbox in the world.

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Reality mama Linda Hogan is selling Villa Di Montagna, the Tuscan-style home allegedly paid for with her generous "divorce dolari" from the WWE’s bandana’d wrestling icon. Her asking price this time?—$5.5 million, according to the property listing by Christophe Choo of Coldwell Banker Previews International. Considering what she charged Hulk, this deal could be a bargain.

Hulk Hogan's ex wife Linda recently listed Villa Di Montagna for $5.5 million

The Tuscan-style villa features five bedrooms and five-and-a-half bathrooms.

The inner courtyard is reminiscent of the Tuscan variety in central Italy.

Villa Di Montagna is perched high above the double gated community of Wood Ranch with exceptional views of the valley, mountain, and Wood Ranch Country Club & Golf Course.

Linda paid $3.5 million for the nearly 24-acre Simi Valley home in 2010, soon after the breakup and after starring in “Hogan Knows Best,” a reality series that quickly tossed her and her kids through the same fame and fortune turnstile as Hulk (real name Terry Bollea), who also co-starred on the show.

Formal dining room

Impressive great room with stone floors and back wall

Tuscan styling pervades the home with interiors by Linda Hogan designs, the homeowner's company.

Fireplace and unique antler chandelier mix western and Tuscan flavors

Beautiful stairwell with chandelier and arched windows.

The Tuscan kitchen with custom cabinetry

The 6,300-square-foot estate is perched on a hilltop in a private, gated celebrity compound at Wood Ranch, with 360-degree views of the valley, mountain, and Wood Ranch Country Club & Golf Course. The massive property is a stunning value, boasting a spa, vineyard, 2,500-tree avocado orchard, a one-acre private lake with nature preserve, and an award-winning infinity pool with waterslides and waterfalls.

The five-bedroom, five-and-a-half bathroom residence was luxuriously remodeled in recent years with interiors by Linda Hogan herself. The residence includes a stone flooring, a grand formal entry, formal living room with inexplicable antler chandelier, inner courtyard, a large kitchen with custom cabinets, dining space with panoramic views, and a detached guesthouse. The home is outfitted with a Crestron system and security cameras, and is celebrity and pet-friendly with a helicopter landing area for jet-setters and a 300-foot fenced-in dog run for Irish Setters.

The home is blessed with beautiful grounds, a private lake, and this panoramic dining patio.

Award-winning infinity pool with waterfall and waterslide

Infinity pool view of the valley

Outdoor fire pit

Linda pinned down an agreement with her Hulky former tag team partner, receiving 70% of the couple’s liquid assets (worth more than $30 million), 40% ownership of the wrestler's various companies, a $3 million property settlement, $7.44 million of the couple's $10.41 million held in bank and investment accounts, and a few luxury cars, according to the St. Petersburg Times.

Linda and Hulk Hogan starred with their kids (middle), Nick and Brooke, in the reality series "Hogan Knows Best."

Not a bad deal. If she can wrestle that much from a former Wrestlemania superstar, perhaps she should be wrestling’s heavyweight champion.

The post Hulk Hogan’s Ex Looks To Wrestle $5.5 Million from Buyer of Simi Valley Villa appeared first on Haute Residence by Haute Living.

In fact, it’s too much for the owners of 71 Franklin Street in Tribeca. So they’re scaling back the eight-unit, five-story condo building—converting the 52-foot-wide edifice into one eye-popping single-family mega mansion with at least seven bedrooms and 18 baths spanning nine levels of living space. The numbers are so staggering, it’s practically math. Speaking of staggering math, the mansion can be delivered furnished for an estimated $65 million, or can be purchased clean for a mere $50 million (and then renovated).

According to The Wall Street Journal, Turret Collaborative Architects has been commissioned to convert the multi-unit space into a ludicrous 20,000-square-foot Vanity Land for some über wealthy, wine sipping, art collecting, basketball playing narcissist. Goodbye to current façade, fire escapes, window air conditioners, and residents! This condo configuration and interior walls will be demolished in favor of a plunge bath, climbing wall, rooftop farm, and a two-car vertical lift garage. And that’s not all.

Owners of this eight-unit Tribeca building intend to convert it to a seven-story, 20,000-square-foot mega mansion that will be sold for an estimated $65 million to a wealthy person who will have little reason to ever leave home.

The proposed sprawling mansion will boggle (and perhaps break) the imagination. The home will be ready-made for work, relaxation, leisure, entertaining, and virtually everything else—with its home office and conference room, gym and glass-walled yoga studio, 59-foot lap pool, 540-square-foot recreation room, and even a spa (with a shower, treatment room and sauna). Will the eventual owner ever need to leave the house? While most wonder why they never use their little office nook, this owner will contemplate the frequency of Spider-Manning the massive climbing wall by the stairs. Or the owner could set up Duke-Wisconsin-style contests on the regulation basketball half-court.

Room service? No problem, two staff quarters will be on call. Plus, there’s a nanny suite, children’s playroom, and kid’s study. Entertaining? Try the music room, 20-seat home theater, 540-square-foot art gallery, or the 235-square-foot wine cellar and tasting room with terrace. Whatever floats your boat (sadly there are no proposed gondolas or gondoliers…yet). Security?—check. There’s a “valuables storage” in the duplex walk-in closet and just in case Jodie Foster buys it, there’s a hidden panic room with self-sufficient power and reinforced walls, floors, and ceiling.

The new mansion will boast an urban rooftop farm, climbing wall, wine tasting room, art gallery, basketball court and panic room.

Plans are in place to convert the 52-foot-wide building into a home, which is listed with Leonard Steinberg of Compass. Buyers have the option to build-out themselves, by which the property can be purchased as raw space for $50 million, Steinberg told The Wall Street Journal. Converting the building would take 18 to 24 months, he said.

The 71 Franklin building was constructed in the mid-1800s and originally intended for industrial purposes. Since 1968 it has been owned by Mordy Lipkis and his family, and it has since been converted to apartments. The property became a favorite haunt for artists who may be permitted to visit the art gallery if the new owner is so generous. Currently, the building only has one residential and one retail tenant, who will be leaving the premises soon. Rising Tribeca real estate values compel the family to let the property go—for a fortune.

According to proposed plans, the architectural features of the mega mansion sound like a prank (a math prank)—a 10-story stairwell, 24-foot ceilings, a 25-foot bridge (yes, a bridge inside of the house), another mezzanine bridge (two bridges!), and a 53-foot-long cast-iron façade with a six-bay arched arcade. This could be the headquarters for a new Roman Empire.

The living space? A fourth-floor living room is 1,325 square feet with a three-story fireplace. There's no word on whether this fireplace comes with its own fire department, but we'd call three-story flames a bonfire. The 650-square-foot formal dining room has a balcony and skylight (dwarfing the informal 220-square-foot dining room with its grill). Throw in the rooftop amenities for good measure—terraces, kitchen and grill, urban rooftop farm, bar (one of many in the home), hot tub, outdoor shower and the home is complete.

Of course there’s not enough space (or time) here to mention everything—like the heliport. Just kidding. A heliport would be over the top.

The post Proposed Mega Mansion in Tribeca Will Be a $65 Million Vanity Land appeared first on Haute Residence by Haute Living.

The in-demand actor and his model boyfriend Miles McMillan recently switched coasts, dropping $3.1625 million for a two-bedroom, two-and-a-half bathroom apartment in NoHo with enough oversized windows to shed natural light on Quinto’s dark characters. The couple’s two rescue dogs, Skunk and Noah, will reportedly share the new downtown digs.

The nearly 2,300-square-foot loft was purchased for $3.2 million.

The nearly 2,300-square-foot home is a full-floor unit with direct elevator access, a stainless steel gourmet kitchen, walnut floors, and contemporary interiors with unique architectural accents (matching walnut beams, decorative ceiling light sconces, exposed brick walls and pipes, built-in bookshelves).

The home boasts an open gourmet kitchen with stainless steel appliances.

Quinto's new digs include two-and-a-half bathrooms.

According to Zillow, Quinto, who is starring in more New York-centric roles, sold his mid-century Los Angeles home in the trendy Los Feliz neighborhood for nearly $1.3 million last fall.

One of the two bedrooms

The loft offers unique accents such as custom book shelves and exposed brick walls.

The “hit maker" has landed memorable roles in successful TV shows, including Hannibal, 24, Heroes, American Horror Story, CSI, Six Feet Under, Girls, and most recently as the slapper in The Slap. But the Star Trek franchise was his big screen breakthrough. While the recently deceased Leonard Nimoy (the original Spock) has presumably beamed up to heaven, Quinto will play Spock again in the next Star Trek installment, which hits theaters in 2016. (Considering Nimoy won three Emmy Awards as Spock, Quinto has very big pointy ears to fill.)

Photos and details courtesy of CORE

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Bitcoin investors, Facebook-progenitors and former Olympic rowers Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss are renting their minimalist Los Angeles mansion for a whopping $150,000 per month—and the social networking possibilities there are limitless. The sleek home is located in the Bird Streets area, tucked on a steep slope high above the Sunset Strip.

The minimalist mansion with floor-to-ceiling glass walls and manicured lawns can be rented for $150,000 per month.

The 8,000-square-foot space boasts a loggia that opens to the outdoor terrace and pool.

Straight out of a movie set, the massive modern five-bedroom, nine-bathroom estate is ideal for entertaining on a grand scale. You don't rent this place merely to crash for the night. In fact, we’re not sure if any sleeping goes on in this house—unless it’s out of lust. The estate is a pure showstopper.

With easy open-air access via huge sliding glass doors, an L-shaped  negative-edge swimming pool, terraces, a tanning-shelf, a lounge with wet bar, media room and jaw-dropping panoramic "jetliner views" of L.A., this home is primed for partying all the time.

The home opens up to allow breezy night air to flow through the house.

The home's open spaces are ideal for entertaining, including this minimalist kitchen.

Dining area

The home features polished slab limestone floors throughout the sprawling interconnected spaces, which includes five en-suite bedrooms, an office/library with custom-crafted built-in storage, and a combination kitchen/dining/living area so large it looks abandoned when not used. Clearly this area isn't the home's most important space in which to hang out. But it's nice, and there when necessary.

One of five bedrooms

Guest bedroom. although we doubt much sleeping goes on in this home.

The estate has nine bathrooms

Living space with ample lighting and a modern fireplace

James Bond Alpha male media room

The 8,000-square-foot contemporary home is immaculately manicured, boasting extensive floor-to-ceiling transparent glass and spaces so wide open, twins could host an "Unthink" rally (antisocial networking group) or an “I Hate Mark Zuckerberg” party for nearly everyone in L.A. not on Facebook.

The Winklevosses (or Winklevi, as tandemly teased in the Oscar-winning The Social Network film) could probably practice rowing in the pool. The space could host a holiday party for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Angels, Lakers, Clippers, and Kings, and still have room leftover. The eventual renter could comfortably ride a bike through the home—and by bike we mean a Harley Davidson. It’s that big and open. The house should be converted into L.A.'s coolest nightclub.

Patio view of Los Angeles at night

Outdoor patio area with more signs of OCD-like perfectionism. It's a sleep-deprived estate with lots of pillow-talk.

Open-air loggia adjacent to the pool

Pool view of Los Angeles and the Sunset Strip below

Negative-edge swimming pool

Not exactly warm and cozy (sans the pool and fancy modern fireplaces), the home almost looks staged by two Alpha male perfectionists—down to the James Bond 007 scenes on the massive TV wall and underground garage for six luxury cars or even more crew racing shells.

The Winklevoss Facebook settlement with Mark Zuckerberg elevated the twins to the top 1%.

The venture capitalist identical twin brothers who claimed their Harvard classmate Zuckerberg stole their idea for Facebook (and eventually settled for $65 million), bought the home in 2012 for $18 million (not bad for pseudo-inventors). Even though Zuckerberg's determination sealed their legacy, the twins and Zuckerberg aren't likely Facebook friends.

We can only wonder where and how the Winklevoss twins upgraded after this home. But we’re sure the trailer of the next James Bond film is paused in their new media room.

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It just might be. Morphosis Architects recently unveiled renderings for its ambitious 1,250-foot mirrored resort hotel in the sleepy Alpine village of Vals. The skyscraper, dubbed “7132” (Vals postcode), will be located adjacent to Japanese architect Tadao Ando’s Valser Path (slated for completion in 2017) and Swiss architect Peter Zumthor’s “The Therme Vals,” the revered high-end spa resort built in 1996 from 60,000 slabs of stacked quartzite, and will stand to become the tallest skyscraper not only in Switzerland, but in Europe.

The 7132 Hotel is a controversial 1,250-foot resort skyscraper that dominates the surrounding Swiss Alps village of Vals, and obstructs some mountain views.

Rendering of the transparent tower which (as the proposed tallest building in Europe) does its best to achieve the impossible—blending into the landscape.

The luxury 7132 Hotel boasts 107 panoramic guest rooms and suites, a grand lobby, sky bar, restaurant, art gallery, library, ballroom, fitness and business centers, spas (of course), and a podium linking the tower to neighboring structures. It also offers village-shared public amenities such as a cantilever with restaurant, cafe and bar.

The proposed tower boldly dominates the landscape next to the picturesque Swiss Alps, evoking an incredibly perplexing optical double-take. Are skyscrapers supposed to be in a rural mountainous area? That’s like building a massive barn in midtown Manhattan. Or gazing at a gorgeous person who's missing eyebrows. It’s an intriguing spectacle, but it feels wrong. Something is off.

The 7132 skyscraper towers over the surrounding village, obstructing some mountain views for miles while touting unobstructed views from the hotel rooms. Vals ongoing resort development is actually the brainchild of local residents— collaborators Pius Truffer (executive director of the complex) and  Remo Stoffel (7132 Ltd. founder), who were both born in Vals. They also own and operate The Therme Vals, which was purchased from the municipality in 2012. The skyscraper hotel is is scheduled for completion by 2019. Their stated goal: for the 7132 tower to become one of the "five best hotels in the world,” attracting ultra-high net worth tourists from Asia and the Middle East. Rates will range from $1,043 to a jaw-dropping $26,063 per night.

The hotel is the third wing of the 7132 project, which also includes The Therme Vals spa and the Valser Path.

Thom Mayne's firm Morphosis designed a minimalist, mirrored hotel whose "reflective skin and slender profile camouflage with the landscape."

7132 Hotel will offer 107 rooms from $1043 to an staggering $26,063 per night.

Room view of the Vals valley.

When constructed, the hotel will become the tallest tower in all of Europe, including Vals, a modest village with a population around 1,000 people that's famous for being home to the only thermal springs in the Swiss Canton of Graubünden. The village’s Therme Vals spa has been a hallowed “site of worship for both bathers and countless design pilgrims since it opened in 1996,” according to The Guardian.

However, the new 7132 resort tower is dealing with visceral backlash from harsh critics who consider it an eyesore, or worse. “Skyscrapers in the Alps are an absurdity,” said Vittorio Lampugnani, Professor of Architecture at the Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zurich, who claims it's unnecessary to accommodate that many people in such a small space in the mountains.

Yes, the hills are alive with the sound of protest—even in Switzerland, the neutral nation. Although non-interventionist by nature, the landlocked nation of timepieces and chocolates is also steadfastly protective of its industries, culture, and land. The controversy began when Stoffel wrangled control of The Therme Vals spa from architect Zumthor's consortium. Then an international jury walked out on the development competition process citing significant question marks on factors such as the project's scale.

But Truffer and Stoffel are locals. The loudest objections echo beyond the Vals valley (the Swiss are usually too polite to complain loudly). The avalanche of criticism comes from outside design observers who are apparently horrified by the 7132 hotel.

The Guardian critic Oliver Wainwright describes Mayne's tower as a "design statement that verges on farce… a gigantic mirror-clad middle finger aimed at the region... it's hard to imagine a more obnoxious gesture to inflict on a sleepy spa town." That critique is kinder than the Archinect commenter who skewers the 7132 hotel as the “worst piece of architecture in the history of architecture, including all Walmarts and Taco Bells.”

So tell us what you really think! These passionate skeptics consider the 7132 tower tantamount to a sin—in terms of clashing with the environment and disregarding the local community. Architect Ando begs to differ. He says, “The transparent and slim ‘7132’ tower designed by Thom Mayne of Morphosis will create a completely new hospitality in Vals. I believe it will harmonize in the beautiful landscape and will attract and impress various guests and visitors from all over the world.”

The Therme Vals spa, a world-class tourist destination that contours to the Swiss Alps landscape.

The Therme Vals spa features meandering light-and-dark labyrinths that flow through various pools.

Therme Vals boasts a cave or quarry-like environment similar to the areas many quarries.

Just like The Therme Vals spa, the Therme spa is iconic for its design but also its environmental consideration. Inspired by Valser Quartzite slabs, Therme created a cave or quarry-like environment that respectfully contours to the natural surroundings—from bathrooms that lay beneath a grass roof structure half-buried into the hillside to the meandering light-and-dark labyrinths that flow through pools, bubbles and steam-saturated air for a complete sensory experience that recalls the ancient benefits of bathing. Its silent bathing experience receives rave reviews.

Mayne himself stated, “The incredible setting demands reducing materiality and presence in the design so that, as in all our work, the connection to site becomes paramount. As much as possible, the hotel is a minimalist act that re-iterates the site and offers to the viewer a mirrored, refracted perspective of the landscape. He says, "...the tower’s reflective skin and slender profile camouflage with the landscape, abstracting and displacing the valley and sky."

The beautiful Swiss Alps

The Swiss Alp village of Vals is populated by an estimated 1000 people who will ultimately decide on the fate of the 7132 Hotel skyscraper.

Vals’ magic formula is: 1,000 residents, 1,000 sheep and 1,000 hotel beds. Will the sheep be as confused by the skyscraper as we are? Judging by the fact that they pose for cameras, perhaps not.

Can you really blend Europe's tallest building into the Swiss valley landscape? The 7132 website bills the complex offerings as a rejection of mass tourism. How, by building a skyscraper hotel? The concept is a bit confusing but perhaps it would become clearer if we walked the Valser Path or soaked in Therme spa’s pools for awhile.

The hotel, path, and spa complex is part of a big 7132 marketing blitz for the village that states “Vals’ magic formula is very simple 1000 residents, 1000 sheep and 1000 hotel beds. This magical ratio is the secret of the relaxed atmosphere in the Vals valley. Discretion is everything. Vals is sheer indulgence.” Indulgence for sure. Discretion? Again, let us ponder this in the calm, misty Therme waters.

In Switzerland, the egos are small and the mountains are tall. On this one, the Swiss public and outside observers aren’t exactly neutral. The project still needs to secure planning permission, and it will be publicly voted on by Vals residents who will have final say. We shall see what happens when it's completed. Until then, hold on to your sheep.

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The suddenly A-list comedic actor just re-listed his two-bedroom, two-bath Howard Street apartment in SoHo for $3.5 million—$300,000 less than last summer’s listing, which ended when Hill had second thoughts and took it off market. He even tried renting the loft for $12,000 to $14,000 per month, according to Zillow.

The 2,000-square-foot full-floor loft is on the market for $3.5 million, $300,000 less than its first listing last summer.

The home features exposed brick walls, original hardwood floors and ceilings that soar more than 13 feet high.

Oversized windows provide ample light to the living area.

Let’s call this official re-listing his latest sequel (much like the upcoming 23 Jump Street, which is more proof that there’s no limit to how high Hollywood will count when box office receipts perform).

Built in 1915, the authentic Nolita apartment with extra large windows overlooks Crosby Street and SoHo’s gorgeous pedestrians from the second floor of a boutique cast iron building. The 2,000-square-foot, full-floor loft boasts 13-foot-plus ceilings, exposed white brick walls, original hardwood floors, gourmet kitchen, marbled bathrooms, fireplace, central air conditioning and washer/dryer.

The renovated kitchen with an old wood table and modern appliances

Jonah Hill's loft has been listed twice and once asked for $12,000 to $14,000 per month.

The two-bedroom loft is currently organized as a massive one-bedroom master suite that can be converted back to its original design.

Hill’s renovated modern pad is currently configured as a huge one-bedroom master suite (and a second interior flex room), which can be easily reconverted back to two bedrooms, according to Douglas Elliman’s listing. Jared Seligman is the loft’s listing agent. Hill bought the apartment in 2012 for $2.65 million.

Modern marbled bathroom

Built in 1915, Jonah Hill's listed apartment occupies the second floor of a boutique cast iron building overlooking Crosby Street and all of its fashionably gorgeous pedestrians.

The actor burst onto the Hollywood scene as a hilariously angst-ridden teenager chasing beer and girls in Superbad, a comedic tour-de-force performance that skyrocketed his fame and fortune in real life. That memorable role elevated the now 31-year-old’s career to the A-list—co-starring opposite Brad Pitt in Moneyball and Leonardo DiCaprio in The Wolf of Wall Street—both of which garnered Hill Academy Award nominations.

Hill (embracing his fake veneers) and Leonardo DiCaprio were nominated for Academy Awards for their performances in The Wolf of Wall Street.

Jonah Hill's breakout performance was in Superbad as Seth, a frustrated teenager who wore a shirt that was as uncomfortably bad as his attitude.

Now that he's hit the big time, the in-demand actor can afford to upgrade his home. Which begs the real question Superbad fans want to know—is Hill’s super-horrible Superbad shirt in his personal closet, or in The Smithsonian where it belongs?

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The Filipino pugilist and politician is admittedly capitalizing on his upcoming, highly anticipated May 2nd welterweight championship fight versus Mayweather, widely considered the biggest title fight in two decades and likely the most profitable pay-per-view event ever—potentially grossing $400 million, according to ESPN.

Then again, Pacquiao (real nickname, “Pac-Man”) has made an estimated $300 million-plus in his career, and already has a current net worth of at least $135 million. So price wasn't an issue. Just in case, he threw in four fight tickets to close the deal on the home, according to USA Today.

Boxer Manny Pacquiao bought this gated Mediterranean-style mansion for $12.5 million, plus four tickets to his championship fight versus Floyd Mayweather.

Ground-floor foyer

"No doubt [the tickets] helped," listing agent Elsa Nelson told USA Today's Martin Rogers. "The sellers are great fans of boxing and of Manny, so it was a big deal." That's especially true when tickets are expected to range from four to six figures.

Pacquiao TKO'd two other bidders for the guard-gated mansion at 12055 Summit Circle. His new home, like his next championship opponent, is a considerable upgrade from the 4,273-square-foot, five-bedroom Hancock Park property he listed for $2.7 million in recent years. Pacquiao’s new seven bedroom, seven-and-a-half bathroom Beverly Hills estate covers 10,000-square feet with 24-hour security; a home theater (with surround sound, electric blinds and popcorn machine); and a breathtaking backyard with pristine pool, spa, fountains, built-in barbecue, fire pit, and patio seating with spectacular Los Angeles views—all adjacent to a landscaped Palm-tree slope for added privacy.

The 10,000-square foot home has an open format which allows for easy entertaining.

The kitchen features granite countertops and high-end appliances.

Formal dining area with unique chandelier

Built in 1998, the Mediterranean-style mansion features a gorgeous white-stoned exterior façade highlighted by six wrought-iron Juliette balconies and a large front courtyard anchored by a lighted central fountain. Inside boasts a two-level grand entrance with a majestic chandelier, winding staircase, and balcony. Modern interiors showcase open entertaining spaces with tall ceilings, extra-wide windows, a broadly-connected family/dining/kitchen areas with long central island, multiple sinks, granite countertops, extensive cabinetry, wet bar, and high-end appliances. A formal living room is enhanced with French doors and a crystal-laden fireplace. Meanwhile the master suite offers outdoor access, his-and-her closets, and a luxurious master bath with a spa tub and dual-headed shower.

Family room

Formal living room with crystal-laden fireplace

Bedroom near the winding staircase and chandelier

Master bathroom suite with dual head shower

Family man Pacquiao will have plenty of space for his wife and five kids in P. Diddy's (then Puff Daddy) former home, where he resided while dating singer-actress-dancer Jennifer Lopez (not counting recent rumors). Agent Nelson of Nelson Shelton & Associates sold the home to both Diddy and Pacquiao (and on two other occasions).

Home theater

Backyard pool, fire pit and spa

Patio with view of Los Angeles

Manny Pacquiao versus Floyd Mayweather will be historic—a fight that may go down as the biggest pay-per-view event in history.

While the estate keeps changing hands, it’s now in good hands with Pacquiao, a world-famous boxer known for his impressive combination of his power and speed. Pacquiao is currently sparring and training at his trainer Freddie Roach's Wild Card Boxing Club in Hollywood, California. Pacquiao (57-5-2, 38 KOs), an eight-division world title holder, will face five-division world title holder Mayweather (47-0-0, 26 KOs) in a belt unification bout at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

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Ski-in/ski-out estates offer the convenience and benefits of a ski resort in the privacy of a luxury home. Spring may be here, but in these luxury homes (in Colorado, Utah, and Canada) winter doesn’t officially end until skis are hung up for the season. Here are six spectacular ski-friendly estates that may be on the market. We were certain until one sold today! So strike fast before they sell—or before the snow melts.

Magnificent Bald Eagle Club Mansion

Located at the peak of Deer Valley’s Silver Lake Village area in Park City, this 14,000-square-foot gated estate in the exclusive Bald Eagle Club offers panoramic vistas, privacy evergreens, vaulted ceilings, “extreme security” (we’re not sure if this means alarms, motion-sensors or armed guards) and its pièce de résistance—a ski-in/ski-out lounge.

This 14,000-square-foot gated estate in the exclusive Bald Eagle Club offers panoramic vistas, privacy evergreens and interior vaulted ceilings.

Built in 1992 on 7 Roamer Court and designed by Park City architect Rick Otto and renowned Guggenheim Museum renovator Charles Gwathmey, the gated mansion—priced at $15.5 million—boasts seven bedrooms, 10 full bathrooms, two kitchens, a ski room, multiple living rooms, an indoor pool, a spa, a sauna, a wet bar, a billiards room, a covered deck and patio, and caretaker’s quarters. The ski home is primed for entertaining whether you strap on skis or not.

Interior décor and art with extensive red-hued Native American themes is by Naomi Leff, who worked with fashion and Hollywood elite such as Giorgio Armani, Ralph Lauren, Steven Spielberg and Tom Cruise.

Renowned interior designer, the late Naomi Leff, utilized Native American themes to give this home its perfectly unique character.

For more information, call Paul Benson of Engel & Völkers Park City at (435) 850-7000

Whistler’s Kadenwood High Point

Whistler, British Columbia’s 2951 High Point Drive estate—currently listed at $7.795 million—offers ski-in/ski-out access to a dedicated gondola service and other ski-lover amenities such as three fireplaces, a steam shower, geothermal in-floor/radiant heating, a heated outdoor pool, and an outdoor hot tub.

This four-bedroom, five-bathroom western red cedar home in the exclusive Kadenwood neighborhood lists for $7.795 million and features ski-in/ski-out access, gondola service, steam showers and three fireplaces.

Built in 2009, the four-bedroom, five-bathroom contemporary log residence in the exclusive Kadenwood neighborhood boasts natural woodlands outside and elegant post-and-beam construction inside. The 5,000-square-foot property showcases a solid timber pivot front door, a floor-to-ceiling Haddington stone fireplace, wide-plank European white oak hardwood floors, soaring vaulted ceilings with Douglas Fir beams, and stunning valley views of Alta Lake and the Northern Range—as well as the conveniences of Creekside dining, nightlife, retail, and grocery stores.

The three-story western red cedar home (with cedar shake roof) also offers a security system, intercom/music system, two-car garage, zoned cooling, and a climate-controlled glass wine cellar.

Outdoor hot tub and heated pool.

For more information, call Personal Real Estate Corporation's Rob Palm at (604) 905-2860, or John Ryan at (604) 905-2844

Vail Colorado Rustic

With premium ski-in/ski-out access, this custom home stands prominently above any other residence in Vail's prestigious European Village. Kyle Webb-designed, George Shaeffer-built (in 2007) with a stately mix of rustic luxury and mountain modern design and finishes, this seven bedroom, eight full bathroom, two half-bathroom on 107 Rockledge Road is a whopping 11,509 square feet on .67 luxurious acres.

The three-story residence has vaulted ceilings, radiant heat, a hot tub spa, pool, steam room, sauna, patios, gas fireplaces, a loft, and hiking/pedestrian trails. This historic homesite was selected by some of Vail's first investors, who were the original Vail socialites. Boasting the distinction of Mountain Living Magazine’s 2010 “Home of the Year,” it's currently priced at a cool $30 million.

With premium ski access, this stately 11,509-square-foot estate mixes rustic luxury with mountain modern design.

For more information, call Donna Caynoski at (970) 390-4324

Squaw Valley Olympic Dream

As the former host of the 1960s Winter Olympics, Olympic Valley, California’s Squaw is home to this $5.45 million estate, arguably the best of only seven slope side residences here. Conveniently located near Lake Tahoe and situated on the largest lot in Granite Chief Estates, the residence was completely remodeled by Galetto Const with high-end details you’d expect in a luxury home— walnut cabinets; Wolf, Sub Zero and Miele appliances; Sonoma Stone, Lutron lighting, Gulassa fixtures, and radiant-heated Italian stone floors. Call Slifer Smith & Frampton Real Estate at 970-453-9090

Next to Sunnyside Mountain run at 249 Granite Chief Road, the 3,450-square-foot home is more convenient than huge, boasting four bedrooms, four bathrooms, a family room, loft and ski room, outdoor hot tub and a panoramic view of the mountains and valley.

Arguably the best slope side residence in Granite Chief Estates, the 3,450-square-foot home is conveniently near Lake Tahoe.

For more information call Greg Boyle at (530) 448-3843, or Nathan Riedel at (530) 448-9981

Breckenridge’s Energy-Efficient Luxury

Built in 2008 on .77 acres, Breckenridge’s first Net Zero-designed luxury ski home features six bedrooms, six full bathrooms, three half bathrooms, and super-energy efficiency throughout its three stories. With ski-in/ski-out access and several decks with expansive mountain views, the estate has three master suites, three mini-master suites, a gourmet kitchen, recreation room, fitness room, media room, a “kids wing,” and a wine cellar.

Now listed for $5.74 million, the 7,200-square-foot home on 238 Timber Trail Road also offers private door-to-door shuttle service and only uses as much energy as it absolutely needs. Other amenities include indoor/outdoor hot tubs, spa, pool, public golfing and hiking trails.

Breckenridge’s first Net Zero-designed luxury ski home is energy efficient and boasts three master suites and three mini-master suites.

For more information, call Slifer Smith & Frampton Real Estate at (970) 453-9090

Park City's Villa Casa Nova

Villa Casa Nova is a Deer Valley Resort ski-in/ski-out estate that was voted the “Best Ski Chalet in the United States” by World Ski Awards in 2013 and 2014. The chalet was scheduled to go to the highest bidder without reserve this Saturday, March 28th via DeCaro Luxury Real Estate Auctions. But stop the presses—the owner apparently received an offer he or she couldn’t refuse. No word on the final sale price, but it was last listed at $9.75 million.

Villa Casa Nova was voted the “Best Ski Chalet in the United States” by World Ski Awards in 2013 and 2014

The sprawling 12,000-square-foot retreat has seven bedrooms and 10-and-a-half bathrooms that can accommodate up to 25 people. Villa Casa Nova is located within Deer Crest Estates, the exclusive gated community comprising more than 600 acres of land in Park City. All homeowners in Dear Crest Estates become part of the Deer Crest Master Association, which facilitates security, snow removal and maintenance of private roads, snow-making on trails, and grooming and patrolling of private ski trails.

The home’s main showcase is a skiers' lodge with ski lockers, boot dryers, lounge, and ski-in/ski-out access to runs. Mysteriously, it also has a secret one-bedroom, one-bathroom suite hidden behind a door disguised as a book shelf (a panic room to ward off sinister ski bandits?).

Other highlights include: three bars; heated patios; two outdoor hot tubs, and two outdoor fireplaces; a gourmet kitchen with wood-burning pizza oven and espresso bar; wine cellar; and a 15-person, THX-certified theater with 133-inch screen. The estate’s main-level master suite has a stone fireplace, walk-in closet, private balcony and an ensuite bathroom with his-her vanity sinks and a Jacuzzi tub. Additional amenities at Villa Casa Nova include multiple heated patios, a heated driveway that leads to an attached, three-car garage, and a caretaker’s apartment with a separate entrance.

Located within Deer Crest Estates, an exclusive gated community, Villa Casa Nova overlooks more than 600 acres of land in Park City.

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The catch: only five residences are available. In this prestigious and popular area desperate for living space, that should translate to a feeding frenzy as sales officially opened via a launch party on March 18th. The current list prices are roughly 5.7% less than previously announced last fall.

A glimpse of the penthouse living area at The Justin

The Justin penthouse offers expansive views of Manhattan.

Five fortunate (and affluent) residents will call the one-of-a-kind development at 225 East 81st Street home—and they will live better for it. Situated on a tree-lined street, the renovated building (designed by Vail Associates) features a gorgeous limestone, marble and translucent glass façade with modern finishing that updates the typical Upper East Side 20th century pre-war style. The condominium adds new architectural life to the community, Detractors claim it disrupts the neighborhood’s Brownstone continuity but that’s likely old Yorkville money speaking. Such is the cost of modernizing. Combine that with proximity to Central Park, access to gourmet cuisine and the future Second Avenue subway line, the condominium is indeed a rare Manhattan find.

“[The Upper East Side] is on fire,” said Ryan Serhant of Nest Seekers International, which has the listing. “But finding a three or four bedroom full-service condo in this neighborhood it’s nearly impossible. It’s incredibly residential with great restaurants and it's continuously changing for the better. They’re calling it the new Williamsburg. And because of the Second Avenue subway, people are investing because they foresee the value appreciation.”

Residence Two at The Justin is a three-bedroom full-floor condo for roughly $3.3 million.

Residence Two features a spacious living and dining area that's 25-feet wide.

The chef’s kitchen features a breakfast bar, Caesarstone countertops, and Subzero refrigerator.

View of custom tile backsplash, and Wolf range and hood

Housed over six floors, The Justin offers five luxuriously modern homes, priced from $3.3 million to roughly $6 million or more: a triplex maisonette with private garden; three full-floor three-bedroom units; and a majestic penthouse with a 1,700-square-foot roof deck.

Each residence of The Justin boasts private outdoor terraces or balconies, key-lock entry, coffered ceilings, full height tilt-and-turn Kolby windows, masonry fireplaces, central air, in-unit washer/dryer, private storage, ample closet space, and Smart Home-wired for audiovisual systems and Wi-Fi with built-in speakers. Some have Jacuzzis and lofts. The pet-friendly building also offers part-time doorman service and a fitness center.

The Residence Two master suite with oversized windows

Bathrooms at The Justin boast radiant heat flooring and Bianco Carrara marble.

An open house for the Residence One Triplex maisonette and Residence Two is scheduled at The Justin for Sunday, March 22 from noon to 4 pm. The penthouse unit details are scant (official price, dimensions or potential buyer), but images are available.

The triplex maisonette is a four bedroom, three-and-a-half bathroom home, spanning nearly 3,900 square feet. A Juliet balcony overlooks the backyard garden which covers 750 square feet of tranquil space. The open living and dining room are an ideal entertaining space, spanning nearly 25 feet across wide-planked radiant heat flooring. The state-of-the-art chef’s kitchen features a breakfast bar, Caesarstone countertops, custom tile backsplash, a Wolf range/hood and Subzero refrigerator. The first floor bedroom can be utilized as a guest room or converted to a proper dining room or home office.

Internal stairs beneath a 20-foot ceiling negotiate to the second floor where three more bedrooms reside—two of which are master suites. The main suite is also 25-feet wide with Juliet balcony access, fireplace, walk-through closets and a large master bath. Each of the three-and-a-half spa bathrooms is outfitted with high-end fixtures, radiant heat flooring, and Bianco Carrara Marble.

The Justin is the latest condominium to hit the market in the affluent neighborhood of Yorkville on the Upper East Side.

Newly released images of Residence Two highlight a three-bedroom, two-and-a-half bathroom home spanning nearly 1,800-square feet. It, too, showcases an open, 25-foot-wide living and dining area. The Residence Two master suite includes a Jacuzzi tub and steam shower while each of the two-and-a-half spa bathrooms also has radiant heat flooring and Bianco Carrara marble.

The Justin condominium was developed by Michael Paul Enterprises in the heart of the Upper East Side. Contrary to popular belief, the building is named for a real life person—owner Michael Paul D’Alessio’s son Justin, according to Serhant, who says another property will follow named for D’Alessio’s daughter.

Ryan Serhant, Nest Seekers International exec and co-star of Bravo's Million Dollar Listing New York, is one of the city's top real estate brokers.

Based on intense interest and open house demand for The Justin (he expects over 350 people), Serhant anticipates contracts in hand shortly after the open house. Naysayers aside, why should we doubt him? Serhant, an experienced actor and co-star of Bravo’s reality series Million Dollar Listing New York who recently posed in the buff for Flaunt magazine, knows how to close a deal. As one of New York’s top real estate brokers (in 2012 he ranked 15th), surely he can sell a pricey condo—and his own personal brand. And that's the naked truth.

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The massive, nearly 20,000-square-foot mansion where Trump and ex-wife Ivana lavishly spent their glory years, rests spectacularly atop a secluded peninsula on the Long Island Sound and recently hit the market for $54 million. Not bad for a town whose average home sale is $2 million.

Situated on a private peninsula near the tip of Indian Harbor Point, this nearly 20,000-square-foot estate hit the market for $54 million.

The eight bedroom, 11.5 bathroom mansion rests on roughly six acres of secluded land.

The Colonial property's exterior maintains its original charm, including this portico.

Ivana extensively renovated the Colonial mansion while she was simultaneously restoring the Plaza Hotel in Manhattan. The two had a common theme—opulence nearly as aspirational as the those of Gold Coast super estates across the Sound.

Although the current owner tried to tame the Trumps’ bling ambition with more recent remodeling (Tiffany glass windows, three-story rotunda with commanding views, etc.), the heavy-handed Trump card still garishly plays over the estate like a poker bluff daring to be challenged.

Grand double staircase in the foyer

Some rooms present a garish Marie Antoinette-ish vibe.

Busy décor in many rooms have Ivana Trump's interior design fingerprints.

Elaborate dining room

"Ivana did a lot of renovations," listing agent Tamar Lurie of Coldwell Banker told the Connecticut Post. “Décor-wise, it was all gold leaf—all of this was gold leaves all over the place. It was kind of dramatic.”

Would we expect anything less of the Trumps? Of course this was before he acquired “The Donald” moniker, pre-The Apprentice, and way before he diversified his ego with presidential exploratory committees.

Trump, a billionaire master of location, is the most famous real estate magnate. He knows the “art of a deal,” but the art of décor? Not so much. He can always blame that mistake on his ex who received the Indian Harbor home as part of their divorce settlement (before eventually selling the mansion herself). If it were anyone else, Trump might have barked, “You’re fired!” before the wallpaper dried—that is, if he knew such grandeur in the modern era (even the 1980s) is unbecoming.

Great room that resembles a ski lodge setting

A wood great room featuring one of countless chandeliers throughout the mansion.

Dining area which looks out onto the pool and Long Island Sound

Bathroom with Tiffany glass window

Location, pedigree and the estate’s roughly six acres play in the seller’s favor much more than the decorative ambitions of Donald and Ivana. The eight-bedroom, 11-and-a-half-bath property now boasts an additional 4,000-square-foot guest quarters with luxury suites, three staff apartments, a tennis court, putting green, indoor and outdoor pools, and a sauna.

Built in 1939, the estate at 21 Vista Drive (near the tip of Indian Harbor Point) retains much of its original exterior charm—a large white portico, Greyhound dog welcome statues, waterfront dock, privacy trees and manicured lawns.

Home theater with violet seats

Adjacent to the pool is a new addition to the estate—a 4,000-square-foot guest quarters with luxury suites.

Pool with expansive views of Long Island Sound.

Lush landscaping maintains privacy on the property.

The interior design style is virtually indefinable—part Great Gatsby, part ski lodge, part Marie Antoinette, part pastel 1950s diner. Your guess is as good as ours. Interiors showcase a grand double staircase foyer, archways, fireplaces, an occasional hint of retro wallpaper, a home theater with movie posters and purple seats (purple?), and enough fancy chandeliers to swing from room to room. Getting our drift now?

Donald Trump on the set of The Apprentice.

Fortunately for $54 million, you get to make this mansion your own—hopefully via a capable interior designer (and not merely a spouse). It will take a while to un-Trump this estate. To his credit, Donald Trump has moved on. In 2016, he may even vie for the only house he can’t buy—the White House. If he attains it, get the gold leaf ready for the Oval Office.

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The 3,200-square-foot, nine-room duplex retains much of the same appeal it did when West Wide Story maestro Bernstein owned it: a narrow parlor, carved mahogany pocket doors, 1885 Parquet de Versailles floors, an ornate wrought-iron staircase, bay windows with original Tiffany transoms, and even a grand piano in one of its grand rooms.

The turn-of-the-century home offers original features such as parquet floors and bay windows with Tiffany glass transoms.

Orange hues complement the ornate wrought-iron staircase and carved mahogany pocket doors.

Chastain's condo has an impressive musical pedigree--with a grand piano, Carnegie Hall as a neighbor and two former Tony-Award-winning composers as former residents of the home.

With Carnegie Hall within earshot, the turn-of-the-century condo has an incredibly impressive musical pedigree. Tony-Award-winning Bernstein owned the co-op condo until 1974. Chastain and Passi de Preposulo acquired the residence from Adam Guettel, another Tony-winning composer of “The Light in the Piazza.”

The home features five fireplaces, a library, formal dining room, and a renovated chef’s kitchen by interior designer Françoise Bollack—with an elegant chandelier, quartz countertops, a climate-controlled wine refrigerator and custom-milled cabinetry.

The library and media room

The renovated chef’s kitchen, designed by Françoise Bollack, boasts custom-milled cabinetry.

The duplex boasts 14-foot ceilings and features sliding ladders for convenience.

Sliding wood ladders negotiate book shelves and kitchen cabinetry that nearly soar to the condo’s 14-foot ceilings. If Chastain and her beau are acrophobic (fear of heights) they can solicit “the help” of their 6-foot-8-inch neighbor—Hall of Fame basketball coach-turned Zen Master-turned New York Knicks executive Phil Jackson.

Brass sconces and a wall of custom floor-to-ceiling closets frame the master suite whose bathroom boasts his-her sinks, a rain shower, and a deep soaking tub. Two guest rooms provide the condo with its most contemporary touches.

The condo has nine rooms, including four bedrooms.

Guest room with a contemporary twist

The condo has 3.5 bathrooms, this one with a rain shower and soaking tub.

Chastain, a red-maned California native, has successfully benefited from recent dark movies roles, but that will be countered with copious amounts of real life light in her new Manhattan duplex.

The 3,200-square-foot duplex retains the appeal it had when West Wide Story composer Leonard Bernstein owned it.

One of the grand rooms with chandelier and painted ceiling beams.

Chastain gained notoriety with two Oscar nominations for commanding roles in Zero Dark Thirty and The Help (Passi de Preposulo works for Moncler). Chastain recently starred in A Most Violent Year with Oscar Isaac, her former classmate at the prestigious Juilliard School, which is just blocks away from the condo.

Two-time Oscar nominee Jessica Chastain

Rumors are swirling about Chastain and Passi de Preposulo. Are they engaged or even secretly married? Regardless, the purchase of the Osborne duplex signals a serious, long-lasting relationship that hits the right note. Living there undoubtedly will be music to their ears, echoing mightily through the halls —whether its from their grand piano, the ghost of Leonard Bernstein, or Carnegie Hall orchestras across Seventh Avenue. It makes sense. After all, they bought the duplex for a song—most likely a theatrical or classical one.

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It’s easy for downtown Kuala Lumpur to get overshadowed when the twin Petronas Towers (formerly the tallest buildings on Earth) cast shade from a bullying 1,453 feet. A decade after those twin towers were erected, BIG was commissioned to design a worthy third wheel partner for Kuala Lumpur’s skyline as juxtaposition—transforming its urban epicenter.

Bjarke Ingels Group’s inverted skyscraper design balances Kuala Lumpur's skyline after being dominated by the Petronas Towers for many years.

BIG’s ambitious inverted skyscraper is a mixed-use building that showcases a pool, strategic terraces, and an upper tier luxury hotel. Unlike a typical skyscraper with a wider base and a tapered top, BIG’s inverted tower design tapers near the foundation and allows for more room, air and light as it elevates skyward to the top. The building’s façades are “designed as a double-skin, creating a chimney effect for natural ventilation that allows for spectacular views without resulting in overheating,” according to Design Boom.

BIG’s ambitious podium-shaped skyscraper is a mixed-use building that showcases a pool, strategic terraces, and an upper-tier luxury hotel.

BIG's proposed skyscraper is constructed of articulated prism blocks, which utilize strategic terraces and sky lobbies.

The result: a proposed 1,250-foot inverted skyscraper for the central business district that flips Kuala Lumpur’s visual perspective and enhances the city’s architectural integrity just like César Pelli’s neighboring Petronas masterpiece. From the right angle, the top-heavy, podium-shaped skyscraper can be viewed from a distance splitting the two Petronas towers like a middle child—creating an skyline sculpture optical illusion.

For functional reasons, the inverted tower isn’t constructed of a single block mass—rather, as articulated stacked block prisms that separate into distinct sections of fire evacuation terraces and sky lobbies. Picture stacking, on top of one another, blocks from narrowest to widest—only more stable, no toppling allowed. Stability is a key architectural mandate—as each rising part “constitutes a different typology: tower, slab, cube and perimeter block,” states Design Boom.

Pool in the oasis-like courtyard

Modern sky lobby with lazy river pool

Modern room with a spectacular view

Terraces offer panoramic 360-degree views.

The hotel will occupy the upper floors with a panoramic sky lobby offering 360-degree views beneath a hovering demi-cube that’s hollow on top, revealing a lush sky courtyard oasis through which guests can stroll or merely relax. Surrounded by rooms with spectacular views, the penthouse courtyard boasts gardens, water features, and other natural elements.

The inverted tower will redefine Kuala Lumpur's skyline.

Soon enough, Kuala Lumpur’s skyline won’t be bullied by the Petronas twins any longer. It will have a podium-shaped companion to contend with—both designed as central landmarks on the growing landscape. And usually wherever a podium stands, a bold statement awaits—this time, architecturally speaking.

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While on the surface it appears the superstar "We Belong Together" singer and the actor/host of America’s Got Talent are tidying up millions of loose ends for their permanent marital separation, now comes word that the Cannon is filing a lawsuit, claiming Carey and their business manager Michael Kane kept him in the dark about the deal, according to TMZ. So now the surface is as sticky as the behind-the-scenes divorce proceedings.

Carey and Cannon's former home wasn't as welcoming once their breakup was announced.

The seven-bedroom, nine-bathroom Bel Air mansion listed for nearly $13 million, but naturally the celebrity breakup created urgency for a sale. Cannon, however, says not so fast. He officially requested that the $9 million from the mansion sale be frozen until he can review financials—in order to determine exactly how much he’ll receive from the deal, TMZ reports. Property records show the couple paid $6.795 million for the estate so they will both still profit from the sale—separately, of course. The residence was formerly owned by actress Farrah Fawcett, who passed away in 2009. Paul Czako of Gussman Czako Estates had the listing.

Actor/TV host Nick Cannon reportedly proposed to Mariah Carey in this house.

Living room with picturesque windows that open out onto the deck 

The 11,750-square-foot hilltop home is designed around entertaining space, including a double-gated entrance that accommodates hundreds of guests and up to 20 cars. The Hampton’s-style residence features an eclectic mix of interior space, including a formal living room, a grand ski-resort-like Aspen room, and a Moroccan room where Cannon allegedly proposed to Carey during happier times, according to Zillow. Coincidentally, one of the couple’s twins is named Moroccan (the other is Monroe).

The home is a mix of eclectic styles.

Formal gold-toned dining area with ornamental lighting.

Unusual family room with a jukebox and a massive wood-framed roof that looks like it was inspired by Noah's Ark.

Moroccan room

One of the seven bedrooms

The residence has nine bathrooms.

There are a couple of dribble rooms—an elegant baby nursery (with a cloud ceiling and of course, a chandelier... we are talking Mariah Carey here) and an indoor basketball court (we hope the new owner Doc likes shooting hoops as much as Dr. J does). The house also features six fireplaces, an outdoor putting green, a jetted tub, floors polished to a mirror finish, and a home projection theater. Massive panoramic window views of the Stone Canyon reservoir, downtown Los Angeles, and the Pacific Ocean (all the way to Laguna Beach) are visible from the master suite and the living room, which opens up to a spacious outdoor deck, open pavilion, extra-long black bottom pool, and lush oversized backyard area where tents can be pitched.

Home theater with projection technology

Basketball court and weight room

The 11,750-square-foot home includes a pool, outdoor pavilion and a spacious backyard.

Views from the Bel Air hills include the Stone Canyon reservoir, downtown Los Angeles and the Pacific Ocean.

One thing is for sure: Carey and Cannon's view from this home is not as beautiful as it once was. And although their relationship can't be healed, at least there's a doctor in the house now.

The post Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon’s Bel Air Mansion Sells for $9 Million appeared first on Haute Residence by Haute Living.

The nefarious John Sowden House, a brooding Mayan-inspired estate designed by Frank Lloyd Wright’s son Lloyd Wright, is on the market again for $4.8 million. The unusual mansion has been a popular Hollywood shooting location for projects like the Howard Hughes biopic The Aviator, The Rocketeer, and the Showtime series Californication, but it’s infamously known as the alleged crime scene of the gruesome, unsolved 1947 murder of Elizabeth Short, a.k.a. “The Black Dahlia"—a subject that’s inspired countless books and movies. Only in Hollywood.

The unique façade evokes an eerie cultish aura above a beautiful courtyard.

Open-air vistas of the courtyard

Tall ceilings, ample light and an open-air feel is a highlight of the home. Featured is Frank Lloyd Wright-designed furniture.

The infamous house was once owned by George Hill Hodel, considered a prime suspect in the notorious murder. As recent as 2013, a cadaver dog detected the “scent of death” (human decomposition) in the home’s basement—all these years later. Until the crime is solved, the murder will likely overshadow the curious architectural story.

The 5,600-square-foot home certainly has a unique pedigree and the new owner will have many stories to tell while entertaining nervous guests. The estate boasts four bedrooms and six bathrooms with stone fireplaces, glass walls that open to an extravagant courtyard garden—lush with beautiful flowers and vegetation—that connects to all areas of the home. A pool and koi pond (formerly occupied by water fountains which were destroyed in a 1930s earthquake) adds a nice touch just off the master bedroom.

Dining room

Dining area mural befitting the home's mysterious vibe

Modernist kitchen

Designed in a peculiar “Mayan Revival” style, the Sowden estate is considered one of Wright’s architectural masterpieces (a far better legacy than the wood roof shell he originally constructed for the Hollywood Bowl which only lasted one year). Built in 1927, the home makes extensive use of textile block to create its iconic Mayan-style façade—created to resemble a Mayan temple (or fortress) from the street. Locals often call it the “Jaw’s House” because it resembles an open mouth of a great white shark. Others see a sinister eyes façade which evokes a cultish aura.

Wright’s world famous architect father, Frank, often employed similar ornamented concrete block techniques, a method that surely rubbed off on his son. Coincidentally, the Sowden estate sits between two Frank Lloyd Wright-designed houses in the hills above Los Feliz Blvd.—the Hollyhock House and the Ennis Brown house.

This living space boasts an unusual stained-glass ceiling, movie set lights and what looks like an urn above the Mayan-inspired fireplace which begs the question—is this house attracting buyers or scaring them away?

Architect Lloyd Wright designed the brooding Mayan façade for the infamous house, which was built in 1927.

Completely renovated for modern living, the Sowden home at 5121 Franklin Ave. is named for Wright’s friend, painter and photographer John Sowden. Sowden often showcased the house to entertained his Hollywood friends, who upon arrival walked through sculpted copper gates and up “a narrow tomb-like staircase. The Sowden mansion also has Mills Act tax exemption status which offers the owner reduced property taxes if the savings are used to rehabilitate, restore and maintain the landmark home. Troy Gregory of Sotheby’s International Realty has the listing.

The Sowden estate may be in need of stigma rehabilitation considering its Black Dahlia connection. But as they say in Los Angeles, even bad publicity is good publicity. The notorious property is far from the safest fortress in town, but it is nonetheless profitable. In Hollywood, notoriety sells.

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Architect Margot Krasojevic's seashell-inspired home harnesses the ocean's tides for energy.

Unlike solar and wind, tides are predictable—therefore the tidal home’s energy source could be more reliable. As long as the Moon works its gravitational magic, this home’s lights will be on. And while storms infamously knock out power in traditional homes, storm intensity will create energy to spare for this tidal residence.

If actually built, the tidal home would be constructed of two (hopefully extremely waterproof) sections—an inner and outer shell working cohesively much like a brain and skull operate. As the foundation, the concrete outer shell (the skull) stabilizes the house, utilizing solar cells to transfer energy to the living area (like the brain sending electrical signals through nerves to the body). The aluminum inner shell floats freely inside as the tide flows through it.

The Hydroelectric Tidal House is designed to harness the tremendous power of ocean waves to generate all the kinetic energy a home would ever need.

Living space in the hydroelectric environment.

Turbines react to the consistent power of waves, which compresses air and generates electrical currents through the home. Another part of the turbine generates electrical energy via magnets that transfer along a copper wire. No need to plug into the power grid, this home is self-sufficient—even if in concept stage. Best yet: no electric bills or meter readers swimming around your property.

What resembles a lightning whelk seashell (scientific name Busycon perversum) on top could be mistaken for a modern stingray sea vehicle from underneath. The Hydroelectric Tidal House appears to be inspired by both marine life. But the porous, twisting, water slide-like design is mostly functional and futuristic.

The Hydroelectric home's predictable tidal energy source is more reliable than solar and wind turbines.

The Hydroelectric House on the shoreline.

What looks like a space station here is a rendering of the porous twisting design and turbines, which react to waves.

Krasojevic enthusiastic renewable energy concepts include the Hydroelectric House (above), an electric coral reef station, and a waterfall prison.

Krasojevic also recently unveiled a futuristic champagne bar concept: an ultra modern structure called Grand Cru du Siecle, intended for the banks of the Seine in Paris. The enclosed circular glass bar features a monocoque shell (boasting natural light and etched glass) that's designed to be placed over a "bell mouth spillway that swallows water and sends it into underground canals," where it is then diverted into outlying lakes and reservoirs, reports London's Dailymail.com.

Krasojevic is an enthusiastic supporter of renewable energy. She is renowned for her hydroelectric concepts (an electric coral reef station, a waterfall prison) and other energy-efficient designs, which include an Aurora Borealis observatory, an arctic research center, a floating art gallery, and an airport runway layover lounge).

Krasojevic futuristic Parisian champagne bar concept called Grand Cru du Siecle.

“The hydroelectric house is the latest in my design approach, attempting to harness renewable energy within sustainable design,” Krasojevic told another publication recently. “Designers approached me to design a surfers' beach house, which made me think of tidal power and using this dynamic in a similar way to how surfers choreograph movement through water.”

If you see one of Margot Krasojevic’s seashells by the seashore, don’t pick it up. You might cut off the power to someone’s seaside home.

The post Making Waves: London Architect’s Futuristic Hydroelectric House appeared first on Haute Residence by Haute Living.

A Saudi royal prince listed this 10,500-square-foot condo for $48.5 million.

The massive condo triplex was customized from six smaller units in the building. It boasts four bedrooms, four bathrooms, and six half bathrooms.

Six-person Jacuzzi crafted of Calcutta marble.

Billiards room with Calcutta built-in saltwater aquarium.

Though the 10,500-square-foot home is currently owned by Saudi royal Prince Nawaf bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, it’s hard to imagine why anyone would require that much protection. Besides, if you’re dropping nearly $50 million on a part-time New York pad, why not simply hire Jack Bauer as a bodyguard. Problem solved.

The opulent four-bedroom, four-bathroom, and six half-bathroom triplex offers much more than security. It also presents all the princely high-life necessities—namely outdoor terraces; lounges; a sushi island bar; ventilated cigar room; billiards room; massage, steam, and treatment rooms; hair salon; built-in saltwater aquariums; a six-person Jacuzzi; and a 60-foot living room overlooking the Hudson River. On the opposite end of the living room, a dining room large enough for a 16-person table looks over Riverside Park. A pantry/catering kitchen on this floor allows for seamless entertaining. The home also features an extra-large, windowed chef's kitchen with Bardiglio Nuvolato Marble countertops and oak wood paneling is also on this level.

Modern interiors include picturesque panoramic windows, Hudson River views, and modern fireplaces.

The home is available fully furnished.

Bedroom with view of Hudson River.

The 6A residence, occupying the fifth, sixth and seventh floors of the 31-story building at 240 Riverside Boulevard, was customized from six—count ‘em six!—smaller condo units. What the prince wants, the prince gets. Which leads us back to the panic rooms. Not since Jodie Foster’s 2002 film or since 9/11 has a panic room seemed necessary. And after 9/11, Saudi princes were quickly whisked out of the U.S. for their own protection.

Panic rooms would have better served notoriously scandalous locals like former Congressman Anthony Weiner, who dodged paparazzi, Bernie Madoff, who dodged creditors, or John Gotti, who dodged law enforcement authorities. We thought panic rooms were the stuff of movie legend—until now.

If that’s not enough, the Saudi prince’s apartment is move-in ready—it may be sold completely furnished. Contemporary interiors are bold, masculine, and naturally rich, including lots of Calcutta marble (as well as other pricey black or striped marble) on ceilings, walls, and floors; a polished teakwood bar; elaborate chandeliers; modern fireplaces; picturesque, panoramic windows; stained oak stairs; and other intrepid décor reminiscent of a Rockefeller Center lobby (which, like it or not, makes an intense statement).

On the seventh floor, the river facing master bedroom suite is comprised of a sitting room with ethanol fireplace, sleeping chamber, Calacatta Gold wrapped spa bath and steam shower, grooming room, and dual powder rooms.

Bold bathroom in black marble.

The masculine teakwood bar makes a bold statement.

In-home hair salon made from intensely striped marble.

According to The Wall Street Journal, the home is selling for $4,600 per square foot, exceedingly high for the Upper West Side and more consistent with condo units on “Billionaire’s Row,” a section along 57th street, where sales are shattering previous records. Listing agents for the Saudi prince’s pad are Ryan Serhant, Brian Chan of Nest Seekers International, and Douglas Elliman’s Raphael De Niro (yes, Raging Bull's son).

Now, it appears the prince is unloading his luxurious New York nest because he rarely uses it, says the Journal. A nearly $50 million apartment in Manhattan that’s unused. Now that news is worthy of a panic.

The post Saudi Prince’s ‘Panic Room’ Triplex Lists for Nearly $49 Million appeared first on Haute Residence by Haute Living.

Developed by Tishman Speyer, Lumina will house 656 modern units, priced from approximately $2 million for two-bedroom apartments and up. It’s the penthouse on the 41st and 42nd floors of the residential, however, that’s generating all the buzz.

The Lumina penthouse offers five bedrooms, seven bathrooms, two kitchens, eight terraces and 20-foot-tall ceilings along a curvilinear wall of glass overlooking the Bay Bridge

According to the The Wall Street Journal, the roughly 15,000-square-foot penthouse will spectacularly showcase five bedrooms, seven bathrooms, two kitchens(!), and eight terraces covering 1,200-square-feet with private rooftop deck access. The home's pièce de résistance are its astounding 20-foot-tall ceilings coupled with a curvilinear wall of glass overlooking the San Francisco Bay and Bay Bridge.

The Lumina towers will also offer residents amenities such as a fitness center, resident lounge and parking. The only missing amenity is a mobile-app service that delivers organic groceries—no wait, residents will have access to that too!

Lumina will occupy the 41st and 42nd floors. It is generating healthy sales and interest from tech executives.

The property’s listing agent, Gregg Lynn of Sotheby’s International Realty, confirmed to the Journal that the ask price sets a San Francisco record. The newspaper states that nearly one-third of the units are under contract (200 of 656 residences) with 80% of buyers local to the area. However, the booming tech industry means Silicon Valley execs are swirling around the property like sharks after a sea lion San Francisco Bay. Lynn hinted to the Journal, “We see a technology guru buying the unit,” although the penthouse sale hasn't been confirmed.

With tech "gurus" from Google, Facebook, Oracle, Apple, Yahoo, Ebay, Cisco, HP, Zynga, Uber etc. in the area, the bidding could be a heavyweight Silicon showdown (the “Thrilla in the Villa”). It’s likely the actual price could top $49 million. We know how competitive these Silicon Valley geniuses can be. If there’s a win to be had, they will buy it—penthouse or not. Like Wall Street, sometimes, ego is more of a factor than price in Silicon Valley. But here, gurus collect trophies in jeans instead of a suit and tie.

Photos and details courtesy of the Wall Street Journal

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There, in the airspace high above the Museum of Modern Art (the nation’s pre-eminent modern art museum), the view is spectacular. Which is why Nouvel's long-delayed high-rise is finally breaking ground—as the next Central Park area superstructure to scrape the sky. It will join the area's other megatowers (current and future): the One57 condominium (1,005 feet), 432 Park Avenue tower (1,396 feet), the Skinny Scraper at 111 W. 57th Street (1,421 feet), and the Nordstrom Tower (1,775 feet including a spire).

Revised renderings of the 1,050-foot tall midtown MoMa tower reveal spacious panoramic residences by renowned interior architect Thierry W. Despont inside of an elegant tapering tower, with intricately-woven diagonal columns zig-zagging down the sloping glass façade.

Architect Jean Nouvel's 1,050-foot MoMa tower is finally under construction above the Museum of Modern Art.

This unusual and extremely complex diagonal structural system—called a “diagrid”—makes a bold first impression, but required developer Hines to replicate the building in a Sunset Park, Brooklyn warehouse to examine the structural soundness of the skyscraper's slanted columns, tilted windows and tapered top floors. According to The New York Times, the test unit (nicknamed "a playground") is a two-bedroom, two-and-a-half bathroom mock version of the MoMa tower’s most challenging area—the 32nd floor.

The prototype’s staggering $500,000 to $1 million construction expense is still chump change compared to the cost of the $1 billion-plus-financed megatower and the ultra luxury condos within (which range from $3 million to $50 million).

Developer Hines, Nouvel, and Despont solved these design hiccups at considerable expense, which, naturally, is built into the condo prices. A special ventilation system was designed to compensate for 11-feet-high (and nearly six-feet-wide) windows that don’t open. Stained parquet floors were rejected in favor of wide oak planks floors with perpendicular borders which best complemented the varied window angles.

Panoramic view with diagonal columns zig-zagging across the 11-foot high windows.

The renderings offer a new glimpse of the MoMa tower's interiors. Units will come equipped with automatic window shades fitted with guide wires (like used on yachts) and calibrated to eliminate gaps at the base of angled windows, according to The Times. Ceiling lights designed to create a halo effect will grace MoMa tower’s kitchens and hallways. Meanwhile air-conditioning will be concealed behind detailed cornices. With challenges met, excavation has begun.

Interior architect Thierry Despont in the test lab, a.k.a. "the playground."

The MoMa tower, located between Fifth and Sixth avenues, is slated to be 82-unofficial stories (likely 72, officially) with 140-plus residential units (which reportedly include six penthouses and 30 additional staff quarters on select floors), totaling 442,000-square-feet of space.

According to Curbed, floorplans show the MoMa tower will offer 32 one-bedroom apartments, 51 two-bedrooms units, 47 three-bedroom units, nine four-bedroom units, and two five-bedroom residences on the 60th and 61st floors measuring more than 7,000 square feet.

Financing issues stalled the project several times. According to The Real Deal, Hines acquired 240,000-square feet of air rights last fall from the neighboring MoMa and St. Thomas Episcopal Church for a whopping $85.3 million to keep the project on track. Also in the deal, the museum acquired three more floors of gallery space (floors two through five) as part of its expansion.

When completed, the view outside the MoMa will be as modernly majestic as the art inside the museum.

The post Jean Nouvel’s MoMA Tower Finally Gets Greenlight appeared first on Haute Residence by Haute Living.

But this spring will be different. Vero Beach will once again host an intense competition not seen since the Dodgers exodus. Concierge Auctions will offer two high-profile, newly-constructed oceanfront estates up for “bidder’s choice” on March 26th, and participation is expected to be as passionate as baseball fans once were across town.

The winning bidder will have the option of choosing one of the open-air dream homes—nicknamed “Sandy Lane” and “Splendida Dimora.” The auction of these two luxury properties, located at 2470 South Highway A1A and 2460 South Highway A1A respectively, will be handled in cooperation with listing agents Clark French and Cindy O’Dare of Premier Estate Properties. Seller Brook Lenfest and his business partner Tom Laboon are also collaborating with Concierge on the sale.

Idyllic and Barbadian-inspired Sandy Lane covers 15,400 square feet.

Originally listed for $17.9 million, Sandy Lane is a gorgeous, two-acre oceanfront compound located in the coveted Estate Section of Vero Beach. The 15,400-square-foot, Barbadian-influenced residence boasts a guesthouse and six bedroom suites, including two master bedrooms on separate floors—each designed with inclusive sitting areas, his-and-hers spa bathrooms and wardrobe rooms and private panoramic balconies. Sandy Lane also features a gourmet kitchen and a high-tech home theater.

Sandy Lane's massive infinity pool is the largest residential pool in Vero Beach.

The bidder's choice auction is expected to attract considerable competition.

Doors from the gourmet kitchen and breakfast room open up to outside loggias with perfect views of the Atlantic Ocean.

Sandy Lane has 3,000-square-feet of covered space outside.

One of Sandy Lane's six bedroom suites.

Originally listed for $17.9 million, Sandy Lane sits on two-acre oceanfront property in the coveted Estate Section of Vero Beach.

Neighboring Splendida Dimora, a new European-inspired residence also built on two acres of land, rests 24 feet above sea level and overlooks more than 155 feet of private beachfront. Originally listed for $18.875 million, the massive 16,120-square-foot estate rests on one of the highest points in Vero Beach.

Splendida Dimora is a European-inspired residence that overlooks more than 155 feet of private beachfront.

The massive 16,120-square-foot Splendida Dimora originally listed for $18.875 million.

Ideal for entertaining, many first-floor rooms open to “breezy loggias built of genuine coral stone around the patio surrounding the massive infinity pool (the largest residential pool in Vero Beach)—all overlooking the property's private stretch of beach. The outdoor living space (which flows freely into the interior kitchen/breakfast room) has a fireplace, fire pit, a full cabana bathroom and an astounding 3,000-square-feet of covered space.

The independent guesthouse sounds worthy of a bid by itself. Located off a “private garden breezeway,” the two-bedroom, two-and-a-half bathroom guest quarters has a full gourmet kitchen, dining area and laundry room. Sandy Lane was also awarded with three prestigious Green Laurel Building Awards for excellence in green design.

Soaring ceilings and glass windows offer perfect views of Vero Beach's white sand shoreline.

Living room.

Beyond the loggia, Splendida Dimora features 155 feet of private beachfront.

Master bedrooms feature an adjacent panoramic balcony.

The impressive home features five en-suite spa bathrooms and five bedrooms, including two master suites, also on separate floors with the same perks as Sandy Lane (such as private balconies overlooking the Atlantic Ocean).

Splendida Dimora has five en-sute bathrooms and five bedrooms.

The estate also has a gourmet kitchen with breakfast room, soaring ceilings, walls of windows, glass doors that fully open to the loggia, a plunge pool, infinity pool and spa, a dramatic home entrance with a two-story foyer and a custom-designed cantilevered walnut and marble spiral staircase. Another highlight is the walnut wine room that accommodates more than 500 bottles. Splendida Dimora also has a separate two bedroom, two-and-a-half bathroom guest home with full kitchen and dining area.

The highest bidder will choose between the two spectacular estates on March 26th. That’s like choosing between two superstar Dodgers pitchers like Hall of Fame pitcher Sandy Koufax or current ace Clayton Kershaw, both the most dominant left-handed pitchers of their eras. Either way, you can’t lose.

Concierge Auctions' March 26th "bidder's choice" event will be the most competitive contest in Vero Beach since the Los Angeles Dodgers played their last spring training game there in 2008. Pictured: the Dodgers' greatest lefty pitchers, superstar Clayton Kershaw and Hall of Famer Sandy Koufax.

With acres of lush beachfront parklands on an island between the Indian River and the Atlantic Ocean, Vero Beach is called the “Jewel of the Treasure Coast.” Located in one of the nation’s wealthiest zip codes, the two new idyllic estates are rare finds so close to the Vero Beach’s sugar sand shoreline.

"They're the only brand new oceanfront residences for sale in Vero Beach—immaculate and untouched,” French said. “The auction not only presents an amazing opportunity to own a never-before-lived-in slice of luxury, but also gives buyers an option. We expect there to be quite a bit of competition on auction day.”

Both estates can be viewed daily between 1 pm and 4 pm and by appointment, or during the auction preview event from 10 am to 1 pm on February 26th. A 2.5% commission is offered to the buyer's representing broker.

Sandy Koufax won’t be in Vero Beach this spring, but Sandy Lane, sandy beaches and Splendida Dimora will be present for Vero Beach’s long-awaited homecoming.

The post Peek Inside Two Oceanfront Vero Beach Estates Set to Go to the Highest Bidder appeared first on Haute Residence by Haute Living.

On and off and on the market, Vaughn slashed the asking price for the 12,000-square-foot apartment at 159 East Walton Place from $24.7 million in 2011 to $13.9 million today (including another $1 million chop recently).

Vaughn's Chicago triplex is strategically divided with sleeping quarters and a master suite on the lower level (the 35th floor); formal living areas, including a dining room and kitchen with premier appliances on the middle level; and the formal entertainment floor with soaring ceilings on the penthouse’s top floor.

The long-time Windy City resident, who was raised in the Chicago suburb of Buffalo Grove, paid $12 million for the penthouse in 2006. With the listing price seemingly in free-fall, the masterfully-sarcastic star of The Dilemma has his own real life dilemma. Does he stand firm on the price, keep discounting the unit until it sells, or sardonically whine about the predicament (as his film characters would)?

Vaughn's penthouse occupies the top three floors of 159 East Walton Place

Formal living room

Wood-paneling dominates the top penthouse floor.

At least Vaughn can seek free advice from his wife Kyla Weber and mother Sharon “Shea” Vaughn, both experienced former real estate agents. The Break-Up actor broke ties with the previous listing agent in favor of broker Katherine Malkin of Baird & Warner.

Contemporary dining room with view of Lake Michigan outside.

The apartment offers formal and informal entertainment and living spaces.

The home mixes modern living spaces on the middle floor with traditional wood on the top entertaining floor.

Vaughn's penthouse is ideal for entertaining.

Vaughn's Chicago penthouse features two gourmet kitchens with high-end appliances.

Vaughn, famous for his wild partying roles in Swingers, Wedding Crashers and Old School, is trying his best to leave bachelorhood behind. But that requires parting ways with his Chicago bachelor pad, which has a media screening room, wood-paneled billiard and card rooms, two gourmet kitchens, full bar, a den, two offices, and three private terraces overlooking Michigan Avenue’s “Magnificent Mile” shopping district, Oak Street Beach and the Chicago skyline. Coincidentally, the Palmolive building housed the original office of the ultimate bachelor Hugh Hefner and his Playboy empire. With kids in tow, Vaughn’s game nights with the guys were likely replaced with "Peek-a-Boo" and "Patty Cake."

Card table ideal for poker night with the boys.

Games are always on in the triplex's top floor. Here is the billiards room.

Media screening room

With the Palmolive penthouse on the block, Vaughn still owns a River North townhouse in Illinois, which he bought in 2005 for $1.4 million. And while he has cleverly produced and acted in his share of Chicago-based movies in recent years, it appears the father of two is making the full transition from bachelorhood to family man by relocating closer to his office—Hollywood.

Vaughn, who married in 2010, owns several properties in the Chicago area and Los Angeles.

Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson in "Wedding Crashers"

Family man Vaughn with his wife, daughter, and son (in Mom's tummy)

Vaughn has bought and sold a series of California homes in recent years, perhaps as investments. In February 2014, he purchased a 7,308-square-foot house in Manhattan Beach from former Oakland Raiders and USC football coach Lane Kiffin. In 2013, Vaughn purchased actress Kate Bosworth’s 5,563-square-foot Hollywood Hills home for $2.375 million. In 2012, he bought a five-bedroom, six-bathroom home in La Cañada Flintridge for $3.925 million, which sits on three-quarters of an acre (plenty of outdoor space for his two kids roam free). Vaughn, it seems, is spreading the wealth around, and he’s taking his appearance in the 2001 TV series Going to California to heart. Like his other film in 2001, he’s got it Made.

The comic actor seems content with family life now. As long as he doesn’t go Psycho on us again or cause anymore Domestic Disturbance(s), Vaughn is okay by us. We’d like him to stay old school, continue crashing weddings with Owen Wilson, and keep the laughs coming. If he does, we will be as joyous and enriched as he is. After all, his nickname is “Mr. Sunshine.” Therefore, California is where he must be.

The post Vince Vaughn Slashes Chicago Penthouse Price to $14 Million appeared first on Haute Residence by Haute Living.

The A-list actress Scarlett Johansson coughed up $3.88 million for a residence in her old stomping ground—the upscale Los Feliz area of California. The house is as understated as her performance in Oscar-nominated film Lost in Translation.

Johansson bought this two-story home in Los Feliz for $3.88 million.

The residence features a pool, an eight-person spa and a cabana.

The gated 3,500-square-foot home is on a secluded cup-de-sac.

It’s a Tinseltown homecoming for the New York native who spent much of the past year living in Paris with her new husband, French journalist and ad exec Romain Dauriac, with whom she had her first child—Rose Dorothy. Johansson previously lived in historic Los Feliz with her ex-husband, actor Ryan Reynolds, until they divorced in 2011. That home was later sold for $3.5 million in 2012.

Johansson’s new 3,500-square-foot estate is secluded and paparazzi-resistant—secured behind a gate on nearly an acre of land at the end of a "little known cul-de-sac," according to Variety. The 1940s-erected home is two stories and family-friendly, boasting a modest four bedrooms, six bathrooms, and plenty of open space for cribs, playpens, and toys. The main floor features espresso-toned floors and an open, all-white kitchen (with center island, and marble and quartz countertops) and a family room that freely flows into a sunken living room (watch out, baby Rose!). From there, a media room leads to the yard with a large pool, an eight-person spa, cabana (with built-in wine fridge and storage cabinets), and soon enough, a likely swing set.

The home has an open layout with espresso-toned floors, fireplaces and ample light.

The modest home has four bedrooms and six bathrooms.

If Johansson takes a hiatus to raise her daughter, Hollywood (and its famous sign) isn't far from home.

The home’s master suite features a fireplace, sitting area, walk-in closet, a sky-lit bathroom, and a balcony that overlooks a deep canyon with views of the famous "Hollywood" sign. So if Johansson has notions of gravitating toward quirky independent films again or semi-retiring to raise her daughter (which could be metaphorically illustrated by turning her back and calmly walking away from explosions in her blockbuster Lucy and the Avengers films), that iconic Hollywood sign is a visual reminder that she’s back on the big (budget) stage for a while.

Johansson broke into Hollywood as a child actor co-starring in North with Elijah Wood and The Horse Whisperer with Robert Redford. Years later, she’d grown up into the famously voluptuous woman with the trademark bright-red lipstick and husky voice (exhibited as computer's id in the film Her) who topped several “sexiest” this-and-that lists. But those superficial titles didn’t deter her from becoming director Woody Allen's muse and scoring big roles (and four Golden Globe nominations from 2003 to 2005) in Oscar-nominated films like Girl With a Pearl Earring, Lost in Translation, Match Point, Vicky Christina Barcelona and Her (for which she lent her famous voice).

Johansson graduated from child actor to leading lady.

Bill Murray and Johansson in Lost in Translation

Scarlett Johansson in The Avengers

She even won a 2010 Tony Award as "Best Featured Actress in a Play" for A View from the Bridge. And did we mention she also sings? In 2008, Johansson released Anywhere I Lay My Head, an album of mostly Tom Waits cover songs that generated mixed reviews. Now Johansson reprises her bad-ass character, Black Widow, in this spring’s sequel—The Avengers: Age of Ultron.

When Johansson first seduced Hollywood, she was a single A-lister with producers and directors at her feet. Now, at 30, she’s a married mom with producers, directors, diapers, and toys at her feet. She’s landed her most important role yet—a suburban L.A. mom, who, like her character from Lucy, will have to access more of her brain to manage it all—from her new Los Feliz home, of course.

The post Scarlett Johansson Buys L.A. Family Compound for $3.9 Million appeared first on Haute Residence by Haute Living.

Recently crowned by the Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s “largest vertical maze,” Dubai’s 55-story Maze Tower playfully embraces the visual lines of its asymmetrical balconies to create an elevated labyrinth whose bright LED lights illuminate its ambitious design—and the skyline—for all to see at night.

The 55-story Maze Tower features a sculpted series of intricate balconies that form the world's largest vertical maze.

The Maze Tower's exterior façade features multicolored LED lights and a Maze Eye that beams images to great distances.

Developed by the Al Rostamani Group and completed in January 2012, the Pac-Man Tower (sorry, Maze Tower) is located in the heart of Dubai’s Financial District and serves as the firm’s corporate headquarters. Chairman Marwan Abdulla Al Rostamani said the tower’s inspiration came from the creative and innovative changes occurring throughout Dubai and the United Arab Emirates. Yet it resembles a carved obelisk ordered by the hand of an Egyptian pharaoh.

“We always wanted ‘The Maze’ to look like it was carved out of one massive piece of rock, with the constant play of light and shadow to render it alive,” said Hassan Abdulla Al Rostamani, vice chairman of Al Rostamani Group, who conceptualized the tower (perhaps he’s a secret gamer?).

The Maze Tower is located on Sheikh Zayed Road, in the heart of Dubai’s Financial District.

Now an icon on Dubai’s skyline, the Maze Tower—which is actually not just a random pattern, but a thoughtful, doable puzzle—is a mixed-used building showcasing 24 floors of residential living space and 25 floors of prime office space. It offers one- and two-bedroom residences, duplexes and two penthouse layouts. Joysticks are not included—a-mazingly enough.

The unique structure is crafted of Brazilian Verde Bahia natural stones that were hand-selected for their aesthetic and tactile appeal. According to the Al Rostamani Group, a water jet treatment created the building’s darker greenish hue and matte surface. The lighter hue was achieved using a flame technique that roughened the surface for a lighter, more reflective surface.

The Maze boasts one- and two-bedroom residences, duplexes, and two penthouse layouts.

The Maze Tower offers 24 floors of luxury residential space.

Resident's pool

The intricate balconies on the tower’s front and rear façades form the shape of a maze, which also create real puzzles, according to the Guiness Book of World Records. To the ancient eye, the Maze Tower might resemble some sort of carved obelisk ordered by the hand of an Egyptian pharaoh. But that simplistic view doesn’t give the modern structure enough credit. We see it differently. By day, the Maze Tower looks like a virtual analog version of the classic video game Pac-Man. But by night, it goes full arcade—sans Pac-Man and his enemies “Blinky,” “Inky,” “Pinky” and “Clyde.”

The Maze Tower's façade resembles the classic arcade game Pac-Man.

Instead the Maze Tower boasts the Maze Eye: an eight-meter circular video wall at the top of the building that beams images at great distances, and LED lights built into the exterior façade of the maze pattern, which can display a variety of colors and patterns (like the Pac-Man game). The building also features urban, green sanctuaries—two floors of tranquil gardens (with trees, planted walls and a children’s play area) in the middle of the building, and a rooftop garden maze.

The tower offers two floors of tranquil gardens, including trees and planted walls.

Children's play garden

The post Guinness Book Crowns Dubai’s Maze Tower World’s Tallest Labyrinth appeared first on Haute Residence by Haute Living.

According to the New York Post, the full-floor condo at 508 West 24th Street is located in architect/developer Cary Tamarin’s new 10-story, 15-unit complex in West Chelsea’s Meatpacking District, overlooking the trendy High Line—a 1.45-mile-long linear park that replaced an old freight rail line. The building is designed in the spirit of West Chelsea’s industrial-era warehouses which have been transformed into trendy condos, art galleries, restaurants—creating one of Manhattan’s most desired neighborhoods.

Carmelo Anthony will reportedly combine two condo units at 508 West 24th Street, which he bought for a total of $11 million.

Word on the mean streets suggests Anthony and La La nabbed two fifth floor apartments, which they will combine for one full-floor 4,556-square-foot home. Individual units feature private elevator access, 10-foot ceilings, expansive living and dining areas, white oak floors, and custom walnut and Calacatta Gold marble kitchens and bathrooms. Master bedroom suites include luxurious spa baths and private dressing rooms. The building also has a gym, rooftop terrace and ground floor retail space.

508 West 24th Street only houses 15 condo units, which overlook the High Line.

The High Line, a railway converted into a linear park.

Word is Anthony's full-floor condo will boast a total of 4,556 square feet.

Kitchen featuring Calacatta Gold marble and cabinets made by genuine cabinetmakers.

The 6-foot-8-inch Anthony will likely sleep in a longer bed than this, and in a more spacious bedroom.

Bathroom crafted of Calacatta Gold marble

As a premier NBA shooter, Anthony finally pinpointed his home—where the action is. Anthony is familiar with intense action, as the franchise player carrying the Knicks nightly in the world’s most famous arena, Madison Square Garden. Anthony, who tested free agency after last season, hedged his bet—renting a Fifth Avenue apartment on Museum Mile reportedly for $29,000 per month—as he contemplated playing elsewhere. Once his franchise shopping concluded (re-signing with the Knicks), it was time to house hunt. He toured several penthouses, including downtown’s most expensive apartment atop SkyLofts. But he and La La eventually settled on the trendier Meatpacking area, where delicious restaurants rule and fashionable models and entertainers hang.

Carmelo Anthony's $124 million guaranteed contract will pay for his new West Chelsea home.

Stylish couple, Carmelo and La La Anthony

Anthony was the New York Knick's sole representative at the 2015 All-Star Game (hosted at his MSG office), which will surely go down as the highlight of his season. Unfortunately for him, the Knicks season is a total disaster and his knee injury may end his season as well. At least he can rehab in his building’s new gym—that is, when the shame of the Knick’s abysmal season wears off. That will take a while, perhaps until next season. But at least he's finally scored a permanent home. That's worth more than another meaningless three-pointer in a lost season.

Photos and details courtesy of the NY Post and 6sqft.com

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Original Spider-Man Tobey Maguire is selling his Los Angeles estate for $10.25 million, less than a year after purchasing it for $8.45 million. Yes, your “friendly neighborhood Spider-Man” is packing his bags again—this time for profit. Superheroes are restless souls anyway.

Actor Tobey Maguire's 6,320-square-foot Brentwood estate is on the market for $10.25 million.

The eclectic residence on Carmelina Avenue was designed by renowned southern California architect John Byers.

The family room has soaring vaulted ceilings with exposed wood beams and skylights.

Dining room and kitchen

Kitchen with stainless steel appliances.

Located in Brentwood, Maguire’s property is a virtual celeb web which has snagged both talk show host Ricki Lake and Friends alum Courteney Cox, who previously called this gorgeous residence home. The 6,320-square-foot plantation-style estate on Carmelina Avenue features five-and-a-half bathrooms and six bedrooms—five bedrooms on the first floor, and a separate upstairs guest suite (where we’re guessing Maguire’s best bud Leonardo DiCaprio may have crashed at some point).

The residence was designed by renowned southern California architect John Byers, whose sprawling creation cuts across three-quarters of an acre. The private gated residence seamlessly connects indoors with outdoors via a suite terrace, a covered courtyard, oversized windows, skylights, and French doors… countless French doors begging to be opened! Natural light floods the home from every corner (presumably to turn off the dark).

Master bedroom suite

Upstairs guest suite with terrace

Terrace with backyard view

The plantation-style estate features six bedrooms, many with French doors that lead directly to the yard.

Five bedrooms grace the first floor, including this colorful guest room with matching drums

The home features an eclectic mix of styles: vaulted ceilings in the family room buttressed by exposed wood beams and skylights; varied floor surfaces from light marble to modern dark hardwood to subway tile; a mini sauna; exotic wood tables (e.g. an intentionally distressed deck table); Far East-influenced metal or carved lanterns; and some sort of foliage-covered Buddhist relic near the entrance. The massive master suite boasts two fireplaces and a glass dome skylight in the bathroom suite.

Master bathroom with glass dome skylight

The residence has five-and-a-half bathrooms.

Half bathroom with mini sauna

Outdoors, the backyard showcases a covered exterior living room deck, a covered BBQ court, a small carriage house gym, a pool, Jacuzzi and lush landscaping—even a few trees and vines from which Spider-Man can swing. The private estate is a prime location with a 35,000-plus square flat lot overall.

Outdoor living room deck accented with Far East lanterns and candles

The estate invites fresh air indoors for a seamless connection. Exotic deck items include an intentionally distressed deck table.

Backyard pool

A mysterious Buddhist relic, dressed in tropical foliage

Golden Globe nominee Maguire acted in quirky films as a teen and lost many roles to his friend DiCaprio, but he registered as a certified A-lister after starring in the original Spider-Man trilogy (directed by Sam Raimi) from 2002 to 2007. After script and production complications for a planned fourth installment, he hung up his red-and-blue tights for good. Now, he's also hung a "for sale" sign on the house he shares with his wife, jewelry designer Jennifer Meyer—the house that was paid for by "Spider-Man."

Maguire as Spider-Man

With this home on the market, celebs will surely come calling. After all, a superhero, a talker, and a "friend" have already shacked up here. We humbly predict Oprah Winfrey will be its next owner—after all, she’s a superhero, a talker and our friend.

The post ‘Spider-Man’ Actor Tobey Maguire Lists L.A. Estate for $10.3 Million appeared first on Haute Residence by Haute Living.

Carlton burst onto the scene in 2002 with the Grammy-nominated debut song “A Thousand Miles,” but she was eclipsed by Norah Jones’s spectacular debut album before virtually disappearing overnight. While we put out an APB on Carlton, let’s explore her loft, which is not only $450 less than its last sublet listing, but also comes fully furnished—with two pianos (and keyboards) that surely have Carlton’s composer fingerprints all over them (perhaps the first clue in tracking down Carlton's whereabouts today).

Singer-songwriter Vanessa Carlton, out of the limelight for years, is now temporarily out of the SoHo loft she's renting for $17,500 per month.

Carlton's rentable 2,500-square foot loft includes use of her two pianos.

The full-floor loft at 182 Lafayette Street occupies an very private boutique building and features beautiful, exposed-brick walls, original iron columns, hardwood floors, tall ceilings and a small balcony for people watching—truly authentic downtown digs. Let’s tickle those piano ivories and explore Carlton's prescient lyrics from “A Thousand Miles,” which reveals where she longs to be.

Making my way downtown
Walking fast
Faces pass
And I’m home bound...

Sounds like New York City to us. But why would Carlton want to temporarily abandon her 2,500-square-foot SoHo treasure? The two-bedroom, two-bathroom loft is drenched in natural light with rare exposure on three sides. It showcases an eclectic décor mix of wide murals, impressionist art, music posters, Tiffany glass, and even a mounted steer skull. It has a large industrial-looking chef’s kitchen. And it has a private keyed elevator entrance into the apartment. Bellmarc's Lisa Garey has the listing.

The loft boasts exposed brick walls, original iron columns, and hardwood floors.

The full-floor loft at 182 Lafayette Street occupies a private boutique building in the heart of SoHo.

Gourmet kitchen with stainless steel appliances.

If I could fall
Into the sky
Do you think time
Would pass me by...?

Just how does one fall into the sky? Perhaps it’s some cryptic clue. Time just may be passing the 34-year-old Carlton by (by music standards), but we hear she plans to release her fifth studio album called “Liberman” this summer. Why the hiatus? Personal reasons? Carlton is very open about her personal life.

First the singer came out the nowhere, then she came out of the closet (as bisexual, during a performance!). She also revealed her past struggles to have a baby (on Facebook). She’s spontaneous, open, and honest, but we sure hope the royalty checks don’t bounce as far from the limelight (and from her loft) as she did.

Carlton paid $1.83 million for the apartment in 2004.

The apartment has two bathrooms, one of which resembles a Moulin Rouge set with deep red hues and a chandelier.

Cause you know I'd walk a thousand miles
If I could just see you
If I could just hold you, tonight...

Good news, a quick Google search reveals Carlton’s album was delayed because she gave birth to her first child (a daughter) in January. That’s who she’s holding now. But where’s the crib? Not at 182 Lafayette, which becomes available for a year-term sublet on September 1st. Could Carlton be bicoastal, or residing in another New York apartment with her husband, John McCauley?

Vanessa Carlton

Wherever she is, it appears Carlton is about to turn the limelight back on, even if it won't shine into her loft. With all that natural sunlight, who would notice anyway?

Maybe this isn’t the home she sang about. Maybe home is where her heart is—in another residence with her new family. Or on Facebook. Or perhaps playing songs on the back of a flatbed truck like she does in her video for "A Thousand Miles." Wherever she is or ends up, we have a feeling she will be back for those two precious SoHo pianos.

The post Rent Vanessa Carlton’s Fully-Furnished SoHo Loft for $17,500 a Month appeared first on Haute Residence by Haute Living.

The Grammy Award-winning crooner apparently has sold more records than we ever realized. The fact is, he is the top-selling tropical salsa artist of all time. Marc, we hardly knew “usted.”

Anthony listed the massive 10-bedroom, eight bathroom brick manor in the exclusive Brookville area (on Long Island’s North Shore) that he once shared with ex-wife singer/actress Jennifer Lopez and their twins for $12 million. Recently remarried to Venezuelan model Shannon De Lima, Anthony now unloads two homes from his past.

Salsa singer Marc Anthony listed the exclusive Long Island estate he shared with Jennifer Lopez for $12 million.

The 10-bedroom, eight-bathroom brick manor is located in the exclusive Brookville area on the North Shore.

Anthony's 4,800-square-foot guest house was remodeled with an all-white motif.

Bought in 2000 for $3.7 million, the sprawling 10,084-square-foot compound at 3 Country Lane in Glen Head, NY, covers eight-plus acres with a matching Georgian-style pool house, colonial-style guesthouse, a carriage house, an oversized pool, and a tennis court. The main home, built in 1941, features a professional recording studio (of course), a mahogany-paneled library, a home theater, five powder rooms, eight fireplaces, and a huge master bathroom with its own personal fireplace. According to The New York Times, the 4,800-square-foot guest house boasts five bedrooms and four-and-a-half bathrooms, which Anthony renovated with an “all-white motif.” Dolly Lenz of Dolly Lenz Real Estate has the listing.

Home theater

Mixing room, adjacent to the recording studio

Late last fall, Anthony put his Spanish-style mansion in Encino, CA on the market for $2.75 million. That six-bedroom, nine-bathroom residence at 17230 Silver Lane features a guest suite, gourmet chef kitchen, home theater, wine room, indoor-outdoor bars, and curiously, another master spa-like bathroom with a fireplace (and a flat screen TV). The gorgeous 6,263-square-foot home immediately impresses with its grand foyer with soaring cathedral ceilings and private, resort-style backyard. Andrew Mortaza of Keller Williams World Media Center has the Encino listing.

Marc Anthony's Spanish-style Encino, CA mansion hit the market last fall for $2.75 million.

The Encino estate has a private, resort-style backyard with a pool and palm trees.

Outdoor bar and gazebo

Anthony (birth name Marco Antonio Muñiz), is a prolific singer-songwriter, actor, producer, fashion mogul and part owner of the Miami Dolphins football franchise (along with fellow musicians Lopez, Gloria Estefan and Fergie). His big break came in 1992 and 1993 as an opening act for legends Tito Puente and Rubén Blades. His career exploded in 1999 during a wave of popular Latino acts like Ricky Martin and Enrique Iglesias. We suspect the talented musician would have created his own wave in any era. In 2001, Anthony’s gold album “Libre” spent 14 weeks at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Latin Albums chart. His lasting power is formidable as he swept the 2014 Billboard Latin Music Awards, taking home 10 awards, including Artist of the Year, Top Latin Album of the Year and Hot Latin Song for "Vivir Mi Vida," which spent 17 weeks at No. 1 on Billboard's Hot Latin Song's chart.

Marc Anthony was Artist of the Year at the 2014 Billboard Latin Music Awards.

Anthony is the top selling tropical salsa singer of all time.

Post J-Lo, Anthony is pursuing a new paradise life with his new wife. With his unique gift for song, a wine passion and a preference for bathroom fireplaces, we’re pretty sure Anthony's romance skills are also spiced with salsa. After all, he married two models and an international pop star. Here’s to hoping the third time’s the charm—or else he, and his houses, will be on the market again.

That, of course, will be on a “need to know” basis. Meanwhile, we’ll keep checking the listings.

The post Singer Marc Anthony Offers Two Blue Chip Mansions with Salsa appeared first on Haute Residence by Haute Living.

The new Foster & Partners high-rise in the Islington district is on track to become London’s most cycle-centric residential building, with 1,486 bicycle parking spaces (one-and-a-half for each of the 930 apartments). Just as every resident gets their own apartment key and mailbox, they will also get a dedicated bike storage unit in the basement level. One quarter of the spaces will be provided in stackable storage racks. It's the first phase of London's new bike culture.

London’s 250 City Road twin tower development is the city’s most bike-friendly residential building, with 1,486 bicycle parking spaces.

The twin tower complex was designed by Foster & Partners, a proponent for cycle culture.

As for car parking spots, only 200 carbon dioxide-polluters get those. The message is as crystal clear as the surrounding air—motorless two-wheelers are preferred here. Giving new meaning to “riding the elevator,” these twin skyscrapers even feature special bike lifts and a bike maintenance workshop for residents in the basement of both towers—which beats getting scammed by unscrupulous car mechanics.

The towers, 46 and 32 stories respectively, occupy the site of an 1980s business park. The development will also showcase restaurants, cafes, retailers, three floors of office space and a 190-bedroom hotel, according to deZeen magazine. It reports that developer Berkeley recruited Foster & Partners after “buying the site and inheriting a previous design that it felt was not of high enough architectural merit.” Foster & Partners was up for the challenge.

The 130,600-square-meter project only has 200 parking spaces for cars.

Th twin skyscrapers offer special bike elevators and a bike maintenance workshop for residents.

The Foster & Partners’ twin towers design exceeds Transport for London’s new guidelines for high quality, bike-friendly infrastructure which are designed to transform London into a “[cycle-ized] city.” Under the guidelines, the 130,600-square-meter project would be expected to provide 1,223 spaces, according to deZeen, but Islington Council's planners insisted on even higher provision. The surrounding cluster of towers will feature similar bike-centric designs for parking and storage.

The city’s new guidelines are a proposed initiative of Mayor Boris Johnson to make London’s streets safer, healthier and to encourage more people to ride bikes (similar to what New York City accomplished under former Mayor Mike Bloomberg). Johnson has approved plans to create Europe’s longest segregated cycle lane through the city.

New building guidelines are Mayor Boris Johnson’s initiative to make London a cyclized city.

London Mayor Boris Johnson approved a plan to create Europe’s longest segregated cycle lane through the city.

deZeen magazine quoted Peter Murray, member of the London Mayor's Design Advisory Group, "It represents a big shift in London. All new developments have to meet the [cycle provision] requirements, but since this is a tall and dense project the impact and scale is impressive."

Foster & Partner’s reputation for cycle culture and low carbon transportation is well established (21% of its employees bike to work while another 20% walk to work). In 2014, principal Norman Foster proposed (along with collaborators Exterior Architecture and Space Syntax) “SkyCycle,” his ambitious concept design for elevated cycle paths above London’s railways, which according to deZeen, “aimed to create a 220-kilometer cycling utopia” of dedicated lanes.

In 2014, Norman Foster proposed an ambitious concept design for elevated cycle paths above London’s railways.

Architecture firm Gensler reimagined London’s abandoned tube (subway) tunnels as a subterranean network of cycle paths.

Meanwhile, architectural firm Gensler reimagined London’s abandoned tube (subway) tunnels as a subterranean network of cycle paths that generate electricity as people walk and pedal through them. Large cosmopolitan cities are putting the pedal to the metal. Bike culture is definitely fast on the move. If only London could change its bad weather culture.

The post Spin Cycle: 250 City Road Twin Towers in London Fast Track Bike Culture appeared first on Haute Residence by Haute Living.

Lush backyard creates a private paradise for entertaining.

Saltwater pool and deck with privately-tiered surroundings.

Outdoor pool house with shower and changing room. Meester is selling the ranch home for $2.35 million.

On the eve of the young couple’s first anniversary, Meester is going all-in with Brody—asking $2.35 million for the four bedroom, 4.5-bathroom ranch near Ventura Boulevard (within walking distance of shops). Meester gained national notoriety when she starred in Gossip Girl from 2007 to 2012. In 2014 the multi-talented artist flexed her acting chops in Broadway's Of Mice and Men, and this year she debuts a new album (and tour) called "Heartstrings."

Living room with central fireplace

The formal dining room

Open-concept kitchen with marble countertops and high-end stainless steel appliances.

Meester, who left New York City to purchase the Los Angeles-area home, extensively remodeled the secluded residence to deliver the ultimate California indoor-outdoor lifestyle experience. The 2,847-square-foot “entertainer’s paradise” offers a lush gardens, a private, tiered backyard with saltwater pool, treetop views, a deck, a patio, a separate pool house with shower and changing room, a built-in barbecue, speakers, a bar, and a fridge.

If the entertaining carries inside, momentum isn’t lost with two fireplaces, smart home technology (security cameras along the gated property line and hidden ceiling speakers), high-end finishes, custom fixtures, refinished hardwood floors, and marble countertops and stainless steel appliances in the open-concept kitchen. Michael Morabito of Sotheby’s International Realty has the listing.

The large master bedroom.

The home boasts four bedrooms and 4.5 bathrooms.

Master bathroom with tub and shower

Newlyweds Adam Brody and Leighton Meester

Surely the home will appeal to the next unattached movie star hotshot. Meanwhile Meester officially divorces herself from the last vestige of her single life, officially calling it quits on bachelorette days. Do tabloids print “happily ever after” gossip?

The post ‘Gossip Girl’ Leighton Meester Splits From Encino Home for $2.35 Million appeared first on Haute Residence by Haute Living.

Like Swason’s character, the historic Pierre penthouse is a bygone treasure waiting to be rediscovered, but so far no one is buying, causing the unthinkable—the price has been slashed in half! Should we lament the opulent apartment who’s value fell from $125 million in 2013 to an inconceivable $63 million today?

The Pierre Hotel's iconic mansard rooftop perched above the triplex penthouse.

The home's ballroom boasts 23-foot-ceilings, window archways and elaborate chandeliers.

It’s hard to pity a luxury New York City landmark, but this fall from grace is shocking given the bullish Manhattan real estate market which broke records for expensive home sales records in 2014.

The penthouse was formerly owned by the late Martin Zweig, financial expert and stock market crash predictor, whose widow later downgraded to an apartment on a lower floor, according to Curbed. The prominent triplex also was featured in movies such as Arthur and Meet Joe Black. So why won’t anyone pony up an amount worthy of the Pierre penthouse’s former glory? And what triggered its precipitous devaluation?

The most obvious reasons: it was grossly overpriced and/or the impact of nearby contemporary skyscrapers are undercutting it. Mega towers are popping up along 57th Street’s billionaire row with enviable views of Central Park, modern features and luxurious amenities—usually for less investment than the nearby Pierre penthouse’s original asking price.

The famous penthouse was featured in the films Arthur and Meet Joe Black.

The paneled library with fireplace.

The 16-room French chateau apartment at 795 Fifth Avenue—with the mansard roof that has become a Manhattan skyline icon—was first listed in the spring of 2013 for $125 million. By December the price was cut to $95 million before it was taken off the market again on Christmas Eve according to Curbed. It recently re-emerged priced to sell, via Brown Harris Stevens, with the half-off discount of $63 million.

Built in 1929, the “five or more bedrooms” Pierre Hotel penthouse still retains its classic New York majesty with elaborate chandeliers dangling from 23-foot ballroom ceilings, cozy sitting rooms, a paneled library, four fireplaces, an interior elevator, terraces in each of the building’s four corners, and one of Manhattan’s best views of Central Park.

The apartment features panoramic terraces at each of the four corners of the building.

The Pierre penthouse has one of Manhattan's best views of Central Park.

In Sunset Boulevard, Swanson’s character says, “The stars are ageless, aren’t they?” In the age of these whippersnapper modern skyscrapers, the owner of the Pierre Hotel penthouse certainly hopes so.

Once owned by J. Paul Getty, the Pierre is the tallest prewar building along Central Park which includes the luxury hotel and private residences such as the penthouse triplex. Now it’s searching for a modern-day Getty or Rockefeller to save the day. But more than likely, it will take an old-fashioned oligarch with old money.

The post Pierre Hotel Penthouse Price Tag Drastically Dips to $63 Million appeared first on Haute Residence by Haute Living.

Now, on the eve of the motion picture release, we peek through the peephole for an up close and personal view of the Fifty Shades of Grey penthouse suite—exposed for everyone who's curious to see where the steamy action occurred in James's novel. The fictional modern romance between naive college graduate Anastasia “Ana” Steele and billionaire businessman Christian Grey played out in downtown Seattle’s modern Escala condominium penthouse, where Grey lives.

Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson play fictional characters Christian Grey and Ana Steele in Fifty Shades of Grey.

The Escala tower is located in Seattle's lively Belltown neighborhood.

The penthouse is 5,100-square feet.

The kitchen, with high-gloss teak cabinets, where Grey and Steele sensuously sustain themselves in the James novel.

The Fifty Shades of Grey penthouse suite at Escala is sexy and modern (dare we say, naughty?) with a spacious open concept, and enough luxury amenities for fictional or real-life characters to flirt, tease and seduce—namely voyeuristic floor-to-ceiling windows; a potentially adventurous semi-private elevator to the residence; a huge, alluring outdoor terrace; and frameless peek-a-boo glass showers; but thankfully, no evidence of a “red room” of pain. Batteries, neckties and wrist cuffs are not included.

Large open dining room ideal for entertaining

Ultra modern bar area

Living room. The Escala penthouse offers 180-degree views of Seattle.

Penthouse vestibule leads to a personal elevator.

While Mr. Grey’s rooftop helicopter pad was an embellished storyline aphrodisiac, the Escala's real-life penthouse is contemporary, sensual, and ideal for a single business tycoon to entertain and romance. The penthouse is a 5,100-square-foot, custom-designed home that boasts a 1,000-square-foot terrace and 180-degree views of Seattle, the Space Needle, Elliott Bay and the Olympic Mountains. The Grey penthouse previously sold for $6.2 million in 2013, according to Curbed. Reportedly, Seattle-native and San Francisco Giants pitcher Tim Lincecum lives—or once lived—in the "sub penthouse" of the building, according to Forbes.

The master bedroom where much of the magic happens in the Fifty Shades of Grey novel.

Furniture plays a big role in the Grey-Steele relationship. Might as well make it modern too.

This red office does not count as a red room of pain, as depicted in E.L. James' Fifty Shades of Grey novel.

An outdoor terrace sits adjacent to the master bedroom.

Amenities include 24-hour concierge service, a wine cave dining room and climate-controlled wine storage, a fitness center with two stationary lap pools, and a private theater that transforms into a 20-person boardroom (perfect for a business tycoon who loves to get busy).

Luxuriously modern master bathroom

Enclosed shower

The Escala tower is located at 1920 Fourth Avenue in the lively neighborhood of Belltown, conveniently within walking distance of the downtown shopping district, entertainment, world-class restaurants, Pike Place Market, Seattle Art Museum and the vibrant waterfront.

Fifty Shades of Grey's graphic eroticism has garnered it a worldwide audience of millions.

Fifty Shades of Grey began as an e-book before evolving into an erotic novel trilogy (which has sold more than 100 million copies worldwide) and a movie franchise.

The feature film, Fifty Shades of Grey, opens Valentine's Day weekend.

There’s no word on what role the real Escala penthouse will play in the film, but we can boldly predict the movie will have role-playing in fancy digs that resemble Escala. The Fifty Shades of Grey feature film, starring Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan hits theaters Valentine’s Day weekend, of course. Demand is high, so place orders for the movie tickets, the dozen red roses, and the red rooms well in advance.

The post ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ Penthouse Exposed appeared first on Haute Residence by Haute Living.

He’s a reluctant celebrity who’s so low-key, we’re not sure if his star still burns bright enough to qualify for Hollywood’s A or B list anymore (likely the way he prefers it). But his star shines as bright as Aurora Borealis in the “Land of 10,000 Lakes,” which makes his recent property listing big news back home in the Twin Cities.

The 36-year old St. Paul, Minnesota-native is parting ways with his Minneapolis Lake of the Isles digs, known as the Walter P. Douglas House—a historic four-bedroom, four bathroom Victorian mansion listed for $2.395 million (the same price Hartnett paid for it in 2002).

Actor Josh Hartnett just listed his Lake of the Isle home in Minneapolis for $2.395 million.

The 5,056-square-foot property at 2405 East Lake of the Isles Parkway rests on the eastern shore of the lake’s northern-most point. Built in 1887 and since extensively renovated, it hails as one of the oldest and most prominent residences in the area. The lake itself, which is sometimes used for hockey and skating, covers 109 acres with biking and walking paths.

The modest mansion is big but unpretentious—almost a metaphor for Hartnett’s career and humble personality. It’s aptly described as “modern with traditional Victorian [features]… sophisticated spaces, exquisite finishes, stained glass windows, gourmet kitchen, wine cellar and incredible views” by listing agency Lakes Sotheby’s International Realty. The home boasts a classy mix of wood, stone and glass—transitioning between traditional and modern.

Great room with huge picturesque windows.

Dining room anchored by beautiful stained glass window

The gourmet kitchen

Wood banister with masterfully carved accents

Game room

The residence features beautifully-carved woodwork throughout (especially the wine cellar, window frames and banisters), a grand room, huge picture windows, meticulous moldings, gorgeous fireplaces, sun deck, four-car garage, exercise room, in-ground pool and four bathrooms (three of them full). The property attracts tremendous natural sunlight which perfectly showcases stained glass windows that reveal themselves in the most unexpected locations.

There’s no guard, no gated community, and we doubt there are even security cameras here. Lake of the Isles is an affluent suburb with real neighbors—not famous ones. It seemed to be Hartnett's preferred safe base far from the glare of Tinseltown.

The property is located on the lake.

Hartnett's home features four bedrooms and four bathrooms.

The Lake of the Isle upscale neighborhood is just outside the city limits of Minneapolis.

The star of Showtime’s horror cult hit Penny Dreadful is reportedly downgrading size-wise since he doesn’t spend much time at the Lake of the Isles residence. Or could it be the former man-of-the-moment has himself been downgraded from movie blockbusters like Black Hawk Down and Pearl Harbor to a macabre cable television series, so he’s tightening his belt? Or, more likely, his TV show is catching on and his Los Angeles demands are higher (which means his star is burning brighter, and if that's the case, here we go again).

Large wine cellar with exquisite woodwork adjacent to the fitness room.

Either way, Hartnett’s Minneapolis neighbors probably won't miss him, if they ever saw him at all. He’s a humble and serious actor/producer of film, stage, and video. Hartnett once took a break from acting, repeatedly turned down a Superman TV role (and other superhero parts), and publicly shunned chasing fame as a recipe for “unhappiness” (wait, that sounds like a real respectable, person, not a Hollywood hunk). But while the Hollywood machine has a way of spitting actors out, it's also routinely wooing actors back into the game.

At 36, Hartnett has resisted many of the pitfalls of his contemporaries by rejecting fame and superficial acting roles.

Hartnett starred in the 2001 blockbuster movie, Black Hawk Down.

Like the Minneapolis Lakers 55 years ago, the Twin Cities is losing another one of its favorite sons to Los Angeles—someone who could have been anointed a King of Hollywood if his ego had allowed it. But don’t worry Minneapolis-St. Paul, you’ll always have a Prince.

The post Actor Josh Hartnett Lists Minneapolis Victorian Mansion for $2.4 Million appeared first on Haute Residence by Haute Living.

The latest Hell's Kitchen condo to open is Fifty-Third and Eighth (a former 264-unit rental building at 301 West 53rd Street) which HFZ Capital converted to a full-service, 252-unit contemporary condominium. First sales launched last week via Douglas Elliman Development Marketing.

The 25-story condominium offers one- to three-bedroom units ranging from $1.1 million to $3.25 million

Although many of the units are smallish, the condos are considered “affordable luxury” for this thriving area (perhaps the best value going). Dubbed “true New York in the heart of Manhattan,” the 25-story brick building offers convenient access to excellent restaurants, Broadway’s Theater District, MoMA, Times Square, Central Park, Lincoln Center, Port Authority bus terminal and even Late Show David Letterman (at least, until the comedian’s last show on May 20th).

The 53rd and Eighth condominium showcases one, two and three bedroom units—ranging from $1.1 million to $3.25 million—with luxury finishes, convenient services and modern amenities. Each residence is flooded with natural light, enhanced by oakwood flooring and unobstructed views of the Hudson River to the west and the city skyline to the east. Select units offer private terraces. The homes are crafted to reflect the neighborhood’s bold character and distinct charm.

Three-bedroom units boast more spacious living rooms and two full bathrooms.

The condos (like this two-bedroom unit) showcase contemporary interiors by BP Architects and furnishings by ASH NYC.

Two-bedroom unit

The condos feature sleek, centralized kitchens with white lacquer and polished chrome cabinetry, white quartz countertops, Bertazzoni gas ranges, and Bosch microwaves and dishwashers. Bathrooms boast custom vanities, medicine cabinets fitted with Kohler fixtures, Toto toilets, Glassos white marble floors, mosaic tile accent walls, and Quirky Aros air conditioners with mobile control. Two- and three-bedroom residences are outfitted with Bosch washers and dryers. Three bedroom condos feature two full bathrooms as well.

Fifty-Third and Eighth boasts sleek kitchens with white quartz countertops.

The one-bedroom condo

With interiors by BP Architects, each aspect of the property was meticulously transformed with modern, busy lifestyles in mind, according to the condo website. Amenities include an expansive lobby, 24-hour doorman and concierge, wellness and fitness facilities, a spa terrace, valet dry cleaning service, cold storage, rooftop terrace and lounge, and on-site parking.

“We foresee unprecedented interest as Fifty Third and Eighth offers buyers a rare and highly desirable combination in today’s market–modern, luxurious residences for immediate occupancy, at an accessible price point,” said Susan de Franca, President and CEO of Douglas Elliman Development Marketing. “Buyers will value the opportunity for a turn-key home offering this caliber of finishes and overall attention to detail. Residents will also benefit from the proximity to the area’s countless cultural offerings and ongoing exciting additions to Manhattan’s flourishing West Side, from 57^th Street to exciting developments on the far West Side.”

All units at Fifty-Third and Eighth are flooded in natural light with Hudson River or city skyline views.

Bathrooms have custom vanities, medicine cabinets fitted with Kohler fixtures, and mosaic tile accent walls.

The new Hell’s Kitchen is a red hot neighborhood—one of the few areas dominated by middle and upper class New Yorkers (not transplanted billionaires, Wall Streeters or celebrities). The most conspicuous sign of the neighborhood's overhaul is its condo boom--and buildings like 53rd and Eighth. If Hell's Kitchen is the heart of the city, it’s beating stronger each year.

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