Designer-Done Duplex Offers Turn-Key Ultra-Luxury with Jetliner Views

You might not be able to see Russia from the 76th- and 77th-floor duplex penthouse at New York’s Jean Nouvel-designed supertall tower at 53 West 53rd Street, but you can certainly see across the entirety of Central Park along with the uptown, midtown and downtown skylines, not to mention clear across both Queens and Brooklyn and probably, all the way to Connecticut!

Known for his exacting standards, French architect Thierry Despont created an envelope of sleek, high caliber finishes throughout the nearly 8,000-square-foot aerie that sits near the slender tip of the 1,050-foot-tall shard-like skyscraper that rises above the Museum of Modern Art in the heart of Midtown. As configured, there are three and potentially four bedrooms and three bathrooms, plus a discreetly placed powder room, dispersed throughout the condo’s two full floors.

With a $63.815 million price tag, it’s by far the most expensive unit in the building that is currently on offer — a similar penthouse with a slightly higher price was taken off the market a few weeks ago — and if it goes for anywhere near it’s ask, it will be the most expensive sale yet recorded in the four-year-old tower.

The design firm Fox-Nahem was brought in to not merely stage the place with a bunch of generic furniture but to completely deck the place out in fashionable furnishings, quietly sumptuous fabrics and rugs, one-of-a-kind artisan pieces, and museum-quality artwork from Pace Gallery. For those who prefer (and can afford), the furnishings and artwork are available at additional cost, allowing for one of the most ultra-luxe turn-key opportunities ever offered.

Key-lock elevators open directly into a long entrance gallery that connects the double-height living room to a more intimately proportioned library that offers a rare vantage point to view the Empire State Building and One World Trade Center. With 22-foot ceilings, the almost 40-foot living room sports knee-buckling 180-degree views thanks to three floor-to-ceiling walls of glass, while the separate dining room, also with panoramic park and city views, easily seats a dozen.

With statuary marble counters, a backlit backsplash and premium appliances, the eat-in kitchen will appease both amateur cooks and private chefs. The lower level is complete by a privately positioned guest bedroom and bath.

Accessible from a dramatic staircase or a private elevator, the upper floor offers a cozily proportioned TV lounge and library nook, a guest bedroom big enough to comfortably accommodate two queen-sized beds, and a 1,300-square-foot primary suite. A monochromatic study in creams and beiges, the plush primary bedroom has a bouclé sofa placed to soak in the bird’s eye views over Central Park, a boutique-style walk-in closet, and a huge, window-lined bathroom sheathed in radiant heated honed Verona limestone and Noir St. Laurent marble.

Residents of the 161-unit tower are treated to a laundry list of services. Among them are 24-7 doorman, concierge, and porter services, a 15,000-square-foot wellness center with a 65-foot lap pool, cold plunge and squash court. Additional services include housekeeping, dry cleaning, dog walking, floral and plant care, and technology assistance. Another singular benefit is deeded membership to MOMA.

Someone with the dough to buy a place like this is unlikely to take a traditional mortgage but if they did, they would be saddled with monthly payments of about $375,000, plus another $32,000 in taxes and common charges.

The just-bring-your-toothbrush-and-designer-wardrobe offering is available through a constellation of agents at Douglas Elliman: Shari Scharfer Rollins, Jade Chan, Renee Micheli, Frances Katzen, and Fredrik Eklund.