Canaletto in Kuala Lumpur on 5th to 7th October 2012

After the hugely successful London Olympics 2012, the city has been rejuvenated and investors are now focusing on London as a stable environment for their portfolios. The Olympics brought with it tourism revenue, massive enhancements to transportation infrastructure, development of amenities and attractions.

This combined with a bustling arts scene, shopping to whet the appetite of the most hard core consumers and a rejuvenated education market, has seen demand for quality housing increase exponentially.

London remains a key destination for investors looking for ‘safe-haven’ assets, according to Knight Frank’s July 2012 Prime Central London Index, which is reflected in the continued rise in interest from prospective buyers, up 23% in the three months to July* compared to the previous quarter.

London’s new residential ‘hot spot’ minutes from the City

With London as a logical investment choice, the next question is where investors should go to find the best returns. Within London, Knight Frank’s most recent London Hot Spots research identified the City Road corridor as one of the places where new build property prices will appreciate fastest, with current values predicted to rise 36% by 2016.

Knight Frank highlights that this area will be popular with City workers, who are within walking distance to work, but who also want to be close to the culture and nightlife in adjacent Shoreditch, Clerkenwell and Islington.

People in the technology and creative industries are also moving into the area as it borders the ‘Tech City ’, the area stretching from Old Street’s ‘Silicon Roundabout’ to the Olympic Park in Stratford which is receiving government support for technological investment. Cisco, Amazon, Google and Intel, among others, have already pledged to invest here.

World class architecture with hotel-type service and amenities

This influx of start-ups and funders is fueling the demand for luxury residential accommodation within the area and these discerning professionals appreciate exceptional contemporary architecture with facilities and amenities to match. Canaletto, a new, innovatively designed, 30-storey tower by the celebrated Dutch architecture firm UNStudio, is being created to meet this demand.

Canaletto defines a new aesthetic for residential high-rises in London and will make the building a landmark in its own right. The architects have created a multi-faceted façade giving a pleasing appearance from all aspects. The building is broken into multiple ‘neighbourhoods in the sky’, accentuated through organic shapes conveying a sense of scale and intimacy unprecedented for a building of this height.

Canaletto offers 190 apartments, ranging from studios to a large penthouse. The development’s superb views, restaurant, health club, swimming pool, private cinema and residents’ club on the 24th floor, complete with an expansive terrace, will make Canaletto a social hub at the centre of an exciting neighbourhood.

A landscaped garden on Wharf Road provides access to the residential lobby, whilst the ground floor garden provides an attractive entrance and a green oasis off the busy City Road.

Canaletto is a project funded by Orion European Real Estate Fund III, C.V., a fund sponsored by Orion Capital Managers LLP. Groveworld Ltd is acting as development manager.