Do you love your car? Enough to sleep in it? Or, more accurately, do you love your car enough to sleep in a residence built from the ground up to reflect its shape, its personality, its philosophy? A growing number of (extremely rich) people do, with such branded residences popping up from Dubai to Spain to Miami. We spoke to luxury real estate developer DarGlobal boss Ziad El Chaar about what it takes to create an apartment worthy of a supercar with details about two of his incredible new developments Tierra Viva in the Costa del Sol and DaVinci Tower in Dubai.
TIERRA VIVA, COSTA DEL SOL
DESCRIBE THE PROJECT
Tierra Viva is an enclave of luxury villas, drawing inspiration from the supercar brand Lamborghini. Situated on a hillside, each villa occupies a distinct elevation, with unhindered views of the Mediterranean Sea.
Anyone fortunate enough to own a Lamborghini shouldn’t have to hide it away in an underground garage – an elevator that brings cars into the villa was a must
HOW DOES THE RESIDENCE REFLECT PAGANI?
The objective was to create a limited-edition residence in which every single detail reflects the DNA of Lamborghini. This involves taking the essence of the design from flagship models and delivering the Lamborghini stamp to each villa. For example, the villa’s rear exterior resembles the sharply sculptured lines of a Ruvuelto’s silhouette while the pools use the shape of a Huracan’s iconic headlights. Even the frames of the floor to ceiling windows were inspired by the angularity of the grill found on a Lamborghini Urus.
WHO WAS INVOLVED IN THE DESIGN?
This project was a joint effort between the automobile design teams at Lamborghini and DarGlobal. It was important to make sure Tierra Viva became a success for two brands that share the attributes of exclusivity, design and passion. To partner with a supercar brand wasn’t simply about sticking a name on a building, but working with those who understand Lamborghini’s heritage and then implementing it into the architecture and interiors, while giving Lamborghini the creative freedom to implement their philosophy. It became clear that we were working with those who really understood the shapes, materials, and palette of the brand – including chief exec Stephen Winckleman – therefore making the project authentic.
The car elevator at Lamborghini residence Tierra Viva
HOW EASY WAS IT TO REALISE THE VISION?
A big part was ensuring each villa possesses unobstructed views across the Mediterranean Sea. Anyone who has been to Costa del Sol will know about its beautiful blue sea and mountain terrain and with a plot in a location such as ours, maximising this has been incredibly important. This is helped by large sliding doors that effectively extend the lounge into the outdoor patio and pool. The result is a seamless space into the horizon of the Mediterranean.
TELL US ABOUT SOME OF THE DETAILS
Anyone fortunate enough to own a Lamborghini shouldn’t have to hide it away in an underground garage and so building an elevator that brings owners’ supercars into the villa itself was something we really wanted to incorporate into the design. What makes this more impactful is that the car sits within a glass confine centrally in the building, meaning owners’ can admire their Lamborghini right from the comfort of their sofas – made from Lamborghini leather to match!
HOW DO THEY REFLECT THE LOCAL AREA?
Costa Del Sol is a vibrant and attractive area hosting stylish clubs, restaurants and hotels as well as breathtaking beaches. Benahavís meanwhile ranks as one of the wealthiest municipalities in Spain and is one of the most desirable places in Costa Del Sol to own property. It is an area of exclusivity, which is reflected greatly in this project’s uniqueness and limited-edition status as the first branded residence in the south of Spain.
• For more information go to the website here
DAVINCI TOWER, DUBAI
DESCRIBE THE PROJECT
DaVinci Tower curves over the Dubai skyline, overlooking the Dubai Canal, with views of the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building.
DaVinci Tower, designed with Pagani, curves over the Dubai skyline
HOW DOES THE RESIDENCE REFLECT PAGANI?
Taking a supercar-brand and trying to reflect the design features into a home is a challenge. We needed to strike a careful balance between being classical while also modern. Everyone thinks that they are two opposing descriptors but actually, they can be used in tandem. There are ties between a home and a car that people often don’t realise. For us, it’s about how the customer will experience the environment – that’s the common feature and how we have made Utopia feel like a Pagani car.
WHAT ABOUT THE EXTERIOR?
Before you even step foot in the building you can tell it is a feat of design excellence. As well as featuring the world’s first-ever Pagani-inspired spaces and bespoke interior furnishings from the car manufacturer, the exterior is architecturally striking. You can spot a Pagani car from a mile off – and this gravity-defying sphere on the Dubai skyline is equally as unique, with the tower imbued with a dynamic aesthetic that embraces unconventional space.
WHO WAS INVOLVED IN THE DESIGN?
It was a real honour to work with the man himself – Horacio Pagani, founder and chief designer of Pagani Automobili. It was Pagani’s first foray into interior design and Dar Global’s first partnership with a supercar brand. Despite coming from two different industries, we were both committed to delivering unparalleled luxury.
An apartment in DaVinci Tower, designed with Pagani
HOW EASY WAS IT TO REALISE THE VISION?
The vision was very much about making the home resemble a machine and this was our guiding thought when conceptualising the design aspects. It was also about taking what makes Pagani ‘Pagani’ and reflecting this in the homes. We went back to the original ambition of Horacio Pagani: to create the most beautiful car – or in our case, residence – in the world.
TELL US ABOUT SOME OF THE DETAILS
One of the key aspects for us was incorporating technology and the decades of research and development Pagani has invested into its materials. Automotive leather is used throughout Pagani’s vehicles, and we wanted to reflect this in our homes, but that still have the characteristics of a sofa leather. It’s all in the detail really – taking features from a Pagani motor vehicle and incorporating them throughout the home. Things like exhaust features on the walls, ceiling lights looking like headlights – these subtly reflect Pagani.
HOW DO THEY REFLECT THE LOCAL AREA?
The Utopia residences exude the elegance of Downtown Dubai and Business Bay, which are known for their deluxe shopping, fine dining, cultural attractions and recreational facilities. We wanted to design a residence that suits the lifestyle, needs and wants of this audience – the type of person that, after exploring the malls and tucking into a five-star meal, wants to come home to a bed that reflects the visionary excellence of Pagani.
• For more information go to the website here