British entrepreneur and casual billionaire John Caudwell has released a new £2 billion plan (roughly $3 billion USD) that, if approved, will transform a 1960s drab parking lot into London's newest set of ultra-expensive apartments, Audley Square House. Caudwell purchased the Audley Street garage in London's Mayfair district for £155 million only to knock it down and build what he hopes will become one of the world's most desirable living spaces, or, in other words, a really massive VIP area. Caudwell dumped Foster + Partners' £300 million design to work with New York-based architect Robert A.M. Stern, whom Caudwell says has the "ability to design high-quality buildings that do not stand apart from their surroundings but rather fit in comfortably amongst their neighbors."
Opting for "quality over quantity," Caudwell Properties explains it will be sacrificing square footage to make apartments fit for the wealthiest of London's residents. Five townhouses and three penthouses will each get a gym and swimming pool, while three penthouses will have private elevators. Caudwell's snazzy plan still needs approval though, and his neighbors just might object to nine-story building towering over their pricey pads.
· Robert A.M. Stern to Build Britain's Most Expensive Flats [ArchDaily]
· London's Most Expensive Flat Hits the Market For $104.5M [Curbed National]