Sir James Dyson, founder of the eponymous lifestyle appliances brand Dyson, made the news recently for buying the biggest and most expensive penthouse apartment in Singapore, following the company’s decision to move its headquarters from the UK to our shores.
The British inventor and industrial designer, who made his fortune creating the bagless vacuum cleaner, is now planning to develop a line of electric cars, the Dyson EV, which will be built in Singapore in 2021.
Here are a few things we found out about his brand-new lavish Wallich Residence triplex in the heart of the CBD.
Size matters
Wallich Residence spans from the 39th to 64th floor of Guoco Tower, also known as Tanjong Pagar Centre. The integrated mixed-use development that houses retail outlets, office spaces and an urban park is situated on a site with a 99-year lease that started in February 2011.
Sprawling across 21,108 square feet and occupying the top three storeys from the 62nd to 64th, Dyson’s penthouse is more than four times bigger than the other penthouses at Guoco Towers.
Sky-high price for a sky-high apartment
Dyson’s penthouse at Wallich Residence was marketed at $108m in 2017, but sold at a reported $73.8m. That’s less than 75 per cent of the asking price, but still works out to a whopping $3,496 per square foot.
This is the highest in history anyone has paid for a penthouse in Singapore, surpassing the approximate $60 million that Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin had paid for his 10,300 square feet “super penthouse”, a freehold unit at Sculptura Ardmore, the highest apartment sale ever made in Singapore back in 2017.
A strategic relocation
James Dyson assumed ownership of the penthouse in June. He and his wife, Lady Deirdre Dyson, are officially joint tenants. According to a Dyson spokesperson, the decision to buy a property here stemmed from relocation of the company’s headquarters to Singapore and the growing focus of the its business in Asia. James Dyson calls it “future-proofing” the business.
Super penthouse, super amenities
Dyson’s Wallich Residence “super penthouse” has a private garden that offers panoramic views of the Marina Bay Sands, Sentosa and the Central Business District. The property, which is the largest non-landed residence in Singapore, has a private swimming pool and pool deck, a cabana, a jacuzzi room, entertainment area, bar facilities and a 600-bottle wine cellar, as well as a dedicated lift straight to the apartment. Parking won’t be a problem either, with the 567-lot car park.
F&B heaven
Situated in the heart of Tanjong Pagar, Guoco Tower offers no lack of dining options around or convenient access to the rest of the island. Aside from the Marina Coastal Expressway and East Coast Parkway, residents can also take a direct lift down to Tanjong Pagar MRT station. Changi Airport is a 16-minute drive away, while Marina Bay and Orchard Road are a mere four- and eight-minute drive respectively.
Around the vicinity, fine dining and F&B options include trendy bars and cafes along Duxton Road and Ann Siang Hill, as well as local cuisine from Maxwell Road Hawker Centre, Amoy Food Centre and Chinatown Complex Food Centre, which is just a ten-minute walk away.
A comprehensive interior
The apartment has five bedrooms, a living room, a dining room, a study, a utility room, and dry and wet kitchens. Each bedroom comes with a luxurious en-suite bathroom, and the master and junior master bedrooms are also equipped with spacious walk-in closets.
The family room is a place for the couple to kick back and relax, or access their private garden to admire the cityscape at the viewing deck.
To host guests, they can do it at the lounge and dining areas on the 63rd storey, as well as the rooftop terrace on the 64th.
Reserved for high net worth individuals
Super penthouses are at least 10,000 square feet in size (roughly ten times the size of a regular four-room HDB flat) and are situated in buildings at least 1,000 feet in height. Guoco Tower is 290m in height. When it was on the market, the Wallich Residence penthouse was so exclusive that only ultra-high-net-worth individuals, such as CEOs or MNC chairpersons who can afford such homes, were allowed to view it.
According to Forbes, James Dyson has a net worth of $5.4 billion (S$7.3b) and also holds a country estate in the English county of Gloucestershire.
Dedicated services
At the super-penthouse, a dedicated butler is on hand around the clock to take care of the Dysons’ every need. They can also enjoy meals whipped up by private chefs, watching private screenings at the theatrette, and access the private library.
At the lobby, a concierge is available to help with requests such as groceries and luggage handling, amenities booking, and laundry services. The lobby also features a lounge with a service bar, where residents can also have a drink before heading up to their apartments.
Image: @d9newfuturavvippreview
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