The Landmark Condo Review

[Agalia Valcin]

Oneof the things that I like is that the road turning into The Landmark leads only to the condo and Hotel Re!, so besides the holidaymakers who are non-existent at the moment, the road is pretty much an exclusive one for the condo residents.

There is only 1 entrance and exit to the development and 340 parking lots spread across 3 levels of basement parking, which will be more than sufficient for 396 units. Moreover, being a CBD fringe property, I do expect that there will be a fair number of tenants who do not drive. However, the drop off point here at The Landmark is not the grandest I have seen although they have clearly tried to make it as expansive as possible.

Level 14 is where you will find the Sky Gym, a Jacuzzi Aqua Spa, as well as a variety of decks and gardens. Even though the Sky Gym looks pretty small, the developers have intentionally created spaces on its periphery so that residents can bring the weights and exercise balls out as an extension to their workout.

Interestingly, you will also realise that the Sky Gym has deliberately been given that copper finish, giving it the perception that it is slightly cantilevered. You will also find steam rooms and cabanas on this floor.

Level 34 is the main social space for residents with a variety of lounge spaces. They are each termed differently such as Bistro, Hashery, Dinette etc but these are really just marketing speak. There is only 1 main area which has cooking equipment available while the others will likely have an assortment of outdoor furniture.

I do like how the developers have made a conscious effort to create enough social spaces for residents, who are likely to invite their colleagues and friends over given how centrally located The Landmark is.

At 517 sq ft, the unit showcased here is the largest 1 Bedroom layout on offer at The Landmark and is larger than the average in the market, where units typically come in at the mid 400+ sq ft range.

The other 1 Bedrooms layouts in this project are 495 sqft, which does come under the typical shoebox classification. Except for the 39th floor (the highest) which will be fitted with marble floors, all other 1 Bedroom units will have porcelain tiles with marble accents.

Additionally, you will notice that instead of opening up directly to the open kitchen, the induction hob and other appliances are placed in a slightly recessed L-shaped area, which further eats into the usable space of the unit.

As you can see, the developers have only managed to place 2-seater bar stool style seating to avoid infringing on the walkway, which definitely allows the space to feel more roomy than a typical 1 Bedroom unit.

What is interesting however, are 2 subtle differences at The Landmark. Firstly, because of the placement of the aircon ledge, most 1 Bedroom units in other projects typically have half-height windows in the bedroom.

However, at The Landmark, you will notice that they have managed to go with full height windows, albeit at the expense of half the width of the room covered in white wall instead. Especially for units on the higher levels, this move is surely very much more appreciated.

Secondly, you will notice that while other developments typically go with a laminate or wood finish for the surface of the built-in wardrobes, The Landmark has gone with 2 full panels of glass / mirror finish instead.

As for the ensuite bathroom, the developers have gone with a jack-and-jill layout, which allows visitors to access the bathroom without having to enter the bedroom. This is the preferred layout for me as I find it to be practical and space saving while not compromising privacy.

The tap and the rain shower are provided by Gessi, which despite its relatively short history of 28 years, has established itself as a premium Italian brand. The wall-hung water closet and basin come from Duravit, a trusted German brand with over 200 years of history and a good track record in Singapore as well.

What I especially like is the addition of the rain shower and wall-hung water closet. These are more premium features not commonly seen in the smaller units of some even more supposedly high-end developments out there.

At 678 sq ft, this 2 Bedroom show unit is roundabout what you might expect for a 2 bedroom unit nowadays. As you might already know from reading our reviews, we prefer the dumbbell layout for its space efficiency, especially for smaller sized units. If you are privy to that option too, Stack 8 does offer you that for consideration.

Likewise with the 1 Bedroom units, only the 39th floor will be fitted with marble floors. All other 2 Bedroom units will have porcelain tiles with marble accents, with the bedrooms being decked out in engineered timber.

The little nook for the kitchen in the 1 Bedroom show unit is absent here, so the unit does look slightly narrower from the entrance but you do get more useable space as a result. It features the same open concept kitchen although it features a darker theme compared to the 1 Bedroom unit.

The common bedroom measures 8 sqm, which is the same as those found in the 1 and 3 Bedroom show units as well. This size is just about standard in the new launch market and it will just about fit a Queen bed, a built-in wardrobe with little room for anything else.

You will notice that while other developments typically go with a laminate or wood finish for the surface of the built-in wardrobes, the built-in wardrobe here has 2 full panels of glass / mirror finish instead. The mirror finish makes the room feel bigger and is quite practical too although being translucent means you should be more motivated to keep the contents neat.

An unavoidable part of smaller units involves the aircon ledge being located just outside the room, although The Landmark is pretty unique in this aspect. Instead of having half-height window panels, 1 section of it actually has floor-to-ceiling windows while the other (presumably where the aircon is placed) is just a plain white wall.

As a result of the smaller overall unit size, the common bathroom does feel a little small but it remains sufficient for your needs. Amazingly, there is a rain shower by Gessi provided by the developers here, which is frankly almost unheard of.

As with the other units, you will get well made fittings such as a wall-hung water closet and wash basin from established brands such as Gessi and Duravit. You will also find some additional storage behind the mirrors and below your basin, which is always helpful.

Just like every other unit in this development, I really like the design of the built-in wardrobe. It has a glass / mirror finish, which makes the room look more spacious and is useful when getting ready for work or a night out. Compared to the common bedroom, it can better fit a side table although you will still have to pick one of a suitable size.

The master bathroom is larger than the common bathroom but is otherwise pretty similar features wise. The rain shower, tap and the rain shower are similarly provided by Gessi, with the rest by Duravit.

All 3 Bedroom will be decked out in marble floors in the common areas and engineered timber in the bedrooms. The toilets will be covered in marble as well to further emphasise on that luxe aspect of the unit.

That being said, the lift actually opens up to the glass finish looking into the kitchen. So unfortunately, this view may not be for everyone, unless you intend to board it up and place a nice art piece there instead.

Despite the larger than average unit size compared to other 3 Bedroom units in the market, the 2 Common Bedrooms are just 8 sqm, which is pretty much very average. Similar to the 1 Bedroom unit, it will just about fit a Queen bed, a built-in wardrobe with little room for anything else.

As for the other common bedroom, they have gone with a single bed instead, which will mean additional space for a study table as well. This is probably the more practical option for those with children. There will also be full height windows for both common bedrooms as the aircon ledge will be closer to the kitchen instead.

As I have mentioned before, I like the design of the built-in wardrobe. It has a glass / mirror finish, which makes the room look more spacious and is useful when getting ready for work or a night out.

The common bathroom is about the same size as the master bathroom and comes with similar features including the rain shower and wall hung toilet bowl. These features, coupled with the tap and basin will all be provided by premium brands such as Gessi and Duravit.

The existence of a Study negates the need to convert any part of your bedroom or living room into a makeshift workplace, a gesture which I appreciate from the developers. Should you not require the study, you can also convert it into a luxuriously sized walk-in wardrobe for your master bedroom with some creative interior design.

How this affects you as a potential buyer though, is a matter of personal preference. If you view it positively, food in the hawker centres nearby are reasonably priced and also represents some redevelopment potential in the future.

In any case, you also have the option of taking a 9 minute walk through the HDB blocks to get to Chinatown MRT. Alternatively, you are 1 bus stop / a 13 minute walk away to Outram Park MRT via Chin Swee Road.

The closest bus stops to The Landmark only have 1 bus service to speak of, which is not very helpful. Nevertheless, bus 174 takes you directly to Outram Park MRT (NE and EW lines now and TEL in 2021) in 1 stop, which should take less than 5 minutes. On the opposite side, 174 takes you to Dhoby Ghaut, Orchard, Bukit Timah, Bukit Batok before finally terminating at Boon Lay Interchange.

The Landmark has done a great job packing in 5 levels of social spaces for its 396 units. I think they have put in a conscious effort to ensure that the good views of the city, park and even pocket sea views do not go to waste. This is especially appreciated for buyers of lower floor units, who will not get those sweeping views.

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