Sand and the city at new KL condo

Kuala Lumpur: Living in an apartment in the middle of the city, but looking for a suntan by the sea? Just head to the rooftop.

Developer Bukit Kiara Properties (BKP) has come up with a unique feature for its latest condominium, the Vox Tower, in Kuala Lumpur's posh suburb of Mont Kiara: A beach with real sand and palm trees, perched high up on the 37th floor.

It appears to be a first for the country, as developers keep trying to outdo one another with increasingly creative attractions to draw buyers.

Not too long ago, developer One KLCC completed One KL, a posh 35-storey condominium opposite the Petronas Twin Towers, which boasts a private pool in every unit.

One KL's apartments come at a price, though: RM4.5 million (S$1.9 million) and more for the larger units covering 300 sq m to 350 sq m.

By comparison, a five-room HDB flat in Singapore is typically 110 sq m in size and costs up to $500,000.

BKP's rooftop beach, which it calls the Versilica Sky Beach, is touted to be Malaysia's first. It has recreational rooms, a bar, jet pool, lap pool, garden and terrace.

BKP's group managing director N.K. Tong told The Sunday Times that the idea had come from a brainstorming session.

'Most of the ideas that came from my staff had sun, sand and surf,' he said. 'Building a sky beach sounded really silly at first, but as we did more brainstorming, we found the idea quite possible after all.'

BKP did not want to reveal the cost of the Vox Tower, but the sky beach and rooftop facilities alone are estimated to cost between RM2million and RM3 million.

The sandy beach covers about 370 sq m, and sits next to a 20m by 3m lap pool.

The condo is selling well, but Mr Tong and his team have yet to figure out how and where to source for the sand, and which type of sand to use. To add a greater touch of reality to the idea of a sky-high beach, the team also plans to use salty chlorinated water in the pool.

The Vox Tower is one of four blocks in BKP's Verve Suites project, and is expected to be ready by end-2013.

Prices range from about RM580,000 for a 43 sq m one-bedroom unit to RM1.8 million for a 130 sq m three-bedroom unit.

Mr Tong says BKP is targeting mainly local buyers who are 'young at heart' - and presumably, those who want a seaside visit without stepping out of their condo.

Source: Sunday Times, 13 Jun 2010