In both price and desirability, penthouses often represent real estate’s most literal expression of the top tier.
Carolwood Estates
Penthouses. The cherries (literally) on top of a high-rise or skyscraper. Coveted city-center addresses. Private elevators. Incredible views. Much of what we now take for granted is thanks to New York architect Rosario Candela, who can be credited for seeing into the future back in the 1920s—a time when residential penthouses were simply drafty rooftop spaces where the servants lived. Candela appreciated that Wall Street’s skyscrapers were a statement of big city business, so why wouldn’t we live in the skies as well?
Candela set the template for today’s penthouse, complete with sprawling living spaces, wrap-around terraces for ultimate outdoor viewing and entertaining, high ceilings and plenty of privacy within a shared building.
In the hierarchy of a building, everything builds toward the top, where the final residences are designed not just to occupy space, but to define it. In Portland, Oregon, that means life hovering above the Willamette River.
LUXE | Forbes Global Properties
Fictional (and often fabulous) characters in film and television have chosen the luxe of penthouse living for decades. In the 1958 film Auntie Mame, the titular character drastically changed her Beekman Place penthouse decor six times, and designer Jonathan Adler famously commented that watching the Technicolor movie is an absolute “rite of passage” for any aspiring interior designer.
Mad Men’s ad mogul Don Draper chose a swinging ’60s pad with a sunken living room/conversation pit as the ideal place to kick back, chain-smoke and sip Old Fashioneds while taking in the Manhattan skyline’s twinkling lights. And superhero Tony Stark in Marvel’s Iron Man went full high-tech with his own lab and private landing pad in a multistory penthouse atop super-swanky Stark Tower.
Fictional (and often fabulous) characters in film and television have chosen the luxe of penthouse living for decades.
Fashion designers and their muses appear to have a penchant for the penthouse too. Tommy Hilfiger owned a $50 million duplex penthouse atop the Plaza Hotel in New York City. Dame Zandra Rhodes lives in her hot-pink London penthouse—matching her hot-pink bob—on the top floor of the Fashion and Textile Museum she founded. And in the ’50s, stylish film star Sophia Loren lounged in her Los Angeles penthouse at the Chateau Marmont, near to Paramount Studios and overlooking Sunset Boulevard.
Rise far enough and the view becomes entirely your own. Four Seasons Private Residences take in the Toronto skyline from exclusive Yorkville.
Barry Cohen Homes
Seems the penthouse holds its value too. Sales in recent years include 220 Central Park South in New York City for $238 million in 2019, Dubai’s Como Residence on Palm Jumeirah for $136 million in 2023, and Marq Omotesando One in Japan for $67 million in 2025.
A current trend in penthouse design is the ‘white box’: clean, blank canvases that inspire potential buyers to be creative with their personal tastes and design. Branded residences like Bvlgari in London and Dolce & Gabbana in Miami and Dubai are driving sales up, as are penthouses in mountain or lakefront locations.
Suspended above Los Angeles, this architectural statement commands a prized perch with views from the Hollywood Hills to the Pacific. On the market for $39.5 million.
Carolwood Estates
This 31-story tower designed by Beverly Hills mid-century modern architect Jack A. Charney was completed in 1965 and no other address has been shared by as many Hollywood A-listers over the decades. David Geffen, Sidney Poitier, Cher and Elton John have all called it home. This three-bedroom penthouse at Sierra Towers was designed by award-winning Workshop/APD, has a sweeping outdoor terrace, as you would expect, and is near Beverly Hills, West Hollywood and all that Los Angeles has to offer.
In a market better known for rugged coastline than for rooftop living, this Tirana penthouse introduces a more elevated idea of luxury, with ceilings rising up to 7 meters (23 feet). Currently listed for €3.202 million (around $3.75 million).
Capital Point
A copper staircase corkscrews through three floors of this Bazaar Gate Tower penthouse in downtown Tirana. This 323-square-meter (3,476-square-foot) contemporary space makes a quiet retreat from bustling New Bazaar below. Calming, natural tones in stone and woodwork, plus sky-reaching windows, create a chill atmosphere that’s only enhanced when you step outside to the private rooftop terrace for a cooling dip.
Size is only part of the story. At Rahmaninov Residences, the penthouse pairs scale with an effortless, highly private lifestyle, complete with private security and concierge service. Listed at €7.5 million (around $8.8 million).
ANG Luxury Properties
Bragging rights as biggest, yes, plus an address in Bucharest’s affluent Primǎverii neighborhood, add to the appeal of this sixth-floor PH at Rahmaninov Residences. Spanning 1,000 square meters (10,764 square feet) of interior space, it offers a clean slate for any owner’s taste in design and decor, with its white walls and chevron wood-plank flooring. A 425-square-meter (4,575 square feet) wraparound outdoor terrace adds further space and entertaining opportunities.
This 3-bedroom penthouse in a restored historic building uses glass as its primary material, framing the City of Seven Hills in panoramic perspective. On the market for €6 million (around $7.04 million).
Portugal Forbes Global Properties
Penthouse Casal Ribeiro sits under a glass dome on the top floor of a restored historic building with panoramic views of Lisbon. This 3-bedroom home was built in 2022, and is situated on Avenidas Novas, a short walk from Saldanha and Avenida da Liberdade in the city’s bustling center. Designed by architect Rita Valadão, who intentionally included artworks by national and international artists to create a gallery vibe.
Removed from downtown’s density, this Toronto penthouse trades proximity for perspective, where distance sharpens rather than softens the view. Listed at CDN$18.8 million (around USD$13.8 million).
Barry Cohen Homes
Situated in Toronto’s upscale Yorkville neighborhood, this opulently furnished penthouse overlooks Lake Ontario and the CN Tower with 12-foot floor-to-ceiling windows. Highlights include two private elevators, two private terraces, an impressive walk-in wine room and easy access to the city’s vibrant restaurants, shopping and parks.
From this full-floor penthouse, Portland reads as both city and landscape, with urban edges giving way to the natural drama beyond. Listed at $3.985 million.
LUXE | Forbes Global Properties
Perched atop the John Ross building’s 31st floor in Portland’s South Waterfront, this penthouse offers 360-degree views taking in Mount Hood, the Pacific Northwest’s natural beauty and of course the City of Roses itself. The building’s unique elliptical shape, LEED gold certified standing and imposing 325-foot height define sky-high living.
At the center of Vancouver, a $2.5 million renovation transformed this penthouse into an award-winning showcase of contemporary design. On the market for CDN$3.988 million (around USD$2.93 million).
rennie
This renovated two-story penthouse on Vancouver’s Davie Street boasts both marina and city views from every room on the 15th floor. A living plant wall nods to the year-round green of the city, the primary suite’s 500-square-foot-terrace invites morning cappuccinos, plus the space could be re-converted back to two residences.
In Paris, no view carries more currency than the Eiffel Tower, and this penthouse frames it without surrendering an ounce of French charm. Listed at $7.99 million (around $9.38 million).
Maison Junot
A three-bedroom penthouse overlooking the Champ de Mars with the Eiffel Tower seeming so close you could touch it? Oui, s’il vous plaît. The top floor of this fully renovated building in the chic 7th arrondissement is an inviting residence thanks to its many arched casement windows. Fling them open and flood the space with fresh air, sunshine and all the romantic possibilities of Paris. A modern kitchen will put those French cooking classes into play too.
At this top-floor Lake Garda residence, the outdoor spaces take the lead, and the view makes clear why. On the market for €2.7 million (around $3.17 million).
Castellanum Real Estate
This penthouse sits within the five-star Falkensteiner Resort in Salò, Italy, which means its luxury amenities are available to residents, while private sun terraces and a rooftop pool add to this level of relaxed Lake Garda living. Lush, cascading plants drift over the terrace railings, while the interior’s contemporary design and decor, crafted by Milan-based Matteo Thun & Partners, create an atmosphere that invites peace and wellbeing.
Set beside Northcliffe Surf Club and a 36-kilometer (22-mile) oceanfront pathway, MIRA distills the Gold Coast’s barefoot beach lifestyle into its most polished form. Price upon request.
Private Property Global
A stunner of a triple-story penthouse on Queensland’s Gold Coast, complete with rooftop terrace and pool is the ultimate choice of residence in this 12-unit complex. Hallways are glass to allow the abundance of Australia’s natural light to bathe the space, and an internal private elevator reaches a jaw-dropping 25th-floor entertaining space with gym, sauna, glass-walled pool, outdoor kitchen—all with panoramic views.
Featured properties represented by members of Forbes Global Properties, the invitation-only network of top-tier brokerages worldwide and the exclusive real estate partner of Forbes.
此内容由惯性聚合(RSS阅读器)自动聚合整理，仅供阅读参考。 原文来自 — 版权归原作者所有。