When the owner of this Damansara property first spotted the original building, he saw much more than its 2,000 sq ft built-up space. It offered a phenomenal view of the Kuala Lumpur skyline that was unobstructed from this promontory. The Malaysian Parliament building ensured that no other high-rise could be developed in the immediate vicinity to obscure the stunning view.
He hatched a plan to construct a home that would do justice to the land’s elevation as well as his accrued memories from a lifetime of travelling. The trick was to fully optimise the land’s footprint and account for its gradient with cantilevered engineering. “The engineers were amazing to fully realise the potential I saw and even made sure everything is double loaded,” says the owner.
Five years on, the house in his mind was finally completed, the result of long discussions and the expertise of an international design firm hired specifically to recreate a scaled-down version of Singapore’s Marina Bay Sands SkyPark infinity pool to maximise the glorious panorama of the Kuala Lumpur city skyline.
The house now offers an opulent 22,000 sq ft of built-up space on a 12,497 sq ft parcel. It boasts 6+1 bedrooms (all en suite) with 10 bathrooms in total, a top-floor private office with ebony walls, a covered seven-car garage with supercar-friendly ramp (and space for another eight vehicles at ground level), 24-hour temperature controlled wine room, resort-styled landscaping and other luxury appointments befitting its RM29.8-million market price with the listing held exclusively by Eugene Liew of SPACE Realty.
Daily Panorama
The pool deck of this Damansara property offers million-dollar views over the verdant Damansara Heights neighbourhood and tree canopy, with the welcome sound of birdsong and rustling breezes. In the day, you can bask in the sight of Kuala Lumpur’s key landmarks and kinetic skyline, from the Merdeka 118 skyscraper – poised to be the world’s second tallest building – to the iconic Petronas Twin Towers, Exchange 106 at TRX City and the slender Kuala Lumpur Tower. The pool is laid with rose gold and purple gold Bisazza mosaics and the hot tub catches the heat of the sun in the day, releasing it back at night as one soaks in the view of the city lights.
Finnish Design
On the pool deck is a steam room powered by a specially imported Finnish Harvia wood-heated sauna heater. Its circular design evenly distributes heat, ensuring efficient sauna use and making for relaxing post-swim rituals.
Nature Inflections
At this Damansara property, the entrance—a set of majestic Zebrano wood doors—takes you into the ground-floor living space and dining hall, which look out to the pool deck. According to the owner, the most important investment in this house is the commercial-grade high-rise elevator he installed. His fondness for Murano lamps allows for beautiful diffused lights in the evenings and nights, especially off the monolithic dining table milled from a single piece of Suar wood. He had chanced upon the latter during a visit to Bali some two decades ago and had it stored in a warehouse until this house was built. Floors on this level are made of long American walnut strips, which the owner appreciates for their grain and character.
Hidden Symmetry
Perhaps the most impressive part of the dry kitchen is the Boffi island, which is impressively book-matched on both the outside and the inside. An adjoining counter made of lychee wood provides a pleasant spot for morning coffees and confers an organic touch to the living space.
Five-Star Sleep
The owner’s penchant for travelling, which occurred on a monthly basis prior to the pandemic, meant that he had a vast repository of references in designing the many bedrooms of the house – all of which command a view of the Kuala Lumpur city skyline. One of the bedrooms recalls the style of The St Regis Singapore, a long-time favourite of his, with a faithful approximation of the wallpaper, chest of drawers and cupboards that light up when opened. Another bedroom is a careful study of The Four Seasons Singapore, finished luxuriantly with Armani/Casa wallpaper.
Pro-Grade Fitness
This house’s gym is constructed to professional standards with its teak floors laid over a rubber base to minimise the impact of workouts. The barre was installed for the owner’s wife who dances ballet, and one of its mirrors conceals an en-suite with shower, toilet and book-matched marble tiles.
Tropical Treat
A curvilinear jacuzzi in front of the gym is reminiscent of the pool at the former Ritz-Carlton Bali Resort & Spa (rebranded as Ayana Resort & Spa in April 2009). The jacuzzi of this Damansara property, complete with salt chlorinator and massage jet bubbles, overlooks the koi pond and the roofline of the neighbouring houses.
Underwater Fantasy
In addition to a sound-buffered audiovisual room, there is a secondary lounge with ornamental panels. The use of Chinese lacquering on these bring to life the owner’s dive trips with a three-dimensional effect achieved by a Ho Chi Minh City artist’s use of shells from chicken eggs, scallops, abalone and oysters.
Al Fresco Wellness
A floor up from the living room, accessible by both elevator and a tubular staircase recalling the Four Seasons in Sayan, Bali, is the master bedroom and its capacious bathroom. A freestanding tub is just one of several options for a bath, as is the outdoor rainforest shower surrounded by lush greenery.
Good Vintage
A key advantage in these pandemic-stricken times is the reassuring comfort of being able to partake in vino appreciation in your own home. The wine cellar of this Damansara property has a 4,000-bottle storage capacity including provision for magnums and jeroboams. Two air-conditioning units alternate every 12 hours to maintain an optimal climate for the wines to age gracefully.
Garden Life
For a bit of the outdoors and with all the social distancing you need, the beautiful twin koi ponds offer relaxation in a garden crafted by a professional arborist. The fish thrive courtesy of a bio-filter under the wooden decking, which eliminates ammonia to produce fresh water. Garden lamps and a water feature purchased some years ago from Bali – directly from the late Australian landscape artist Made Wijaya – gives this tranquil patch of green a touch of exoticism. So too does a sea coral garden, frangipani, coconut palms and eucalyptus trees, which peel off during Kuala Lumpur’s thunderstorms to produce a kaleidoscope of rainbow colours on its trunk. “This place really came alive when we completed the garden and we now get bees and squirrels,” the owner observes, adding that he would be delighted to harvest eucalyptus honey at some point from the trees in the garden.
Make more information visit SPACE Realty, call +603 2388 4882 or email: info@spacerealty.com.my
Photos: Michael Yeoh / Aarteplus
