Knightsbridge welcomes UK's first 'super prime' rental property development


Marwa Hassan
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A new development of 33 luxury apartments has been completed in the heart of Knightsbridge, described as the first 'super prime' rental homes in London.

The project is part of a broader revitalisation effort by The Olayan Group, the long-term owner of The Knightsbridge Estate.

The residences, ranging from one to four bedrooms and designed by Fletcher Priest and Taylor Howes, are situated within a five-minute walk from Hyde Park.

The apartments include a concierge service, a bespoke club room called the Orangery, and private courtyard gardens.

Prices start from £1,250 a week for a one-bedroom apartment, rising to over £9,000 a week for a four-bedroom residence.

The completion of Knightsbridge Gardens comes at a time when demand for super prime lettings in London is on the rise.

Arya Salari, head of lettings at the Knightsbridge office of estate agent Knight Frank, said: “At these upper levels of the market, tenants are renting as a lifestyle choice. Renting gives them flexibility and freedom – freedom from running costs and service charges that contribute to facilities like residents’ spas, gyms and 24-hour concierge. Plus, it provides flexibility to relocate whenever suits them.”

Knightsbridge Gardens is The Olayan Group's latest addition to The Knightsbridge Estate. Photo: ING Media
Knightsbridge Gardens is The Olayan Group's latest addition to The Knightsbridge Estate. Photo: ING Media

The Knightsbridge Estate

Knightsbridge Gardens is the latest in a series of developments on The Knightsbridge Estate.

The Olayan Group purchased The Knightsbridge Estate in 2010. According to Jonathan Shelton, managing director of Real Estate Europe at The Olayan Group, the company's work on The Knightsbridge Estate has primarily focused on enhancing the value of the existing community.

He said: “We knew we wanted to approach the residential element with that same attitude. Making a thoughtful, long-lasting contribution to the neighbourhood was very important to us.

The Knightsbridge Estate is a 3.5-acre island site located between renowned department stores Harrods and Harvey Nichols.

Nina McDowall, director at Strutt & Parker Sloane Street, said: “The main reasons that influence decisions to rent in Knightsbridge include the five-star location, shopping and connectivity, as well as the security and discretion afforded by homes here”.

Who are the Sacklers?

The Sackler family is a transatlantic dynasty that owns Purdue Pharma, which manufactures and markets OxyContin, one of the drugs at the centre of America's opioids crisis. The family is well known for their generous philanthropy towards the world's top cultural institutions, including Guggenheim Museum, the National Portrait Gallery, Tate in Britain, Yale University and the Serpentine Gallery, to name a few. Two branches of the family control Purdue Pharma.

Isaac Sackler and Sophie Greenberg were Jewish immigrants who arrived in New York before the First World War. They had three sons. The first, Arthur, died before OxyContin was invented. The second, Mortimer, who died aged 93 in 2010, was a former chief executive of Purdue Pharma. The third, Raymond, died aged 97 in 2017 and was also a former chief executive of Purdue Pharma. 

It was Arthur, a psychiatrist and pharmaceutical marketeer, who started the family business dynasty. He and his brothers bought a small company called Purdue Frederick; among their first products were laxatives and prescription earwax remover.

Arthur's branch of the family has not been involved in Purdue for many years and his daughter, Elizabeth, has spoken out against it, saying the company's role in America's drugs crisis is "morally abhorrent".

The lawsuits that were brought by the attorneys general of New York and Massachussetts named eight Sacklers. This includes Kathe, Mortimer, Richard, Jonathan and Ilene Sackler Lefcourt, who are all the children of either Mortimer or Raymond. Then there's Theresa Sackler, who is Mortimer senior's widow; Beverly, Raymond's widow; and David Sackler, Raymond's grandson.

Members of the Sackler family are rarely seen in public.

Brief scoreline:

Toss: South Africa, elected to bowl first

England (311-8): Stokes 89, Morgan 57, Roy 54, Root 51; Ngidi 3-66

South Africa (207): De Kock 68, Van der Dussen 50; Archer 3-27, Stokes 2-12

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How to wear a kandura

Dos

  • Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion 
  • Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
  • Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work 
  • Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester

Don’ts 

  • Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal 
  • Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
Updated: June 29, 2023, 12:34 PM