Phu My Hung Development Corporation has recently launched The Peak, the last condominium development at the Phu My Hung Midtown complex, Phu My Hung City Centre in HCM City’s District 7.

This high-end project is considered the zenith of the project in terms of design and location.

Architects Tan Gek Meng and Norihiko Kudo from Kyta Architects Company talk about the design and uniqueness of the project.

What do you like best about The Peak?

Tan Gek Meng: Well I think the most interesting thing about The Peak is the integration between the landscape and architecture.

The Peak has more green spaces than other projects. When you arrive, you come to the fountain, you go to the green spaces and then you come to the lobby. And the distribution throughout the building — we actually have other green spaces that are on the roof — in the mid-levels.

We actually think it is very nice because of the whole idea of living in an apartment which can be very urban. But at the same time, we can be very close to nature. So for me, it is the best part about The Peak.

Norihiko Kudo: The journey to develop Phu My Hung Midtown has been very long but very interesting and challenging because Midtown has four different projects: The Grande, The Symphony, The Signature, and The Peak.

For this project, we’d like to have one small town to build some very nice community spaces, so we introduced some green corridors, two green corridors actually, one along the river and the other at the site. And the two parallel green corridors are synchronised with each other so that we try to make people gather and make it one small town. We hope it will be a nice and interesting project.

How is the location of the project in relation to Sakura Park?

Tan Gek Meng: When we designed Midtown, one of the starting points was to have the river as the main design criterion. So we had the idea of a linear park fronting it. And then The Peak becomes the termination, a crescendo for the whole development. So that becomes actually the most important thing in the whole of Midtown.

And the whole idea was that when you look at the design, the space will open up as you get closer to The Peak.

The Peak is the last puzzle for perfect and distinctive contentment of Phu My Hung Midtown

What is the overall idea behind the project’s master plan? Does it follow any particular architectural style or trend?

Tan Gek Meng: What we try to do is a responsible designer. We actually want our buildings to be timeless. You don’t want to look it 10 years from now and see it is dated. The design is very international. But at the same time we also design with the green principle in mind. If you look at all of the design, it actually started from The Grande, The Symphony, The Signature and the culmination is The Peak. All the designs follow the green principle. All bedrooms have windows and views. All toilets, kitchens and yards have natural light and ventilation. We take care all of this to make sure that the building is sustainable.

Norihiko Kudo: We have not really directly imported Japanese culture but have adopted some features of Japanese architectural philosophy like minimalism and green and neat design, especially for The Peak because it is high-end. We carefully chose the materials and details so that the design will last longer.

What are the highlights of the amenities available at The Peak? Are there any significant differences from The Grande, The Symphony and The Signature?

Tan Gek Meng: The Peak itself is actually a very big development. It doubles the size of The Signature. We had to ensure that every resident has sufficient access to proper facilities. So we doubled the facilities.

There are two swimming pools, two clubhouses. So people in the two buildings have their own facilities and of course they can also share.

So if you look at the front block the swimming pool has an infinity edge. When you are in the pool or sitting by the pool, you actually have the illusion you are swimming in the river. In the block behind, we have a waterfall, so the swimming pool has an infinity edge against the waterfall. So the idea is if you are swimming you feel you are in the pool, on top of the waterfall, the water flows down and ends in the pond and this water actually goes back to the river. So the whole idea is that the facilities not only allow residents to enjoy them but also relate to nature.

What you think The Peak will inspire residents while living there?

We are hoping residents will feel they are actually not just living in an apartment but in the apartment that is close to nature.

The Peak got more open spaces, more interesting things. As people come to visit the whole development, they will gravitate to The Peak.

At The Peak itself, when you walk around, you will see the waterfall, the circular fountain, the courtyard. And you also have all commercial activities.

The 1st phase of The Peak is going to launch in mid next month

If you have to say one thing about The Peak, what would it be?

I will say that The Peak will offer the best of the best living in Midtown.

Because the building is not finished yet, but we do hope, at the end of the day, when the residents move in, they will get a sense of satisfaction.