From the entrance, the vault of the White City Tower impresses. Monumental. One would think to enter under a nave of modern cathedral in luxurious and minimal style. Only a discreet logo engraved at the entrance of the lobby indicates where we are: Armani / Casa. In the historic Neve Tzedek district, less than 600 meters from the sea and the beach, the contrast is striking between this tower which rises to 123 meters and the low houses classified by UNESCO. Yet the White Tower finds its place here.
It is also perfectly in line with Armani / Casa’s new strategy. If the Armani hotels in Dubai and Milan are always busy, the priority is now given to the residences. After those of Tel Aviv, London and Istanbul, others are announced in Bombay, Manila, Beijing, Chengdu and Miami in collaboration with top architects for a real estate offer haute couture. “The designers and architects I admire all have a bold and personal vision,” says Giorgio Armani. In India, the Bombay project with Pei Cobb Freed & Partners – World One, a 117-storey tower with 280 apartments designed by Armani / Casa – will claim to be the world’s tallest residential skyscraper by the height of 442 meters. it will open at the end of the year. A design that respects the Hindu architectural principles of “vastu shastra”, Vedic architecture, while reinterpreting them in a contemporary spirit and with the inimitable style of Armani. Another alliance is the Century Spire project, a 250-meter bud-shaped tower in Makati district in Manila, led by Daniel Libeskind, architect of the reconstruction of the Ground Zero site.
For fifteen years at the head of the studio Armani / Casa Interior Design, with twelve architects and five interior designers, the maestro likes to recall his ambition: “If the goal of the architect is to create remarkable spaces, then my role is to bring them to life through the aesthetics of interior design. And the White City Tower is the illustration. Inaugurated in December 2016, the tower is a success. “Of the 163 apartments available, 147 have already been sold,” says Shlomo Bronner, one of the developers behind the project by architectural firm Yashar. “Sixteen penthouses and duplexes are still available,” he continues. The largest is 400 square meters and its price is up to (the tower): 26 million euros.
Although the fifth-floor apartment is of course smaller, it is nonetheless “armanissime”. Most luxurious Italian materials – marmorino stucco, Portoro marble, black maple wood … -, noble materials, design: the house style “elegance, functionality and comfort” is omnipresent. Armani / Casa took care of everything. The fabrics are signed by their partner Rubelli, prestigious Italian house. And if the apartments are sold empty, each new owner is offered a $ 50,000 to $ 100,000 gift certificate at Armani / Casa. to spend in the shop of Herzliya, the Neuilly of Tel Aviv. Many are seduced by the Checkers kitchen, developed by Armani / Dada and bestseller since its presentation in 2011. It remains to finish the largest penthouse: it will be done in a year. From its terrace, the panoramic view is breathtaking, revealing the millennial port of Jaffa, the red roofs of Neve Tzedek, the white houses of the Bauhaus district, the financial center and the Mediterranean.
