Ever imagined walking on a glass floor located 24 floors up in the sky?
Well, I did and below my wobbly feet were cars moving so fast into and out of Nairobi as well as people walking on footpaths lined with jacaranda trees.
As developers seek to out of the ordinary living experiences, windows are replacing walls and concrete or tiles are being replaced on floors.
At Le Mac towers in Nairobi’s Westlands, there is a transparent 126 metres-high footpath. From the glass floor, you can view Nairobi’s top-line as unbroken green tree cover.
The building is set to open in October.
In an interview, Ravi Vasta, the developer said Le Mac designed by architect-cum-politician Sylvia Mueni, who owns Sycum Solutions company, is a Sh4 billion-investment set to revolutionise the building space in Kenya.
Attractions
Glass-floor sky-walks are attractions in many developed countries.
“You no longer have to travel to spend a fortune to walk on a terrifying glass floor or bridge as it is right here in Nairobi. It is a 60mm thick see-through glass floor standing out around the property and is meant to beat the fear for heights,” Mr Vasta says.
On the 24th floor, there is rooftop swimming pool, a gym and a children’s play area.
“We flew the architects to Dubai to see the concept as well as facilitated meetings with globally accomplished architects as we wanted to give Kenya a unique product that is globally competitive,” says Mr Vasta who is also a serial entrepreneur who started out with a wholesale business selling household items in 1992.
Mr Vasta relocated to Nairobi years ago then ventured into mobile phones import business.
He closed it after two years to launch his first residential property with 44 apartments in Lavington where he invested Sh500 million.
In 2008, he built Mac Gardens with 20 apartments that sold at between Sh18 million to Sh28 million a unit.
Four years ago, Mr Vasta with other investors started building Le Mac.
The property has offices on six floors and residential apartments on 14 floors. The 23rd floor will have a spa and a business centre.
As prices of glassy, trophy homes with hotel-like experience soften, Kenya’s super-rich and expatriates are now buying more second or third houses, according to Knight Frank 2019 Wealth Report, signalling opportunity to bargain-hunt.
Besides Le Mac, other properties that are targeting this class of buyers include Elegant Properties, which is facing Karura Forest and Deerpark Karen.
Amjad Rahim, the marketing director of Elegant Properties says apart from swimming pools and concierge services, rich buyers want spaces surrounded by greenery. In Nairobi, other apartments are now being sold with climbing plants or million-shilling lawns.
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