Groundbreaking level of luxury: Saint Moritz, the new St Kilda development for Melbourne's uber-wealthy

You may need to dust off some seldom-used superlatives when it comes to Saint Moritz, a groundbreaking new development that will soon grace St Kilda’s historic Esplanade.

Aimed squarely at a well-heeled, international market and already causing a stir among the locals, this aspirational, three-building concept from luxury developer GURNER will deliver 130 apartments with access to the kind of amenity normally associated with New York’s most exclusive Upper East Side addresses.

“I believe there is a huge opportunity to appeal to a demographic that, until now, has not had any reason to downsize from their luxury mansions in Toorak, Albert Park or Brighton, because nothing was on the market that could offer the lifestyle they were seeking,” says GURNER founder and director Tim Gurner.

“We believe the luxury end of the market has been waiting for something like this to come along.”

Gurner’s position was validated after the company contacted a list of key business names with an invitation to exclusively view the Penthouse Collection prior to its launch in June.

“Within a matter of weeks we had dozens of interested parties all vying for one of the five penthouses,” he reports.

Claiming a world-first, Saint Moritz will have a personal chauffeur available to residents at a moment’s notice and with no charge. Restaurateur and former Vue de Monde sommelier Rocco Esposito has been engaged as an in-house wine curator and Nicky Dunne, of famed British institution Heywood Hills, will curate the on-site library.

Village Cinemas will bring the first private Gold Class cinema to the development, which will also boast a sports bar with a golf simulator and pool room, along with a wellness centre with pool, sauna, treatment rooms and a gym.

Other services will include car washing, dog minding and grooming, housekeeping and laundry services and access to private dining and catering.

GURNER appointed Fender Katsalidis as lead architect, with Koichi Takada Architects chosen to design one of the three buildings and interior designer David Hicks, a long-time collaborator, to craft the interiors.

Takada said working with Gurner and his team enabled them to challenge each other and push the boundaries of design, taking cues from the bay. Hicks has made sure the calming water views will be matched by serene interiors, using a palette of European marbles and parquetry.

There’s also the option for a full design customisation package, which will allow purchasers to work directly with Hicks and Gurner to create interior spaces limited only by the imagination.

“Bowling alleys, sauna and steam rooms, cigar rooms, poker rooms, art galleries or perhaps even sound-proofed recording studios – anything is possible,” said Gurner.

The project is due for completion in late 2021, with inspections available by appointment.