December marked the exciting launch of Infinite Maldives, a five-hectare resort-residence of 44 over water and beachfront villas developed by Sri Lanka’s premium developer Crystal Property Group. With the masterplan and homes designed by Pritzker Architecture prize-winner Shigeru Ban, residents will have access to luxuries such as a fitness centre, spa and wellness facilities, with the villas pricing starting from US$1.22 million.
Located within the Male Atoll 1 island, Infinite Maldives has been designed to embrace the Maldivian vernacular and champion biophilic sustainability through using natural locally sourced materials and timber.
As well as access to the resort style amenities, each residence will have a private infinity pool with outdoor lounging space. The structures will be formed around four landscaped gardens designed by renowned landscape architect Michel Desvigne, who has taken inspiration from Sri Lankan gardens such as Lunuganga by Geoffrey Bawa.
Known for its white sand beaches and turquoise waters, the Maldives has long been recognised as a top-of-the-market tourist destination and Infinite Maldives offers the opportunity to own a slice of this. This dedicated resort-residence model, a pioneering concept by Crystal Property Group, is the first-time individual ownership of villas being developed in the prime Male Atoll area and therefore is a first of its kind investment opportunity in the Maldives.
Connectivity is also a benefit, with residents only a 35-minute journey via speed boat to the international Male Velana airport.
The project will add to the developer’s portfolio of high-end developments in South Asia, including the Crystal Sands sky villas and The Six, both located in Sri Lanka. It will also be managed by The Cocoon Collection, adding to their portfolio of some of the Maldives most popular resorts.
Real estate brokerage Nest Seekers has been appointed as the exclusive sales agent for the scheme. Registrations of interest can be made on the Infinite Maldives website.
Reza Magdon Ismail, CEO of Crystal Property Group, said: “We are proud to be delivering the first resort-residence and one-of-a-kind opportunity in the Maldives, which is a huge milestone for the country and a great achievement for us. We’re excited to bring our experience in developing high-end properties to this collaboration with The Cocoon Collection, and we’re honoured to be working with the fantastic Shigeru Ban.
“Between us all, we share the same ethos and ambition to create extraordinary living spaces that harmonise with the environment they sit in and align with the overall spirit of the Maldives. This is an extraordinary project located in a very special part of the world and alongside it’s home, we believe Infinite Maldives will truly stand as a testament to the wonders of all the island has to offer.”
Alessandro Azzola, director of The Cocoon Collection, added: “With our presence in the Maldives and the success achieved to date, we are always keen to establish unique leisure products that further the country’s reputation as a world-beating hospitality destination and offering. Having followed CPG’s progress as the pioneers of the resort-residence model in Sri Lanka, a collaboration on Infinite Maldives made sense. Our partnership with Shigeru Ban and his team ensures that, as hoteliers and custodians of these islands, our responsibility to create something that would uplift and add value to the Maldives as one of the most sought-after destinations in the world is delivered.”
Shigeru Ban, of Shigeru Ban Architects, said: “What makes Infinite Maldives unique is that the resort blends in with the sea and the green nature in an ‘infinite’ manner. Conventional resort design usually starts by designing and arranging buildings first and placing water features and vegetation after, using the spaces left between the buildings. For Infinite Maldives, we first considered the resort’s landscape design by carefully defining the relationship between water, land, topography, and vegetation, to make the most of this sense of place. The individual buildings were then carefully designed and placed within the landscape, with a focus on creating continuity and comfort between interior and exterior spaces, including the intermediate area.
“To minimise the amount of transport and energy for construction and material production, we use various innovative pre-fabrication methods and focus on applying lightweight materials as well as recycled materials. In contrast to many developments selling ‘sustainability’ just as a label in the commercial sense, our aim is to create a place where people can relax mentally and physically, in harmony with the environment, taking in all its value. This makes the project a true act of sustainability.”
