Culture vultures, no longer content with catching public transport to their favorite galleries, concert halls and theaters, are moving into them. Or if not quite into them, at least into high-end, starchitect-designed condos and penthouses that soar on top of, or right next door to, some of the world’s best arts institutions.
"Proximity to a cultural institution can help the sale-ability of a property," said Richard Osborne-Young, director of Savills's super prime team. "There is also the cache of living close to a world renowned institution, something instantly recognizable, without the need to reference street names or post codes, especially for those who own homes in multiple countries. Many of the world famous galleries are housed in architecturally striking buildings—modern or traditional—and being adjacent to such a building is attractive to many."
Below are some homes around the world fitting that bill.
Elbphilharmonie
Hamburg, Germany
On the 24th and 25th floors of Herzog & De Meuron’s acclaimed Elbphilharmonie building in Hamburg, Germany, a penthouse is being built for an anonymous buyer.
Brückner Architects MunichOn the 24th and 25th floors of Herzog & De Meuron’s acclaimed Elbphilharmonie building in Hamburg, Germany, a conversion of a 1960s warehouse into a philharmonic concert hall overlooking the Elbe river, a penthouse is being built for an anonymous buyer at the cost of €8 million (US$8.8 million).
Expected to be one of Germany’s most expensive apartments, the 230-square-meter property has floor-to-ceiling windows that sit beneath the building’s distinctive scalloped glass roofline. Curving walls, benches and counters and a sleeping gallery which will grow sculpturally from the walls create a cave-like space with fabulous views, according to the architectural firm responsible for it, Brückner Architeckten.
More:Germany Sees Housing Market Stability Amid Continent in Political Flux
The downside to being on top of a famous concert hall? No construction work can disturb the fine music performances below. The penthouse has to be entirely prefabricated with parts brought up individually in elevators.
The original designs by Elbphilharmonie interior architect Irena Richter have been transformed into 3D computer models. The model is then translated into production components, walls and ceilings, in a lightweight aerated concrete material. "The apartment in the Elbphilharmonie is a consistent transformation of modern digital technology into the building and construction industry," said Laurent Brückner, managing director of Brückner Architeckten,.
"Each element is prefabricated according to the digital model and is fitted and installed on site, ensuring that neither dust, dirt and—most importantly—mistakes emerge," Mr. Brückner said.
More:Building a Concert-Hall Penthouse, Quietly
Fifteen Hudson Yards
New York, NY
The first residences in the new Hudson Yards neighborhood in Manhattan will be adjacent to The Shed, a brand new arts and cultural hub.
Related-OxfordThe first residences in the new Hudson Yards development will be adjacent to The Shed, a brand new arts and cultural hub, that will "anchor the arts district that is emerging along the Hudson River, between the new Whitney museum and the 350 galleries in and around Chelsea and the High Line, according to Sherry Tobak, senior vice president of Related Sales, the developer of Fifteen Hudson Yards.
"It completes the district that is coming to be known as Manhattan's Cultural Coast," Ms. Tobak said. She added that Hudson Yards residents will receive VIP invitations to art and culture events.
Both The Shed and the adjacent 88-story condominium tower, where prices for the 285 properties range from $3.8 million to $32 million, are designed by the same architects: Diller Sofidio + Renfro, and Rockwell Group.
"Having an esteemed cultural institution below or adjacent to your home is a mark of distinction that certainly speaks to buyers who are passionate about the arts," Ms. Tobak said.
More:First Hudson Yards Residential Building Has Sold More Than a Quarter of Its Units
53W53
New York, NY
Towering over Manhattan’s Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) the geometric Jean Nouvel-designed condominium tower 53W53 will include three new floors of MoMa gallery space at its base.
Three MarksTowering over Manhattan’s Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) the geometric Jean Nouvel-designed condominium tower 53W53 will actually include three new floors of MoMa gallery space at its base.
Buyers will receive a special benefactor MoMA membership deeded to their apartment, said Yael Goldman, ofOptimist Consulting, which is promoting the new tower.
"Not only do you get to live in a building designed by one of the greatest living architects, which is basically the grandest sculpture on the MoMA campus, but you also enjoy exclusive access to the museum," Ms. Goldman said.
Those benefits include members’ early hour access from 9:30-10:30 a.m. and invites to members-only previews of all major exhibitions.
There are 145 condos available, ranging in price from $3 million to $70 million, which will be available in the fall of 2018
More:Luxury Developers Get Serious About Art
Holland Green
London, England
In London, Rem Koolhaus’s OMA, an architectural practice generally renowned for its iconic cultural institutions, has taken the unusual step of designing three luxury apartment blocks that fund their neighbor, the newly relocated Design Museum in the former Commonwealth Institute. The museum, which has interiors by John Pawson, attracted a quarter of a million visitors within its first 12 weeks of opening in November last year.
As well as the chance to get first in line for London’s most popular new museum, residents of the apartments, known as Holland Green, which stands between Holland Park and South Kensington, have access to secure underground parking, a 20-meter swimming pool, spa, gym, private golf simulator and cinema in the basement.