Anchor Land builds Chinatown’s tallest luxurious condominium

A 12-FOOT replica of the Anchor Skysuites stands proudly inside the three-story swanky showroom.

To pay homage to the success of the hardworking, affluent Chinese-Filipino business community in Manila and elsewhere, a colossal condominium tower with all the trimmings of an upscale hotel will soon rise in the heart of Manila’s Chinatown.

Named Anchor Skysuites, the condominium will make available 346 residential units and hotel-like amenities that are at par with five-star hotels in the country. At 56 stories high, the ambitious project will set the record as the tallest skyscraper to dot the bustling commercial center and claimed to be the “tallest in all Chinatowns in the world outside of China.”

Especially designed for the affluent Filipino-Chinese and “genuinely Instik” market, all the units are oriented toward the south following age-old feng shui tradition and will be architecturally sound according to Chinese living.

Fully fitted units

All units are fully fitted, with high ceiling for generous air flow; kitchens and dining area will be spacious. The model units show generous spaces for walkways leading to the rooms.

Since its launch in February, 50 percent of the total units is sold. Currently offered are two- to five-bedroom units priced at P8 million to P23 million each. Penthouse units with a size of 618 sq m, on the other hand, cost P70 million. The units range from 118 sq m to 293 sq m. Five bedroom lofts, measuring 241 square meters, are also up for grabs.

“It’s like staying in a luxurious hotel, only you are actually at home,” said Elizabeth Ventura, vice president for sales and marketing of property firm Anchor Land Holdings Inc. (ALHI).

“As you enter the building, we promise to deliver the same kind of services you get from the most elegant hotel, complete with concierge services, front desk personnel and a duty manager. Uniformed doormen 24 hours a day are on duty,” Ventura said.

The project is ALHI’s third project in the district. Construction of the Anchor Skysuites is in full swing at the 3,466-sq-m property on Ongpin Street in Binondo.

Amenities

The condominium, which will cater almost exclusively to Filipino-Chinese market, will feature amenities that include a 25-meter lap pool, children’s pool, badminton and basketball courts, playground, jogging path and a landscaped garden. The building’s reception area will be equipped with advanced CCTV cameras and hotel-like elevators will be fitted with privileged access cards.

Valued at P3 billion, Anchor Skysuites is considered the property firm’s flagship project in Chinatown, said Steve Li, ALHI vice chair in an interview with Inquirer Property.

“It is designed to change the landscape of Manila while stamping an epitome of the success that Filipino-Chinese business community has reached,” Li furthered.

Another interesting feature of the Skysuites is the VIP Coffee Club that could seat up to a maximum of 30 people at a time. The club will be equipped with business office services and wireless Internet connectivity exclusive to unit owners.

All common areas in the whole building will have security cameras without any blind spot and with highly trained security personnel. A helipad atop the building will allow its most distinguished residents easy mobility and the security due them.

Company officials said the project is selling briskly like its other projects in the district. A big part of the success, according to Li, is due to the company’s “bold decision to construct an ultra-modern and very elegant” showroom on nearby Salazar Street, across the President Tea House.

The three-story swanky showroom is perhaps the biggest and the most sophisticated in the country with a floor area of more than 1,600 square meters –

already a condominium in its own right. It is open for viewing daily. The lobby features a baby grand piano and a 12-foot high replica of Anchor Skysuites.

Is this all swank and swagger? We wait until 2014 if it lives up to its hype.

ALHI TOP HONCHOS chair Stephen Lee, Forbes Asia representative, Ventura and vice chair Steve Li

Anchor Skysuites doesn’t lack in its green efforts. The building design will be supervised by Albert Yu of Asya Design, a renowned firm whose works include notable green buildings in various parts of the world. German-firm Lemmens takes charge of its window system. A water revitalization system is also in place to regulate the building’s water consumption.

ALHI recently tapped EEI Corp. as general contractor for the Anchor Skysuites. EEI Corp. will be responsible for all civil, structural and architectural works on the building as well as mechanical, electrical and fire safety component.

Aside from the Skysuites, ALHI has two projects in the pipeline for this year. Li said the firm has acquired an additional 18,119-sq-m lot in Aseana City fronting Manila Bay which will be developed into a mixed-use complex.