The 376-unit high-end project The Avenir has seen a good start. It was one of three luxury condominium projects that launched on 11 January 2020, ahead of the Lunar New Year festivities and prior to the global outbreak of Covid-19 which has caused sales to slow down.

On its launch weekend, it saw 50% of units released snapped up, of which seven were premium four-bedroom units with private lift access, and the remaining 13 were a mix of one- to three-bedroom units. As at 18 February, a total of 25 units were sold.

Hong Leong Holdings Head of Sales and Marketing Ms Betsy Chng, together with designers studioMilou Lead Designer and Director Mr Jean Francois Milou and ADDP Architects Associate Partner Mr Tang Kok Thye and Senior Principal Architect Mr Raymond Yap, spoke to The Edge on what sets the development apart, which was published on 24 February 2020.

For the Avenir, Ms Chng notes that two-thirds of the buyers were locals, while one-third were foreigners, primarily from China and the US. For many of the local buyers, it is also not their first property purchase.

“They are buying a unit for their own use, for their children or for investment,” she says. “We have a number of people who fell in love with our project and are currently living in prime District 10; they are now asking the real estate agent to sell their existing property before they purchase a new one.”

Besides the locals, the Chinese are also drawn to the four-bedroom units because of the luxury fittings and the space. Ten of the 25 units sold to date are four-bedroom units of 2,067 square feet (sq ft), and premium four-bedroom units of 2,411 sq ft.

In addition to private lift access, the premium four-bedroom units come with a kitchen island counter and high-end appliances from DeDietrich and Swiss brand V-Zug, which include a combi-steam cooker for sous vide cooking, which is new to the luxury market in Singapore.

Bathroom fittings and sanitaryware are from top-end Italian brand Antoniolupi.

‘One of the most luxurious’

ADDP’s Mr Tang commented that The Avenir is “one of the most luxurious” projects the firm has done. He commented that in addition to the design, what adds to the project is the selection of materials and finishes. Marble slabs feature in the interiors design, and details include a bronze finish for the vanity mirror and shower compartment frames.

Mr Tang said, “We make sure that we choose materials that do not require too much maintenance and can withstand the test of time. As architects, it’s not just about designing a nice façade; we have to be concerned about minimising maintenance issues for the homeowners downstream.”

Sense of space

With high land prices, mot property developers are concerned with maximising gross floor area and efficiency of the units. At The Avenir, ceiling height of the apartments has been raised to 3.2m for an elevated sense of space.

With new technologies such as wall-mounted flat screen or smart TVs, the need for console tables are gone, which frees up more space within the bedrooms that can be reconfigured as a dressing area or workspace.

‘Strong identity’

The Avenir is a redevelopment of the former Pacific Mansion, which sat at a freehold site of 128,352 sq ft at River Valley Close. The site was purchased in a collective sale by the Hong Leong-led consortium for $980 million in March 2018, marking the highest collective sale deal in over a decade.

The Avenir was a design collaboration between ADDP and studioMilou, led by renowned French architect Mr Jean Francois Milou, who designed National Gallery Singapore. The neighbourhood, Mr Tang felt, lacked identity, and they felt that by collaborating with Mr Milou, they could create something with “a strong presence”.

Mr Milou said that the development’s twin 36-storey towers are “a classical inspiration” drawn from the vertical form and proportions of a cathedral. The overall experience of elegance and tranquillity did not end at the entrance into the development, but also from the street level.

He added, “It is not just about buying an apartment, but an address. We want to enforce that River Valley Close will remain a prime address in the city in the future.”

Even the development’s name denotes a brighter future. “Avenir means ‘towards’ and venir means ‘to come’ in French. It also means ‘future’, and implicitly, an optimistic one,” says Mr Milou.

Emphasis was also placed on landscaping, with the grounds divided into a series of landscaped courtyards. The residential towers are elevated over 10m above ground, allowing for more greenery space such as lawn and facilities such as tennis courts to swimming pools on the undulating terrain. Atop the 36-storey towers also sits landscaped roof terraces.

Capitalising on views

The residential towers are oriented to capitalise on views of Singapore’s shopping stretch Orchard Road on one side and Singapore River on the other.

The premium tower contains a mix of premium three- and four-bedroom units, while the other residential tower has a mix of one- to three- bedroom units with sizes from 527 sq ft to 1,141 sq ft. The premium tower of The Avenir overlooks River Valley Primary School, a sought-after primary school among local home buyers, notes Ms Chng. The upcoming Great World City MRT Station slated to open in 2021 is also nearby.

PropNex Realty Head of Luxury Mr Dominic Lee said, “River Valley is a neighbourhood favoured by Singaporeans, and The Avenir is one of the nicest new launches in that area.”