Your garden in the sky
Penthouse wraps around an open-air interior courtyard that’s out of this world, writes Donna Fleming
Penthouses are meant to be the ultimate in apartment living, the piece de resistance of any development. Husband and wife developers John and Josephine Love, of Love & Co, are going the extra mile to make sure the apartment atop their central city apartment building, The CAB, will truly be the jewel in the crown.
The penthouse is not only the epitome of luxury with breath-taking views, but also boasts a simple but clever design feature that makes it stand out from all other grand roof-top apartments.
It’s named the Sky Garden because it has a 95sq m open-air courtyard, complete with a gas fireplace, that provides a generous outdoor living space.
The courtyard walls are all glazed, which not only brings more light into the rooms surrounding it, but allows an outlook from the Sky Garden through the apartment to the city.
“It’s completely sheltered and you don’t get hammered by the wind like you might on a balcony, but you still get great views,” says John.
“It’s unique — we haven’t been able to find another apartment building in New Zealand, or even Australia, that has the same thing.”
Josephine came up with the bright idea of having the open area in the middle of the penthouse because there had been a similar feature there when The CAB was the Auckland City Council’s civic administration building.
She designed the penthouse to wrap around it, with the large open plan living/dining/kitchen, the second living room, a study/bedroom, bar area and entrance hallway all opening up to it via sliding glass doors.
The penthouse also has a theatre/media room with its own balcony, a master suite with a huge dressing room, two further bedrooms, four bathrooms, a laundry, scullery, coat room and foyer.
It takes up the entire top floor of the iconic building alongside Aotea Square, and as well as a lift, has two sets of stairs. Top quality fixtures and fittings are being used throughout, including waterfall-style leather-finish granite benchtops in the kitchen and bespoke vanities in the bathrooms.
At 556sqm, Sky Garden is huge, and the 3m stud makes the rooms feel even more generous. The floor-to-ceiling windows frame views of the city, including nearby Myers and Albert Parks.
John says he and Josephine, who have a wealth of experience when it comes to breathing new life into existing buildings and creating luxury homes, thought about New York and the way many apartments there look out over Central Park, when they planned the penthouse.
“It really is going to be world-class, and pretty spectacular.”
Residents of The CAB have the added bonus of knowing another apartment building won’t be constructed right on their doorstep. Because it is surrounded by the Aotea Centre and Square, the Auckland Town Hall and Mayoral Drive, there is nowhere close by to put another tower block.
And because Love & Co is doing all the development of the surrounding area — a precinct to be known as Civic Quarter — it will make sure it is going to be a special neighbourhood.
As well as the repurposed former council building, which is being given a new state-of-the-art exterior facade, Civic Quarter will also include a new commercial building and a boutique hotel.
They will be linked by laneways featuring eateries and shops, while there will also be restaurants, bars and retail facilities on the ground floor and mezzanine levels of The CAB.
Residents will also have access to The CAB’s private movie theatre, gym, swimming pool and 24-hour concierge service.
“The whole area is getting the massive rejuvenation it deserves,” says John. “Being in the heart of the arts and culture centre of the city will make it one of Auckland’s leading addresses.”
And though there is so much vibrant city life a stone’s throw away, the owners of Sky Garden can find peace and tranquility in the sanctuary the penthouse will provide.
“I would love to live there myself,” says John. “It’s going to be incredible.”