Top 10 Most Expensive London Penthouses

Stratospheric values have been paid for London penthouses in recent years and our selections are no exceptions to this rule.

Connaught Place, Hyde Park (c) Knight Frank 

Bllnr.com has compiled a guide to the top 10 penthouses currently on the market in London, all priced at £15 million or above, with Tom Cruise’s former plush pad in Knightsbridge taking top spot.

In a city with a skyline such as London, a penthouse is the ultimate cachet. The definitive symbol of rich living, not only do London’s penthouses afford some of the most fabulous cityscapes on the planet, but they’re also unique — so when it comes to price, these opulent eyries are in another league.

Stratospheric values have been paid for London penthouses in recent years. The penthouse at Walpole Mayfair fetched a record for Mayfair and St James’s at £4,542 per square foot; the penthouse at One Hyde Park, the most expensive apartment in London, went on the market for £140 million.

Feast your eyes. And start thinking about where you might find that spare £15 million…

1.Tom Cruise’s Penthouse
Wellington Court, Knightsbridge
Price: £35 million
This Great Gatsby-inspired penthouse was previously let to Tom Cruise as his London pied-à-terre. The owner, who is based outside of the UK, decided to put it up for sale and used interior design firm Paul Davies to give the interiors a makeover. It’s the entire top floor of a historic 19th century building with the largest Hyde Park-facing rooftop terrace of any penthouse in Knightsbridge. And it has a sterling legacy. Formerly the second Duke of Wellington’s riding school, Wellington Court was developed in Victorian times as an equestrian centre next to the park. Today, the 10,000-square-foot apartment has six bedrooms, a cinema room, Jacuzzi and a fully equipped Swarovski crystal-lined bar. The interiors are spectacular, with mirror-lined ceilings to enhance the feeling of space, black oak parquet flooring and luxury carpets in every bedroom.
www.wetherell.co.uk

2. The Mellier, Mayfair
26 Albermarle Street
Price: £30 million
This near-6,000 square foot duplex penthouse at The Mellier in Mayfair, has been renovated by award-winning interior designers Eric Parry and Sally Mackereth. On the lower floor there is a private art gallery, library and salon, and the master bedroom. Upstairs is the 800-square-foot lounge, kitchen, a huge drawing room and winter garden. The six-storey building dates back to 1905 when it was a grand Edwardian mansion, the home of furniture magnate and Francophile Charles Mellier. The large rooms allowed Mellier to showcase the furniture of his company to clients. From 1920 it became the headquarters of Lendrum & Hartman, luxury motorcar dealers for Buick and Cadillac. After the Second World War the building became as a showroom for Volvo before serving as offices.
www.glebe.com

3. Academy Gardens
Duchess of Bedford Walk, Kensington
Price: £26 million
This Kensington penthouse has London’s tallest reception room at 37 feet high — the equivalent of six rugby players standing on each other’s shoulders. With five en suite bedrooms over two floors, the penthouse has more than 6,000 square feet of living space with separate staff quarters. The Edwardian building was originally a ladies’ college until the Second World War and was turned into luxury homes in the 1990s. Today, the feel is of a rustic French château, with metal balustrading and lanterns. The grand reception room has stone flooring and tiled walls with exposed brick, and there is a large hand-painted mural on the walls depicting an ancient French village. Each en suite bathroom is designed differently, one shower room features ornate mosaic tiles depicting gods and goddesses, another bathroom is created with natural wood and stone finishes.
www.rokstone.com

4. Infini at The Corniche
St James’s
Price: £22 million
Designed by internationally acclaimed Foster + Partners, Infini at The Corniche has two three-bedroom penthouses with 360-degree views across London. Each penthouse spans 5,000 square feet and occupies the two top floors of the 27-storey river-facing building. Goddard Littlefair designed the penthouses with a nod to its Art Deco heritage and a modern, neutral, colour palette. They have double-height ceilings and ‘wow-factor’ features, including a helical sculptural staircase in Italian marble, elegant high-gloss timber finishes and ceilings gilded in moongold. The building has five-star facilities, including a 24-hour concierge service; a health and wellness suite with infinity pool, spa, fitness centre; a private screening room with bar; and the exclusive Skyline Club lounge and terrace located on the 19th floor. Completion is scheduled for 2017.
www.jll.com

5. Circus West Penthouses, Battersea Power Station
Battersea
Price: £21 million
Battersea Power Station needs no introduction and these two penthouses form the pinnacle of this iconic London building. They take up the 14th floor on the extra ‘lantern’ level. What really sets them apart is the massive terrace with glass winter garden, for a year-round entertaining space and fabulous views over Chelsea, the River Thames, and Battersea Park. Designed by English furniture-maker Linley, these five-bedroom penthouses have more than 7,000 square feet of living area. Industry-leading names such as Samuel Heath, Kaldewei and Miele were used in the bathrooms and kitchens. Finishes and materials include high-gloss plaster walls, walnut, stained oak and Italian marble floors.
www.batterseapowerstation.co.uk

6. Duplex Penthouse at South Bank Tower by CIT
South Bank
Price: £20 million
This spacious penthouse at the top of the South Bank Tower has been kitted out in true James Bond style. There’s a Champagne bar, indoor-outdoor swimming pool extending into the garden, a bathtub with 180-degree views over the city and a levitating, blackened-steel dining table. Dara Huang, of Design Haus Liberty, created the vision for the spacious duplex apartment spanning the 39th and 40th floors. She says she took inspiration from “nature’s most magnificent structures such as glacial hanging ice caves and sand dunes”. The double-height living space is flooded with natural light from an entire glass wall, and offset by fabulous geometric chandeliers. The kitchen floors are made from polished concrete and white Thassos marble, while the master bedroom is carved out of white travertine, paying homage to Asian-influenced design. Final completions are scheduled for 2016.
www.southbanktower.com

7. Studio Reed Penthouse at NEO Bankside
South Bank
Price £20 million
This 7,000-square-foot four-bedroom penthouse on the South Bank has stunning views over St Paul’s Cathedral. The penthouse is entered through a small anteroom, opening out onto a huge double-height reception room, offering triple aspect views towards the river and The Shard. Interior design is by Studio Reed (who did one of David Bowie’s houses) with architecture by Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners. The design includes a bespoke Bulthaup kitchen, pieces from The Carpenters Workshop, Simon Gaiger and Chahan Gallery, with artworks from Offer Waterman and Hamiltons Gallery. All bedrooms are en suite and there are two large private roof terraces and a winter garden; while the NEO Bankside development provides 24-hour concierge and security services, residents’ gym, business centre and wine cellar.
www.neobankside.com

8. Connaught Place,
Hyde Park
Price: £20 million
This five-bedroom penthouse is on the fourth and fifth floors of a gorgeous Grade II-listed building on the edge of Hyde Park, with uninterrupted views. With 5,300 square foot of living space, the duplex has direct lift access that opens into an entrance hallway with feature atrium ceiling. The reception room is centred around a large feature fireplace. Glass stairs lead up to the decked terrace with a motorised roof, which has space for entertaining and breath-taking views of the London skyline. The master bedroom suite has a luxurious en suite bathroom and dressing room, and there are four further double bedrooms, all with en suite bathrooms, a utility room, guest cloakroom and a staff area.
www.knightfrank.co.uk

9. Penthouse, Beau House
Jermyn Street, St James’s
Price: £15 million
Dukelease and super prime developer Oliver Burns have joined up to create Beau House, a three-bedroom duplex of 4,000 square feet. Joe Burns, co-founder of Oliver Burns, says he was inspired by the traditional tailoring of Jermyn Street to create a residence with eye for detail. There’s the gilded coffered ceiling, doors with bronze inlay detail and a sculptural wall with bespoke plaster panels, for example. The colour palette is navy blue, grey with soft metallics, and a dark-stained oak herringbone floor. The apartment is fully furnished, with design pieces such as The Ebury table from Davidson, customised Chevron dining chairs by Aiveen Daly and a handcrafted fretwork wall panel in the master bedroom. The kitchen is Boffi with Quartzite Calacatta worktops, tailor-made bathrooms and customised crystal chandeliers by Windfall. The Beau House penthouse is due for completion in early 2016.
www.carterjonas.co.uk
www.cbre.com

10. The South Penthouse at The Heron in the City
The Barbican
Price: £15 million
This four-bedroom penthouse on the 36th floor of The Heron in The Barbican is fairly unique, location-wise. The Heron is the first residential property to be built in the City for more than years, and sets a high for residential prices in the Square Mile. A dramatic skylight with a retractable roof lights up the whole 6,000 square foot apartment. There are four bedrooms and four bathrooms with three different views across London. Spec is beautiful, with polished Sahara Noir marble floors, Boffi kitchens with Bianco quartz stone and Gaggenau appliances, and dark smoky quartz and black granite in the master bathrooms. Building facilities include a concierge, valet parking and private residents’ club with gym, lounge areas, bar, screening room, meeting facilities and landscaped roof garden. The lower floors provide new facilities for the Guildhall School of Music & Drama, including a 608-seat concert hall, drama theatre and studio theatre.
www.theheron.co.uk