What can designers, architects, and builders learn from their peers who worked on one of the most sophisticated, luxury buildings in the world? In the case of “The Billionaires' Building,” located at One57 West in the heart of Manhattan, overlooking Central Park, the plans included a personal wellness amenity for each tenant, one that every builder should consider – MrSteam steam showers!
And after all, why not? The same reasons acclaimed architect Christian de Portzamparc decided to install steam showers in every single one of these amazing opulent homes applies to every builder on the planet. We’ve talked about the various benefits of steam in terms of wellness in dozens of our blog posts, including stress relief, helping to relieve congestion, cleansing skin, promoting restful sleep, aiding exercise recovery and supporting weight loss. Every builder can help homeowners live their healthiest lives by adding steam to their homes, no matter what their budget may be. And an added bonus is that steam showers may increase the resale value of any residence.
Just imagine the type of spectacular living that this luxury super tower provides for its residents. The sumptuous skyscraper at One57 West, constructed and managed by Extell Development, sets a landmark precedent for lavish living in Manhattan’s midtown. The bottom 31 floors of the building house the five-star Park Hyatt hotel, itself a hallmark of superb taste and magnificent comfort. Architect de Portzamparc then set luxury homes atop the upper floors, including a 90th story penthouse apartment, purchased for $100 million by Michael Dell. With price tags that average $30 million, these wealthy homeowners have a right to expect every possible amenity. This meant, of course, it was a no brainer to include MrSteam steam showers in every single residence.
And if that weren’t enough steam for these residents, they also have access to the six day spa installations in the hotel itself, as well as two commercial steam baths in Spa Nalai, a residential spa that is yet another perk of living at One57 West. This builder truly believed in the value of including steam therapy in this property.
The architectural requirements for this building included both extraordinary views and exceptional light in every single room, including the home spa. Imagine taking a steam shower in your own apartment, bathed not only in steam but also in luminous light, with floor-to-ceiling windows giving you views of both park and city! Builders, architects, and designers might well use this extravagant building as an inspiration for their own home constructions. Perhaps they can’t claim to emulate the brilliant vista of Central Park and midtown Manhattan that these residents enjoy daily but paying distinct attention to the flow of light in any residence they construct, particularly in the home spas they create, brings about an air of luxury in any project.
There’s a simple and eminently straightforward reason that the designers selected the iTempo – the most basic of MrSteam controls – to outfit these homes. Since so many of these residences are second and even third homes for their owners, the simplicity of these controls means that even infrequent or new users find them abundantly simple to use.
As the building rises, both residences and the bathrooms increase in size, so the top floors include the largest MrSteam Super Series steam generators. But otherwise, controls and accessories – including the Aroma Designer Finish Steamhead and AutoFlush, are identical in every apartment, which made it a snap for the building's contractors.
Planning for the building began in 2011, but much of the construction took place after Hurricane Sandy. This meant the builders were challenged by a number of dangerously dangling construction cranes. Having to deal with problems of that magnitude meant they were pleased whenever any aspect of this high profile project went seamlessly. It was noted that the plumbers in particular were extremely pleased with how easy it was to connect the steam generators, and that the steam installation went flawlessly. The contractors have nothing but praise for MrSteam’s performance, reliability, and ease of installation.
In fact, Extell Development was so pleased with how well construction went and how well-received the steam showers were by the tenants, that they now plan to include MrSteam steam showers in every single one of the 60 residences of their forthcoming project at 111 West 67th, as well as commercial units in every new Equinox Hotel currently on the development firm’s drawing boards. And if these discerning and demanding developers are satisfied with the quality and ease of installation MrSteam provides, shouldn’t you be as well?
To learn more about other MrSteam residences that incorporated steam into their remodeled or new home projects, visit our case studies on our website.