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H I G H - R I S E L I V I N G
CANAPAYA RESIDENCES,
BANGKOK, THAILAND
A luxurious riverfront condominium of 57
storeys on the Chao Phraya River. There’s a
health and fitness centre, plus a spectacular
cantilevered swimming pool on the 50th floor.
Bedrooms 1-5 Bathrooms 1-5
Price from THB 10,500,000
Contact Prapaporn Boonkajornkul,
View from on high
For buyers looking to experience the buzz of city life in vibrant
Singapore, Hong Kong and Shanghai, be prepared to move on up
Life in the fast lane of the three Asian powerhouse cities
will inevitably involve living in a high-rise apartment
block. For those who need to be close to the centre of
the city, the option of living in a conventional single
family home is severely limited, with houses making up
between an estimated five and 10% of stock in Hong Kong
and Shanghai respectively.
‘It’s really down to individual preference, but there is
definitely more choice when it comes to apartments in
high-rise blocks rather than individual houses here in
Singapore,’ says Phylicia Ang, head of Residential Sales in
Singapore. ‘Besides, for parents who travel frequently,
apartments offer security for the children as well as
on-site amenities such as swimming pools and barbecue
pits. Additionally, they are often more conveniently
situated near metro stations and shopping malls. Take, for
example, the Marina Bay area, right in the city centre,
which has shopping and dining all on the doorstep.’
Edina Wong, senior director of Savills Hong Kong,
agrees that high-rise options win out locally, citing
Masterpiece, a magnificent 67-floor tower in Tsim Sha
Tsui in Kowloon as an example of what is on offer to
FUXING ROYALE, SHANGHAI
A selection of three and four-bedroom
apartments in the heart of Xintiandi.
Bedrooms 3-4
Price RMB22,000,000-40,000,000
Contact Shirley Tang,
91 Global Property Portfolio
H I G H - R I S E L I V I N G
top-end buyers today. ‘There are two 8,000 sq ft
penthouses boasting spectacular 360-degree views –
quite unlike anything I’ve ever seen before,’ she says.
Over on Hong Kong island, two of the tallest high rises
are located in Happy Valley. Known as ‘The Chopsticks’,
The Summit and Highcliff soar above the surrounding
buildings – the latter requires a wind dampener to cope
with the summer typhoons. For some, however, life at
800ft is too high. ‘Local and Asian buyers are fine, but
some Europeans can’t acclimatise to the height and will
prefer to be in an older, low-rise building,’ says Wong.
This is less of a concern in Shanghai, where the majority
of buyers hail from within China. Here, the most popular
addresses include Lujiazui, which Shirley Tang, senior
director of Savills Shanghai, likens to London’s Canary
Wharf; Xintiandi, the fashionable area of houses built in
the traditional mid-19th Shikumen style; and the historic
French Concession. Two current success stories she
highlights are Lakeville, a 52-acre high-end residential
community in Xintiandi, and Fuxing Royale, a mixed-use
retail and residential development of fully furnished one-
to four-bedroom apartments.
LUNCH LIKE
A LOCAL
When in
Singapore, head
to one of the
many open-air
hawker centres,
recommends
Phylicia Ang,
head of Savills
Residential
Sales,
Singapore.
Hawkers were
the original
street-food
vendors who
were moved off
the streets and
into government-
organised
centres in the
1970s and 80s;
there are
currently more
than 100 dotted
over the island.
It’s estimated
that as many as
80 to 95% of
Singaporeans
eat hawker food
regularly: it’s
cheap, delicious,
and there is
enormous
variety. There are
a few rules to
observe: drinks
are generally
sold separately
and seating is
unreserved, so if
you come in the
lunchtime rush,
be prepared to
wait or adopt the
local custom of
placing a packet
of tissues on a
chair or table
to ‘chope’
(reserve) it
SERENITY SKY VILLAS,
HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM
Just 45 exquisite sky residences
located in the city-centre District 3.
Bedrooms 1-4
Price VND 117,000,000/m2
Contact Nghiem Ha Anh,
nhaanh
TOMLINSON HEIGHTS,
SINGAPORE
An exclusive 36-storey tower that sits
on freehold land on Tomlinson Road.
Bedrooms 5
Price SGD 11,500,000
Contact Phylicia Ang,