London is awash with spectacular properties, and following the lifting of all UK travel rules, it is now much easier for travellers to come and see them.
The National's London luxury property series serves to whet the appetite of buyers, and this month the featured property is a sight for "soaring" eyes.
The key details
The Bryanston is a new development of 54 luxury residences overlooking London's Hyde Park.
The show apartment, 11.02, is a three-bedroom, 2,923 square foot flat that sits on the 11th floor of Hyde Park's tallest residential building. It overlooks the central London park, offering residents unparalleled views through the picture-frame, curved windows that run along the length of the apartment.
What's the story?
Award-winning interior design firm David Collins Studio conceptualised the apartment with guest curation from design editor Nick Vinson of Vinson&Co. The entrance lobby and hallway sets the tone with a Wedgwood Jasperware-inspired, floral artwork that unfolds through the 10-metre-long hallway.
From the kitchen, residents can look across the paths which strike through Hyde Park and beyond to Kensington.
Responding to the surroundings, the dining and living spaces feature a palette of yellows, silvers and golds, and the large dining table is crafted by Sebastian Cox from a felled London plane tree sourced from a local park.
Other striking pieces include custom-designed klismos dining chairs, lacquered in yellow and upholstered in soft yellow mohair by designer Bruno Triplet.
The principal bedroom has been upholstered in Loro Piana’s Shaded Cloud cashmere-wool fabric, along with the bedroom furniture and curtains. Couture embroiderer Geraldine Larkin has also been commissioned to create a unique applique artwork comprising three shades of Loro Piana cashmere-wool for the bedroom.
The second and third bedrooms are colour-blocked in teal hues and indigo blues, respectively.
Design highlights in the second bedroom include a custom-designed bed with a teal velvet headboard, which extends to the ceiling, commissioned still life artworks by London artists Jessica Rose Bird and emerging talent Sam Wood and a Brutalist iron wall mirror from the 1950s.
In the third bedroom, the walls are lined with indigo raw silk and the white beech timber bed creates a focal point for the room.
What the broker says
What makes the property stand out from the crowd?
The Bryanston, a project designed by Uruguayan architect Rafael Vinoly, occupies a prominent park-side position with superb, panoramic views of Hyde Park.
Featuring an 18-storey curved tower and large panoramic windows, the apartments have been specially designed to maximise the views, overlooking 142 hectares of protected, historic parkland in the heart of the city.
This feature is one of The Bryanston’s standout qualities, and is quite unique when compared to what else is currently available on the market.
Are there similar homes in London?
There is nothing quite like The Bryanston available in London currently. The tower is London’s tallest residential building to directly overlook Hyde Park, making the property unique and unparalleled in terms of the 360º views and West End positioning.
What kind of buyer would the property most suit?
Parkside views naturally command a premium and, for many global buyers, there is nothing more exclusive than an uninterrupted view of a royal park. In Knight Frank’s latest Global Buyer Survey, 55 per cent of respondents said views of nature factored into the type of property they would choose.
Anyone who values exceptional design, panoramic views and best-in-class amenities will instantly feel an affinity with The Bryanston.
Why is now a good time to buy in London?
The pandemic has not altered London’s status as a global safe haven, and the city remains an excellent place to invest. Demand for property in the capital is growing. The number of offers accepted in February was 99 per cent higher than the five-year average, which underlines the strength of the sales pipeline in the capital. Supply is picking up gradually but struggling to keep pace, meaning those who buy now will be in a very strong position.
Rupert des Forges, Head of Prime Central London Developments, Knight Frank
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
TWISTERS
Director: Lee Isaac Chung
Starring: Glen Powell, Daisy Edgar-Jones, Anthony Ramos
Rating: 2.5/5
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
Andor
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Why it pays to compare
A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.
Route 1: bank transfer
The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.
Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount
Total received: €4,670.30
Route 2: online platform
The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.
Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction
Total received: €4,756
The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.
Sweet%20Tooth
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GOLF’S RAHMBO
- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
- Three wins in past 10 starts
- 45 pro starts worldwide: 5 wins, 17 top 5s
- Ranked 551th in world on debut, now No 4 (was No 2 earlier this year)
- 5th player in last 30 years to win 3 European Tour and 2 PGA Tour titles before age 24 (Woods, Garcia, McIlroy, Spieth)
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20M3%20MACBOOK%20AIR%20(13%22)
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km
Company%20Profile
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The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
Emergency phone numbers in the UAE
Estijaba – 8001717 – number to call to request coronavirus testing
Ministry of Health and Prevention – 80011111
Dubai Health Authority – 800342 – The number to book a free video or voice consultation with a doctor or connect to a local health centre
Emirates airline – 600555555
Etihad Airways – 600555666
Ambulance – 998
Knowledge and Human Development Authority – 8005432 ext. 4 for Covid-19 queries
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
The Penguin
Starring: Colin Farrell, Cristin Milioti, Rhenzy Feliz
Creator: Lauren LeFranc
Rating: 4/5
Quick%20facts
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Scorebox
Sharjah Wanderers 20-25 Dubai Tigers (After extra-time)
Wanderers
Tries Gormley, Penalty
Cons Flaherty
Pens Flaherty 2
Tigers
Tries O’Donnell, Gibbons, Kelly
Cons Caldwell 2
Pens Caldwell, Cross
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
Under 19 Cricket World Cup, Asia Qualifier
Fixtures
Friday, April 12, Malaysia v UAE
Saturday, April 13, UAE v Nepal
Monday, April 15, UAE v Kuwait
Tuesday, April 16, UAE v Singapore
Thursday, April 18, UAE v Oman
UAE squad
Aryan Lakra (captain), Aaron Benjamin, Akasha Mohammed, Alishan Sharafu, Anand Kumar, Ansh Tandon, Ashwanth Valthapa, Karthik Meiyappan, Mohammed Faraazuddin, Rishab Mukherjee, Niel Lobo, Osama Hassan, Vritya Aravind, Wasi Shah
BABYLON
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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