Where Australia’s new icons of luxury are rising
Whether through daring architecture, scarcity made precious, or the timeless pull of the sea, award-winning projects highlight where luxury design trends are heading.
Australia’s luxury property scene is entering a new chapter.
From sculptural harbourside icons to discreet boutique enclaves and wellness-driven coastal retreats, the definition of prestige is shifting.
The PropertyGuru Asia Property Awards (Australia) 2025 captured this evolution, honouring the developers and projects that demonstrate how Australians aspire to live today.
What the winners reveal is clear: luxury no longer wears a single face. It is found in towers that reshape neighbourhoods, in residences so rare they can be counted on one hand, in communities designed around wellness, and in the timeless pull of the ocean.
Together, they chart a compelling picture of where Australian luxury is headed.
Skyline icons
At one end of the spectrum are projects that command the city skyline.
Eterno Property Group, named Best Developer at the 2025 programme, exemplifies how ambition and delivery can align.
At Ode Double Bay — winner of Best Luxury Apartment Development (NSW) — Luigi Rosselli’s sculptural curves and Alwill’s interiors frame 15 residences, including three penthouses, with concierge services, secure underground parking and a curated mix of retail at street level. With travertine detailing and home automation, it distils exclusivity into everyday living.
Munro House, celebrated as Best Completed Apartment Development, offers a different kind of landmark: a sold-out Elizabeth Bay project that revives the grandeur of apartment living.
Streamline Moderne architecture - an international style that emerged in the 1930s as a simplified, more aerodynamic form of Art Deco - by PBD Architects and interiors by Mim Design bring together bespoke kitchens with Sub-Zero and Wolf appliances, wellness-focused rooftop gardens and sensory landscaping.
Then there is The Newlands, crowned Best Apartment Development (Australia). This Bates Smart masterplan spans six residential buildings arranged around a 5,700 square metre “green spine.” Outdoor gyms, cycleways, play areas and pet-friendly zones reimagine the backyard at scale, turning a dense precinct into a community that breathes.
Scarcity as status
But prestige in Australia is not always measured in size. Skyland Group, awarded Best Luxury Developer (New South Wales), has built its name on a different currency: scarcity.
Its ELIZA Darling Point — winner of Best Luxury Boutique Apartment Development (NSW) — comprises just five whole-floor residences, each with direct lift access for privacy. Inside, soaring double-height living rooms are finished in marble and bespoke joinery, while private pools and curved glass façades by BMHP Group frame panoramic harbour views.
In a city where towers rise taller each year, ELIZA shows that sometimes the most powerful statement is restraint. Luxury here lies in how little of it is available. It’s a reminder that scarcity itself has become the ultimate marker of prestige.
Wellbeing as wealth
That pursuit of rarity is only one face of the market. Across the country, developers are answering different expectations: connectivity, artistry and wellbeing.
In Sydney, Elevate Hume Place by Third.i Group was Highly Commended for Best Luxury Apartment Development (NSW). Sitting directly above the new Crows Nest Metro concourse, Woods Bagot’s tower wears a terracotta façade inspired by native blue gums. Winter gardens, panoramic harbour views and a net-zero design approach show how convenience and sustainability can be woven into luxury.
In Melbourne, First Light by DCF Property Group — winner of Best Luxury Apartment Development (Victoria) — adds cosmopolitan polish. With Philippe Starck and Yoo Studio on board, the curving tower’s green-tinted glazing encloses interiors that merge artistry with pragmatism. Concierge services, a wellness sanctuary and links to Australia’s first By Yoo hotel place it at the intersection of lifestyle and design culture.
On the Gold Coast, Maris by MRCB International took Best Apartment Development (Queensland). Plus Architecture’s 20-storey design channels coastal rhythms, pairing oak, stone and bronze interiors with sweeping views of the Broadwater Parklands. Rooftop yoga terraces, a resort-style pool and resident lounge reflect how health and lifestyle have become the true currency of coastal prestige.
The lure of the coast
Yet even with these shifts inland, one truth endures: in Australia, prestige gravitates to the coast.
The 2025 Awards highlighted three projects that reimagine waterside living for a new generation.
In Western Australia, The Dunes, Scarborough by Edge Visionary Living was named Best Waterfront Apartment Development. Two towers by Hillam Architects echo the movement of the dunes, with undulating façades, lagoon pools, a beach club lounge, co-working hubs and wellness precincts. Targeting a 5-star Green Star rating, it anchors Scarborough’s transformation into a premier coastal destination.
In New South Wales, WANDA VIEW by 16MC Developments secured Best Low Rise Waterfront Apartment Development. Just five residences span three levels, combining limestone floors, oak joinery and cantilevered architecture with direct beach access. Landscaped promenades and select plunge pools deliver a rare blend of privacy and immersion.
On Queensland’s northern Gold Coast, Eve Residences by Homecorp was crowned Best Oceanview Apartment Development. Rising 25 storeys with a façade inspired by tidal sand patterns, it houses 157 apartments offering a rooftop infinity pool, Nordic spa, hot-and-cold therapy rooms and Michelin-curated omakase dining. Wellness and indulgence converge with sweeping views of the Broadwater.
The direction of luxury
The PropertyGuru Asia Property Awards (Australia) 2025 reveal a market where luxury is defined by contrasts: grand towers and rare boutique enclaves, cosmopolitan artistry and coastal retreats, skylines and shorelines.
What unites them is the ambition to turn daily life into something aspirational.
Whether through daring architecture, scarcity made precious, or the timeless pull of the sea, these projects are more than simply award recipients.
They are the markers of where Australian luxury is heading next: richer in lifestyle, sharper in design, and always in dialogue with the land and water that frame it.
