10 QUESTIONS WITH NICCOLÒ BARATTIERI DI SAN PIETRO, CEO OF NORTHACRE
No.1 Palace Street - Buckingham Gate
1.) Good morning Niccolò, welcome to The Mayfair Musings! When and where did Northacre very first begin?
Northacre was founded over 30 years ago by Swedish architect Klas Nilsson, who had a single-minded vision to preserve and celebrate some of London’s most treasured addresses. This led to uncompromising standards, creativity and pursuit of perfection in our approach, and enabled us to continue to set new standards for luxury living experiences. And for this, we are internationally acknowledged.
2.) What led you to Northacre? Had you always worked in the property industry?
After many years of working in the City as a trader for various hedge funds, I realised that I’m more of a people person and that a finance career didn’t fulfil me. I have always had a strong interest in property and have managed a small portfolio on behalf of my family since my early twenties, so I decided to pursue pastures new and saw property as the ideal career path. It was already obvious to me that developing property successfully involves a strong understanding of finance, and I thought that my background in the financial industry could only be a benefit to what I wanted to bring to the realm of super-prime real estate.
However, my real escape route appeared in 2006 when my good friend and mentor Alessandro Cajrati Crivelli offered me a position at his real estate development company Est4te Four and provided me with the opportunity to work on multiple projects all over the world. Alongside the other Partners, and over the seven years I was working with the company, I helped Est4te Four advance from a mid-size developer into a global real estate advisor with developments in Milan, London, New York and Los Angeles.
In 2013 when Northacre was aquired by ADFG, I was asked to become its new CEO and simply couldn’t resist the opportunity to work on some of the most prestigious real estate projects in London.
No.1 Palace Street - Buckingham Gate
3.) What are Northacre's four main areas of expertise?
At Northacre, we apply our skills and expertise in refinement, craftmanship, technical excellence, and consistency with passion, responsibility, creativity, empowerment, and empathy to stay true to our founder’s vision and to lead the way in experiential living for many years to come.
We intrinsically understand luxury and refinement, and we listen and learn from customers and craftsmen alike, combining traditional methods and new thinking to create homes that offer a lifetime of exceptional living experiences. In that sense, one could say that it isn’t what we built that is our greatest achievement, but what we make possible.
The Broadway Overview - Gardens 4th Floor
4.) Northacre is very design-led - can you tell us a little about the founder, Klas Nilsson?
Yes, of course! Klas was brought up in Sweden and trained as an Architect in Germany, after which he moved to London and founded Nilsson Architects in 1975 and Northacre in 1977, turning his architectural practice into a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Northacre Group. From the beginning, Klas made a speciality of building new, modern interiors behind original facades. Klas has been instrumental in shaping the high-end residential landscape in Prime Central London over the past five decades, and by leveraging the values he established for Northacre and ensuring a successful first 30 years, we're ready for the next 30.
No.1 Palace Street - Buckingham Gate
5.) Can you tell us a little about Northacre's current projects?
We are currently working on two developments, No. 1 Palace Street and The Broadway, which are due to be completed by the end of 2020 and 2021 respectively.
6.) Can you tell us more about the history of No. 1 Palace Street?
No. 1 Palace Street is set within a historic conservation area and has a long-standing affiliation with British royalty. It offers a rare opportunity to live in a landmark location opposite Buckingham Palace and is the only residential development with views over Buckingham Palace and its Gardens.
No. 1 Palace Street - Bedroom
7.) Can you tell us more about the design of No. 1 Palace Street?
It is an exceptional private residence with 72 extraordinary apartments across an island-site comprising five different architectural styles; 1860s Grade II Listed Italian Renaissance, 1880s French Renaissance, 1880s French Beaux-Arts, 1890s Queen Anne and contemporary design by leading architects Squire and Partners.
To complete the breadth of the period stylings, there are also five different interior palettes, ranging from classical at Buckingham Gate to Palace Street’s modern minimalism, and we have gone all in to ensure everything about No. 1 Palace Street is superlative. Ceiling heights measure up to five metres in selected apartments, and we’re sourcing the best Statuario marble from Carrara in Italy, timber from Turin and the prestigious bespoke kitchens are crafted by Belgian Obumex.
No.1 Palace Street Reception - Buckingham Gate
8.) How does The Broadway differ to No. 1 Palace Street?
While developing No. 1 Palace Street calls for our wealth of expertise from 30 years of experience with similar façade retention projects, The Broadway is our first venture into new build and we’re very excited to be adding this new chapter to Northacre’s story.
The Broadway Lobby - Broadway View
8.) Can you tell us more about The Broadway?
The Broadway is situated adjacent to St James’s Park station and is one of the largest, high-end residential schemes in London. It comprises of six striking residential towers which we have named after three of the world’s most revered diamonds; The Sancy, The Paragon and The Cullinan. When completed, The Broadway will boast 258 modern apartments with carefully considered interiors that take advantage of the dramatic quality of light created by the unique exterior, providing a real sense of space and breathtaking views of some of London’s most iconic landmarks.
There is also a strong focus on the lifestyle experience at The Broadway with amenities including 16,000 sq. ft. of health and wellness facilities, including a 25m pool, gym and personal training studios, treatment rooms and a spacious, state-of-the-art games room that can be booked by residents as additional entertainment space, alongside well-equipped meeting rooms, a screening room and extensive parking.
The Broadway Bird Eye View from Top
10.) I understand this is also Northacre’s first mixed use scheme?
Yes, The Broadway is not all residential as the first three floors of each of the six buildings will consist of 116,000 sq. ft. of office space and 27,000 sq. ft. of carefully curated retail alongside a dynamic public square which will help to establish The Broadway as a new thriving lifestyle destination in the heart of one of London’s most historic districts.
Website: www.northacre.com | T: +44 (0) 20 7349 8000 | E: enquiries@northacre.com
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