Altair

About this project

Altair is a completed twin-tower residence on Sir James Peiris Mawatha, at the edge of Colombo 2 close to Beira Lake. Conceived by architect Moshe Safdie, it pairs a 68-storey vertical tower with a 63-storey tower that slopes against it — a silhouette that has become one of the most recognisable on the city's skyline. A diagrid structural frame carries the load at the perimeter, leaving the apartments inside free of internal columns. The development holds 404 apartments, with layouts running from compact three-bedroom homes of about 1,460 sq ft to four-bedroom residences and a five-bedroom Sky Villa close to 5,000 sq ft. Floor-to-ceiling glazing draws in long views over Beira Lake and the city, and the column-free interiors leave each plan open to reconfigure. Shared facilities span the towers and podium: four pools including an infinity pool and a 25-metre lap pool, a gymnasium, steam and sauna rooms, a sky garden, landscaped grounds, an indoor games room, a clubhouse with function space, and a barbecue pavilion. Around 35,000 sq ft of retail sits at street level, served alongside the residences by eleven high-speed lifts. The address keeps Colombo's commercial core, schools such as Royal College and Bishop's College, the Crescat and One Galle Face retail districts, and major hospitals all a short drive away.