Walk around the well-groomed neighbourhood of Phrom Phong in Bangkok, and you might notice there’s more than a little of Italy about it.
That’s thanks to Vittorio, a new 28-floor luxury apartment block, on Sukhumvit Soi 39. From the outside, it looks like the very pinnacle of glassy Asian urban architecture, with floor-to-ceiling windows and a vertiginous swimming pool on the roof. Walk inside, and it’s like stepping inside a classic Florentine palace.
The newly minted condominium Vittorio, named after 19th century Italian king Victor Emmanuel II, the first royal to rule a united Italy since the sixth century AD, takes its inspiration from Florence’s famed Uffizi Gallery – starting from the moment you enter this vertical palazzo.
Stepping inside Vittorio, the first thing you’ll see is the Galleria Medici lobby – named after the all-powerful aristocratic Italian family – decked out in Palissandro Bluette Italian marble, a luxury material that hails from the Alps in northern Italy. Note the U-shape of the Galleria Medici: it mimics the elegant, shaded courtyard of the Uffizi.
Florence’s Uffizi Gallery is one of the greatest art galleries in the world, particularly famed for its collection of Italian Renaissance art (including works by Leonardo da Vinci, Botticelli and Titian). Vittorio was also inspired by the Uffizi’s Vasari Corridor, which connects the Palazzo Vecchio with the Palazzo Pitti along the banks of the city’s Arno River. In Bangkok, the idea of Florence’s Vasari Corridor manifests itself in Vittorio’s private pathways between residential and public spaces, ensuring an exceptional level of privacy.
Vittorio’s Italian flavour extends beyond the interiors, which were spearheaded by British designer Alexander Lamont, who draws inspiration from decorative Western and Eastern artforms of the early 20th century. At Vittorio, the kind of seclusion you imagine on holiday in Tuscany permeates the atmosphere of the apartments, all designed with the utmost privacy in mind.
There are four units per floor – 88 in total – all with private lift access (and decorated with shagreen, a natural but hard-to-find material). Flats are all set on the corners of each floor, so you don’t share any common walls with your neighbours. Not only does this mean total privacy in one of the world’s most electric cities, but it also means a blockbuster view over central Bangkok and the curve of the Chao Phraya River.
Then there’s the injection of the glamour of an Italian lifestyle. The Vittorio concierge, in the Galleria Medici lobby, is on hand; while the in-res gym is a work of art in itself: an Arno Vitality Pool with a seven-station hydrotherapy circuit, as well as a panoramic workout space decked out with state-of-the-art Technogym equipment, which – no surprise – hails from Italy.
Residents who want to swap 16th century Italy for 21st century Bangkok don’t have far to go. On Vittorio’s doorstep is one of Bangkok’s buzziest districts: Phrom Phong. See the box (below) for more neighbourhood information.
Welcome to the neighbourhood
You’ll find Vittorio in the groomed, expat neighbourhood of Phrom Phong, in Sukhumvit’s EM District. Hipster haven Thong Lor is also close. This is a district known for its buzzy cafés, upscale restaurants and lifestyle boutiques – and they’re right outside Vittorio’s elegant Galleria Medici lobby.
A recent new addition to this neighbourhood is the neofuturistic EmQuartier shopping mall. Inside, curved floors fit like jigsaw pieces around a vaulted atrium garden, complete with cascading waterfall. There are over 400 boutiques spanning everything from luxury and high-street fashion to homewares.
Destination Italian restaurant Appia – from the founders of popular Thai street food joint Soul Food – is close, while you’ll find fresh salads and pastas at chic eatery Harvest. Want a mega view and some killer sundowners? Vanilla Sky Rooftop Bar should be top of your list. It’s just a short walk from Phrom Phong station.
Vittorio is perfectly located: the BTS Phrom Phong station is just a minute away, while the convenience of the MRT Sukhumvit station is just 1.5 kilometres away.
Prices start at 28 million Thai baht. For more information, see vittorio-residence.com.
This content has been produced in association with AP Property.
