Penthouses and their luxury apartment counterparts have always had a glamorous history. They speak of prestige, luxury living high in the sky, and of course a certain amount of social elevation. Heiresses, millionaires, media moguls, and movie stars have known of the exclusivity, mystery, sophistication, and symbolism of high-rise living for decades, ever since Marjorie Merriweather Post Hutton commissioned a 54-room triplex on New Yorks Fifth Avenue in 1925 with a silver room, a wine room, and cold storage for her furs. Eighty years on, such places have become the ultimate architectural expression of success, or at least inner-urban living at its very best. They also offer some of the most extraordinary views in apartment living. "View from The Top" peeks inside the private spaces of some of the worlds most magnificent penthouses and apartments and offers a rare insight into not only the designs and lifestyles experienced in these palatial mansions in the sky but also their amazing vistas. From edgy, sharply dressed apartments with front-row views of famous harbors to grand villas facing the waterfront in places like Venice and Monaco, and of course eye-popping pied-a-terres and penthouses in the heart of Manhattan and London, View From The Top displays visionary architecture and extraordinary settings in one richly illustrated volume that showcases the cachet of living among the clouds; Come upstairs with us and admire the view.
