The best new homes for deep-pocketed buyers: Evening Standard New Homes Awards picks the best luxury new-builds

By St James

For more than two decades, Tory peer and novelist Jeffrey Archer lorded over Albert Embankment, living in splendid isolation at the top of a former office block converted into a spectacular riverside penthouse.

His neighbour-free existence has come to an end with a pack of luxury homes designed by “starchitects” such as Norman Foster and Richard Rogers.

The Dumont completes a trio of buildings — 433 homes in total — by developer St James. Looming over a bend of the Thames, the glitzy 30-storey tower offers spectacular views and a 360-degree vista from the top-floor apartment.

Clad in a ceramic faience that pays homage to the site’s heritage as a Royal Doulton pottery factory, its sharp angles are an architectural foil to the two towers either side of it.

Inside the building, Art Deco influences are dominant, notably the beautiful entrance lobby.

The winning 1,556 sq ft apartment cost £3,445,000 and exudes stylish luxury, with light marbled flooring, a living space with a wall of full-height glazing and a bespoke kitchen.

Amenities include a 12th-floor observatory with club lounge and ”secret” garden, a superb spa with pool and gym plus a games room, 18-seat private cinema and even a ten-pin bowling lane.

Remaining apartments cost from £7.8m to £8.35m.

Call 020 8108 2446.

By Castellum & Chepstow Advisory

The Draycott sits in a prized conservation pocket of Chelsea between Sloane Square and Knightsbridge known for its Victorian red-brick architecture in the Dutch style of tall gabled façades.

Protected by listing, the building’s interior fabric has been stripped away and replaced with a new structure fusing classical and contemporary styles.

Craftsmanship is the hallmark, from hand-carved stone and marble finishes to bespoke joinery and Crittall-style, black-framed internal glazed doors and walls.

The winning home — a 3,418 sq ft triplex garden apartment — is one of nine at this elite address. It comes with five bedrooms, a cinema room, wine store, gym and secondary kitchen in the basement plus an art collection and underground parking.

One of the highlights is a courtyard garden designed by a Chelsea Flower Show award winner. Stylish common parts reinforce the sense of luxury and exclusivity.

The buyer also has access to the concierge and amenities at the chic Draycott Hotel next door. Price £15 million.

Call Savills on 020 7409 8756

By Regal London

This Art Deco-style mansion block of 49 flats is moments from two of London’s major landmarks — Lord’s Cricket Ground and Regent’s Park.

The building features a series of curvy bays, clad in recycled cast aluminium and decorated with intricate leaf-motif embossed panels, providing a striking visual identity from the road.

By designing apartments that lead directly off the building’s central core, Simon Bowden Architects maximised living spaces and balconies, while at roof level are penthouses with big private terraces.

Prices started at £1.1 million and are all sold.

By Berkeley Eastern Counties​

Sometimes referred to as the “poor man’s Hampstead”, Blackheath is cheaper than the leafy slopes of north London yet occupies a high plateau alongside splendid Greenwich Park.

Local conservationists can make life challenging for developers. Berkeley Homes wanted Forbury to be an all-apartment scheme, but had to give way on density, scale down the frontage and take on board the design preferences of the Blackheath Society.

The outcome is a handsome scheme of 20 apartments and 10 townhouses slotted into a site between a listed church and an ancient monument. The floorplan is well-proportioned and each townhouse has a parking space. One remains.