Altair adjudged Best Condo in Asia for Architectural Design

• Beats contenders from 15 countries including Singapore, Japan and Australia at 2018 Asia Property Awards of PropertyGuru Asia

ward at the 2018 Asia Real Estate Summit (ARES) hosted by PropertyGuru Asia in Bangkok, Thailand.

The only Sri Lankan high-rise ever to be adjudged the best in Asia, Altair was honoured at PropertyGuru’s ‘Best of the Best’ awards, at which individual winners selected at country award events throughout the year were contenders.

Markets from Sri Lanka to China competed in the largest grand final event to date of the 13-year-old Asia Property Awards, attended by more than 500 guests, with developers from Japan and Australia making their debut at the ceremony. 

The countries that competed for awards were Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, China, Hong Kong, Macau, Mongolia, Australia, Japan, the Philippines, Myanmar and Cambodia.

Altair’s award was accepted on behalf of promoter Indocean Developers by two of the company’s directors, Jaideep Halwasiya and Pradeep Moraes.

“We are justifiably elated at winning this award, which is a tribute to the architectural genius of Moshe Safdie and the vision and courage of the promoters of the project, who had confidence not only in their ability to build Altair but also in the market’s potential to do justice to such a remarkable edifice,” Moraes commented. 

“The word icon is sadly overused today but by winning this award we have emphatically shown why Altair richly deserves that adjective.”

Among the condominium developments that competed for the ‘Best Condo Architectural Design’ in Asia award were ‘8 St Thomas’ by Bukit Sembawang Estates Ltd, Singapore; ‘Alpha City’ by Alpha King, Vietnam; ‘Glorious Mansion’ by Long For Group Holdings Ltd, China; ‘Mount Pavilia’ by New World Development Ltd, Hong Kong; ‘Scenia.Bay’ by Nam Tien Lao Cai Jsc. Co., Vietnam; ‘Sunplay The Heights Bangsaray’ by Sunplay Asia Ltd, Thailand; ‘Stirling Residences’ by LN Development (Stirling) Pte Ltd., Singapore; ‘Taman Anggrek Residences’ by Agung Sedayu Group, Indonesia; ‘The CUVÉE’ by Chaopraya Mahanakorn Ltd, Thailand; ‘The Smith’ by Triniti Land, Indonesia and  ‘The Vales’ by Anchorvale Residences Pte Ltd., Singapore.

Speaking at the awards event, Asia Property Awards and Property Report of PropertyGuru Managing Director Terry Blackburn noted: “Today, Asia has the fastest growing economies and most exciting real estate markets in the world, and the majority of award winners are Asian developers selling to Asian buyers and are helping millions achieve the dream of home ownership.” 

He also expressed the hope that the years the Asia Property Awards have spent promoting Sustainable Development, Green Buildings and Corporate Social Responsibility have in some small way contributed to the conversation on what the best Asia should look like in the future.

The region’s biggest and most prestigious real estate awards series, the PropertyGuru Asia Property Awards are recognised as the ultimate hallmark of industry excellence in the Asian property sector. Headquartered in Singapore, the PropertyGuru Group is Asia’s foremost online property company and has been voted ‘Asia’s Most Influential Brand for Online Property Search’ by consumers. PropertyGuru helps over 16 million people find their dream home every month.

At the 2018 PropertyGuru Asia Property Awards in Colombo, a precursor to the grand finale in Bangkok, Altair took home major honours, winning the Overall Award for ‘Best Condominium Development’ and the awards for ‘Best Luxury Condo Development (Colombo)’ and ‘Best Luxury Condo Architectural Design (Colombo)’ while its only Sri Lankan Director Moraes was named Real Estate Personality of the Year.

Sri Lanka’s most distinctive and instantly recognised high-rise, Altair, is a one-of-its-kind development in South Asia in terms of architectural design, structural engineering and living experience. With structural construction completed and 70% of its apartments sold, Altair is scheduled to commence the handing over of apartments to buyers in March 2019.

The building comprises two tower blocks, a 63-storey sloping tower which leans in to a taller 68-storey vertical tower. Acknowledged as a new paradigm in contemporary living in Sri Lanka, the Altair building has already brought a new dimension in aesthetics to Colombo’s skyline and offers its 400 apartments spectacular views of the Beira Lake, the Indian Ocean and the city of Colombo. The development’s 1.5 million square feet of high-end eco-friendly living space is supported by 40,000 square feet of upmarket retail space.