The £132 million penthouse flat overlooking Hyde Park

Standing on the “infinity terrace” of the six-bedroom duplex The Townhouse at The Bryanston, high above Hyde Park, you can forget you are in the heart of London’s west end. The greenery seems to stretch to the horizon, from the vantage point of the supersized balcony — at 4,177 sq ft, the largest private terrace on the royal park. The hubbub of Marble Arch recedes to a gentle hum. That’s why the developer, Almacantar, has named it The Townhouse in the Sky. It’s not just the immersive view of the city’s biggest green space and its curious sense of seclusion that makes The Bryanston such a remarkable eyrie. The 18-storey tower was the first and last residential London project designed by Rafael Viñoly — the world-renowned architect behind art museums and university buildings; the skinny skyscraper at 432 Park Avenue; and 20 Fenchurch Street, known as the Walkie Talkie tower, in the City — who died in March. Buy this, the largest of the 54 properties in the development, and you bag a piece of architectural history as well as some of the best sightlines in the capital.

The interiors of The Townhouse, designed by Linda Morey-Burrows, the founder and principal director of StudioMorey, are just as spectacular, featuring a mix of hand-crafted furniture and tactile fabrics in a palette of colours and textures that reflect the natural world outdoors. Artworks, curated by her husband, Patrick Morey-Burrows, of ArtSource, reference the flora and fauna of the park. Linda Morey-Burrows says: “The brief from Almacantar was to try and find something that would connect all the different types of people who might be interested in living here so . . . other than the obvious . . . we decided art, love of nature and uniqueness were the elements that would connect people all round the globe.” What was the obvious? “Money.” The price tag for the duplex is £132 million, including furniture and art.

At this level in the market, buyers often want a turnkey solution, rather than waiting for months for an interior fit-out. This is partly for swiftness and also because they are not buying to sell. They typically already have homes for their existing furniture across the globe, and would like the decor for their latest place to reflect its unique location.

The residents will doubtless be among London’s wealthiest (a 14th-floor lateral at The Bryanston achieved one of the highest prices in the new-build market this year) but they will also have the facilities to be some of the healthiest. The building — with a 25m pool, hydro pool, steam room, sauna and gym — has an air-handling system that regulates temperature and removes particulates, carbon monoxide and pollen. The Bryanston is believed to be the first luxury residential development to register for AirRated certification.

Emerge from the private lift into the apartment and your first impression is of a dazzling gallery-style space. In the 6.5m double-height entrance hall, a central staircase spirals around a floating sculpture by Tomás Saraceno, the Argentine artist whose Web(s) of Life exhibition continues at the Serpentine Galleries until September 10. Pneuma 11 consists of 12 glass spheres connected with polyester cord. “It’s about spiders and webs, planets and clouds, immigration, and finding places to live,” Morey-Burrows says. The installation is what’s known as a traffic stopper — so large that it had to be craned in over the balcony.

The cylindrical form of the tower is echoed everywhere: in the staircase, the curved sofas by Vladimir Kagan, the round Mirra side tables, from The Invisible Collection, and some highly unusual tabletop sculptures. On the mezzanine, artworks by Andy Holden are inspired by the bird species of Hyde Park, and made by converting recordings of their songs into turned wood shapes. Timber plays a starring role in the interiors: in fluted wall panels, in the solid wood furniture from Van Rossum — for instance, the dining room table by Andrea Tognon — and the lights that hang over the table, a trio of pendants by the East Sussex artist Nic Webb. Webb carves, stains and scorches fallen wood, showcases its natural cracks and splits in his work, and often finishes his elegant vessels, spoons and objects with highly polished exteriors.

From the kitchen and dining room, it’s a short walk — past the jaw-dropping panorama — to the open-plan sitting room on other side of the stairs. In front of the serpentine sofa in mossy green velvet, from Holly Hunt, is an untreated oak beam coffee table, by Marlieke van Rossum. The couch is banked with velvet cushions in toning greens. Somehow, with judicious use of fabrics, Morey-Burrows has made these hangar-like volumes cosily inviting. The artworks are notable for their rich colour and dynamism. Above the fireplace is a painting in blazing golden yellows by Andy Harper, an artist working in St Ives; a cased sculpture in mixed media and pheasant feathers by Kate MccGwire looks alarmingly like a writhing snake. There is also an elephant in the room in the shape of a hulking, unlovely column. The supporting column runs through the building, making the wraparound 3m glass on the perimeter possible and allowing for the uninterrupted views. It is not pretty, but Morey-Burrows says it was indispensable. “I did look into knocking it down, but that wasn’t happening. It’s a big column and you can’t hide it. You may as well embrace it,” she says. “We decided to express it and show it off. Make it gold. We covered it in actual gold leaf.”

On the upper floor, the principal bedroom is a serene retreat, with softer finishes and more luxurious textures. Walls are clad in silk wallpaper; at the dressing table is a shaggy fleece Botolo chair, the Seventies classic designed by Cini Boeri. On the bed is a cashmere Loro Piana bedspread and the custom headboard is upholstered in Be Bop A Lula, a cactus green jacquard by Dedar.

The glints of gold throughout the decor — from the leafed column to Paul Morrison’s The Park artwork and Sue Arrowsmith’s untitled piece featuring photographs of flowers and foliage — are at their most beautiful in the slanting light before dusk, signalling the perfect moment for residents to settle in, perhaps on the Cordemeijer Cleopatra daybed on the mezzanine, and enjoy the sun setting over the park. This golden glow is not the only aspect of the property that suggests it’s a treasure. The Bryanston is the tallest residential address to overlook the park and Westminster planning changes mean that it will be the last of its kind. No new-build homes of this scale will be approved in future, and there will be no new towers around the park — so these views and the supersized terrace will remain unique.thebryanston.co.uk