In The News
One Hyde Park - An Extra-Special Special!
The sale of the penthouse at One Hyde Park, Knightsbridge has been highly publicised in the national press recently. Going for a record-breaking £140m, it is the most expensive apartment in Britain and claims its title from the exclusive 8 James’s Square development in Westminster, beating it by a cool and convincing £25m.
The six-bedroom property stretches across two floors and boasts views across the Serpentine, eye scanning entrance technology, a panic room, bulletproof windows and protection from SAS-trained security staff. The new owners will also have access to 24-hour room service from the neighbouring Mandarin Oriental hotel and an underground passage straight to a Heston Blumenthal restaurant. All this, plus a MacLaren car showroom just downstairs and a couple of decent little corner shops down the road, makes One Hyde Park the most exclusive London address in the world of the super-rich.
The specification for this highly prestigious development is top-notch from the concrete up and the total project value is estimated to run to £490m. Howe Green was delighted to be part of this prestigious project and were chosen by architects Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners and contractors Laing O’Rourke to provide a range of bespoke products which included specially created solutions for floor access, drainage and landscape design.
The plan for the public access area to the southern section includes an impressive sunken water feature leading to the central tower or ‘pavilion’. This pair of symmetrical water channels is lined in black granite, decorated with four poplar trees and complimented by atmospheric lighting. The trees are completely submerged and, as this species is not aquatic in any way, a bespoke tree pit solution was needed to keep the idea afloat. Our technical team set about designing and engineering custom tree pits from 316 grade stainless steel with each requiring a built-in containment chamber to protect the tree’s root bulb. Two different sizes were required and below ground, the pits measure 1430mm and 2180mm in diameter. A visible outer ring made in 10mm polished stainless steel frames the tree trunks above ground, for that touch of added style and quality.
From day one, we liaised closely with the contractor and made regular site visits to develop and deliver the ideal solution to an exact specification. Vetter UK Ltd was delighted with the end result and the water channels were successfully flooded and tested earlier this month as planned and on schedule for the development’s December completion date.
It is our ability to respond to individual customer requirements that sets us apart here at Howe Green and we have built a reputation over the years for solving problems. Working together with our customers, we use our industry knowledge, technical expertise and cutting edge equipment to deliver solutions to the challenges they face. What’s more, our customers don’t pay a premium for non-standard sizes or specifications – just the cost of the extra materials.
