Anybody who is familiar with the Brisbane apartment market knows that luxury apartments are the hot thing right now. This is mainly because there were so few expensive apartments built after the GFC. During this time, the Brisbane apartment market consisted of predominantly investment grade apartments that were sold to overseas buyers. Now there are many local Brisbane buyers that are active in the marketplace and quickly adapting to the lifestyle that apartment living has to offer.
The new luxury apartment projects that are on offer today are some of the best that have ever been built in Brisbane. They offer super-high quality finishes and tasteful design. On top of this, they are located in tightly held metropolitan locations that allow residents to be within walking distance of the best that Brisbane has to offer – restaurants, bars, entertainment and more. Another thing that every project in this list has in common is how close they are to the great Brisbane River. There is one thing that will never change here in Brisbane – we love the river and will pay absolute top dollar to live beside it.
This article will showcase five of the best new luxury apartment developments that are currently in the marketplace (in no particular order). This is not an exhaustive list, but we feel that these five projects really demonstrate what a good luxury apartment project is and how far the Brisbane apartment market has matured and evolved over the past few years.
Banyan Tree Residences is a new development situated on the Kangaroo Point Cliffs that overlooks Brisbane city. It is being developed by Banyan Tree, a company that operate resorts across the world.
This development really embodies resort style living in a very real way and for those who eventually buy into the project, it will truly feel like you are living in 6 star resort. This won’t come cheaply though, an entry-level two bedroom apartment at Banyan Tree Residences costs $900,000. And if you want a view of the river, you will be paying upwards of $1.5 million.
But let’s focus on what makes this one of Brisbane’s top luxury projects. Firstly, the amenity. Residents at Banyan Tree will gain access to a number of facilities and benefits. There is a 24-hour concierge that offers a range of services, some of which are included in body corporate fees and others that are available for a fee. On the ground floor of the building there is a secure lobby, as well as a function room and gym for residents.
There will also be a restaurant and a Banyan Tree Spa that will also be open to the public. Residents get one free treatment at this spa each month for two years, which is a special offering that you won’t find anywhere else in Brisbane. The rooftop deck will provide residents with a large infinity pool, garden and barbecue facilities.
On top of this, owners will gain access to the Banyan Tree Sanctuary Club. This provides owners with discounts and privileges at Banyan Tree resorts worldwide, as well as one week of free accommodation each year for five years in selected Banyan Tree Resorts from around the world.
Some of these offerings are very hard to come by in Brisbane and it really shows why Banyan Tree is a cut above.
The apartments at Banyan Tree have a high quality fit-out inside and, unlike the other developments in this list, every single apartment in this project will be finished to the same level of quality, meaning the least expensive two bedroom apartment has the same cupboards, bench tops and appliances as the most expensive penthouse. That penthouse, by the way, is over 600m2 and has its own private rooftop pool overlooking the city. Crazy but wonderfully fantastic if you become the lucky owner.
The Boatyard is an absolute riverfront project in Bulimba. Well, technically there will be a walkway between this development and the river, but the views and location are still phenomenal.
The project has just 27 apartments across four separate buildings, making it the smallest development in this list. The front two buildings are situated right on the Brisbane River and will get fantastic views over the water towards Hamilton and Portside. These front buildings are where the large impressive apartments are that have three, four or five bedrooms. The two buildings at the rear of the building have smaller apartments with a lower level of finish.
What makes this project truly special and earns it a place in this list is the thoughtfulness of the design. As the name suggests, this site was home to the Norman R. Wright & Sons boatyard. This boat builder has been Brisbane-based for more than 100 years and makes some truly nice boats.
Brisbane’s own BVN Architecture took this history into account when they were designing The Boatyard. As a result, many of the design features are quite tastefully inspired by boats and nautical design principles. And the commitment to this aesthetic is truly impressive. The facade of the building is white and curved and has timber highlights, but that’s an easy touch to add. BVN went further and integrated nautical design into the kitchens and even the custom lighting in the bedrooms.
The penthouse apartment in this project is well worth mentioning. At 329m² internally, it is the largest riverfront apartment in Bulimba and buyers have the opportunity to have the floor plan custom designed from award winning architect Brian Donovan of BVN Architects.
On top of this, it is one of very few places in Brisbane that you can own a luxury waterfront apartment and park your boat out the front. Yes, there are five marina berths for sale at The Boatyard that can accommodate boats up to 55ft. Also, the berths are designed so that each boat has plenty of room and the bays aren’t shared. It is quite rare to get new marina berths this close to Brisbane City, particularly for boats of this size.
Obsidian is the largest project on this list, although that doesn’t make it any less luxurious. With 236 one (1), two (2) and three (3) bedroom apartments over 20 levels, Obsidian has many different options that cater to potential buyers. With prices starting from $395,000 to $2,450,000, Obsidian is a little on pricey side – but justifiably.
With a display suite that has been shortlisted for the 2018 Interior Design Awards, you can be assured that Obsidian has some impressive – and gorgeous – designs involved. Kokoda Property, the developer, brought in award-winning Cottee Parker Architects and its interior design arm, hotel specialists Glam Studio, both of which specialise in designing five-star hotels and hospitality projects, for the project. All of this means that the level of luxury in the development is the same you’d get at Ritz Carlton Hotel.
The slightly higher-than-normal price is down to the range of ‘hotel style’ amenities available to residents. On the ground level, this includes a 7-day concierge, a health and wellness centre, a steam room and sauna, an outdoor 15-meter lap pool, and a fully equipped gym and yoga area. On the rooftop you have a pool with city views (and these incredibly cool lounge seats in the water), a wine cellar and tasting room, a resident’s bar with city views, private dining rooms, a library, lounge room, outdoor recreation area with a kitchen and BBQ dining area, a poker and games room, a cinema, and to top it all off, an outdoor lounge with a central fire pit. oh, and don’t forget the dog walking service. This is an extremely impressive array of amenities, all of which look like they will help provide the hotel lifestyle that the development is attempting to imitate.
With 164 apartments over 22 levels, Gallery House is the second largest project on this list. Not all of the apartments at Gallery House are luxury, however. In this article, we are focusing on the best of Gallery House which are the penthouses and sub-penthouses found in the Sky Collection.
As the name suggests, these apartments are located at the very top of Gallery House and will have commanding views over the river and city. We don’t want to pick favourites, but it’s quite possible that the views from this project will be the most impressive of any development on this list.
Honestly, there is no other way to say it – the resident amenities at Gallery House are cool. The designers did a really good job here. Taking inspiration from Brookfield’s previous project at Portside (Pinnacle), Gallery House has an infinity lap pool on the roof. The picture above gives you an idea of what swimming in this will be like. On top of this, there is an outdoor lounge area, BBQ area and a ‘sky-high’ oasis for entertaining.
On top of this, those living in the Sky Collection at Gallery House will be located in the bustling hub that is Portside Wharf. Out of the projects on this list, Gallery House will have the largest amount of walkable amenity – particularly restaurants and bars. Living at Portside means you could easily walk to Belvedere Bar or Byblos and head to Max Brenner for desert. Don’t forget the famous Eat Street Markets that are on every weekend. A possible downside of being in this location is that it will always be quite busy. Some will find this energising, some will find it tiring. All in all, it is part of living in an apartment in one of Brisbane’s fastest growing precincts.
Despite being home to some of Brisbane’s most expensive homes, Toowong is not usually associated with luxury apartments. Banc bucks this trend. It is situated right on Coronation Drive which one of Brisbane’s busiest roads. Again, not a location that you would expect to find a luxury apartment building, the building seems to embrace the fact that it is on Coronation Drive by opening its grand lobby straight onto it. And why shouldn’t they do this? Residents of Banc will have kilometers of riverfront bike tracks and walking tracks, not to mention the fact that a trip into the city would take less than 10 minutes by car and less than 20 minutes by bike from Banc.
In terms of the apartments on offer, the most luxurious one will be found above level six. There are 18 x three bedroom, two bathroom apartments at Banc with their own lift access, butler’s pantry and 34m² terrace.
Crowning the building is a single 455m² ‘Sky Mansion’ with five bedrooms, four bathrooms, three living rooms, a study, a library and a formal dining room and five car spaces. This is up there as one of the most opulent apartments in Brisbane.
Naturally, Banc is going to have amazing views over the river and city. These will become nicer the higher up the building you go. Given the location of the building, these views will not be built out either.
Owners at Banc will love the private wine cellar as well. We can imagine it as a great place to share your 1998 Grange, or perhaps the 1986 vintage if you prefer, with your neighbours.
We would love to hear your thoughts on this project.
Have you visited this project recently, or perhaps you live nearby or bought in a neighbouring building? Tell us what you love about this project, or perhaps what you don't.