June 1, 2018
Sun worshippers, your home in the heavens has arrived.
It’s way up there, bathed in sunlight on the 53rd and 54th floors of a just-finished Miami-area highrise.
But while the multimillion-dollar price tag on the two-storey oceanfront condo might bring you back to earth, the sky’s the limit in fantasyland.
As you step out of your private elevator into the suitably named Sky Villa, the “ahhs” and “wows” are sure to follow, according to agent Sandra Chartouni, who’s witnessed many such reactions from clients.
“You have light pouring in, and with the 22-foot ceilings it’s breathtaking,” she says of the expansive living room where full-height windows offer 180-degree views.
The 57-storey building, called Jade Signature, is located in Sunny Isles Beach, a new luxury mecca on a barrier island on the Atlantic Coast, about 32 kilometres north of Miami Beach.
While the area abounds with tall towers, developer Fortune International Group was able to get approval for an additional 100 feet, putting the 659-foot Jade Signature head and shoulders above the rest, says Chartouni, the sales director.
Designed by renowned Swiss architecture firm Herzog & de Meuron, the glass and white concrete building is oriented to maximize sunlight and facilitate day and nighttime vistas of ocean, coastline and city. The highrise is home to three floors of amenities and 192 units, from $3.9-million suites to $32.9-million penthouses.
There are six Sky Villas, but this one in the upper north section was specially outfitted by the New York-based Meyer Davis design boutique. The ultra-luxe furnishings, fixtures and artwork are included in the purchase price.
With hourglass-shaped pillars supporting the extended roof, the unit’s living space expands outside to encompass 1,407 square feet of shaded terrace.
Inside, the location of the bedrooms off to the side allows light to flow in from both sides of the common rooms, Chartouni explains.
Sheer ivory drapes frame the views while lighting installations are strategically suspended to avoid distracting the eye.
A colour palette of soft greys, whites and blues echoes the lightness of the architecture and the tones of water and sky. Polished metal finishes bring a metropolitan edge and enhance the look of luxury.
Guest bedrooms have different themes: one is equestrian with a leather dresser, brass fixtures and horse-decorated Hermès fabric art while another has an astronomy theme with artwork depicting an eclipse and an area rug showing the constellations.
In the master bedroom, an opulent headboard of embossed leather and polished brass inlay becomes an eye-catching feature wall.
Outside, a giant kapok tree rises from inside the curl of the building’s circular front-entrance driveway.
With the building’s organic shape and underground, out-of-sight parking garage, Jade Signature is meant to look like it’s part of the tree’s roots growing out of the garden, says Chartouni.
“It’s amazing to see,” she says of the 60-foot, 38-year-old tree which was moved into place by crane and could grow to more than 200 feet. The kapok or ceiba tree, revered by ancient Mayans as a source of strength and resiliency, can live hundreds of years.
Developer Edgardo Defortuna, president and CEO of Fortune International Group, calls the tree a landmark in itself. One that also loves the sun.
THE NUMBERS
Price: $16.5 million (U.S.)
Size: 6,509 square feet
Bedrooms: 5
Bathrooms: 6 full, 1 half