Five myths about living in skyscrapers in Cyprus

In the Cypriot market, high-rise residential complexes are relatively new. Despite this, they have already become the subject of many rumours and misconceptions. In fact, for some people, the mere thought of living in a high-rise can cause fear and anxiety. At the same time, most of the myths about skyscrapers are outdated, mostly related to ignorance about modern technologies used in the construction and operation of such buildings. Today, let's talk about the most common ones.

Myth 1: Skyscrapers isolate us from social life

At the end of the last century, there were many studies of life in high-rise residential buildings in Europe and the United States. They showed that people living in high-rise buildings had less contact with each other, left their flats for the city and were not inclined to form a local community. Since then, the perception of high-rise housing as a place where people live alienated from each other has persisted.

In reality, these conclusions only applied to so-called social housing, which is widespread in developed countries and is often distinguished from main buildings by its multi-storey construction. The alienation of their inhabitants was not due to the height of the houses, but to the lack of landscaped public spaces, social deprivation and lack of commercial and other infrastructure. In other words, there was a false link between height and the researchers' conclusions.

On the contrary, modern skyscrapers, the more upmarket ones, represent the epicentre of social life. The Soho Resort in Paphos, for example, has done everything to make life comfortable for its residents. Apart from the fact that the complex is located in Kato Paphos - the most developed area in terms of infrastructure - the Soho Resort area offers many amenities: gym, swimming pools for children and adults, restaurant, bars and boutiques, spa centre, outdoor recreation area, covered parking and much more. As a result, residents of this development will never feel isolated.

Properties available in the Soho Resort

Myth 2: Altitude affects a person's physical health

Another misconception relates to the negative impact of high-rise buildings on human health. This myth also has its roots in old medical statistics studies which showed that the risk of premature death was higher for people living on the upper floors of high-rise buildings than for those living on the lower floors. The reason was prosaic - ambulance crews could reach and evacuate a critically ill patient more quickly if they lived on the lower floors rather than the upper ones. However, the research was based on outdated statistics from a time when there were few or unreliable lifts in high-rise buildings. Now, of course, the situation has changed. High-rise buildings are well-equipped with high-speed lifts.

On the contrary, living in a high-rise can be good for your health. In 2013, the European Journal of Epidemiology published a study of the health of 1.5 million people living in buildings with four or more floors. It showed that death rates from various causes were higher for people living on the ground floor than for those living on higher floors. In particular, death rates from cardiovascular and respiratory diseases were significantly lower for those living on higher floors.

Air quality is likely to be a key factor affecting the health of people living in high-rise buildings. Residents on lower floors are more likely to be exposed to exhaust fumes, while those on higher floors tend to breathe cleaner air. Incidentally, the Elite Tower high-rise in Larnaca has a window opening system that allows for natural ventilation. Height differences also do not affect a person's air pressure. Noticeable changes in air pressure are only felt at an altitude of 2 kilometres. And this building is only 34 metres high. Elite Tower is located in Larnaca's dynamic Mackenzie district. Its location meets all requirements, no matter what the buyer wants: a comfortable beach holiday, proximity to the centre and developed infrastructure, housing for families, a profitable investment. At the service of the residents of the complex is a full list of amenities. This includes a concierge service and 24-hour security, closed parking, high-quality finishes in the communal areas and in the apartments themselves, as well as the possibility of speeding up the process of obtaining a residence permit and a profitable investment.

Properties available for sale in the Elite Tower

Myth 3: Deadly fires in high-rise buildings

Fires in high-rise buildings do happen, but in modern high-rise buildings, they are always localised and only reach a large scale in very old high-rise buildings or in exceptional situations. All modern skyscrapers are equipped with automatic fire suppression systems. Firstly, there are sensors throughout the building that measure the temperature and chemical composition of the air, which can detect a fire at its earliest stages and send an alarm signal to the emergency notification system and the fire brigade at the same time. Secondly, a sprinkler system has been installed throughout the building with pipes filled with fire-fighting fluids. As soon as an open fire is detected, the sprinklers begin to extinguish it. Thirdly, skyscrapers are equipped with smoke extraction systems. In the event of a fire, they begin to 'blow out' rooms and fire escapes to provide an escape route.

Finally, modern buildings have a very reliable and sophisticated navigation and evacuation system that allows you to leave the building quickly, regardless of which floor you are on or where the fire is.

Myth 4: Skyscraper residents suffer because of lifts

Another myth is that a lift in a high-rise building can make life very difficult for its occupants. It is believed that lifts break down frequently, that waiting times are long and that there are not enough lifts for the many people who live in a skyscraper. This is not the case. There are lots of lifts in skyscrapers. For example, the One Tower skyscraper has not one but several lifts. All of them are distributed on different floors and perform their functions - freight, technical, fire, personal, and so on. At the same time, the building is equipped with lifts from the best and most technologically advanced manufacturers in the world. These lifts have a very high load capacity and are capable of lifting and transporting a mass comparable to that of a passenger car or even a small lorry in a matter of seconds.

Recall that unrivalled in its size and height complex of luxury apartments ONE Tower is located on 28 October Avenue - one of the main streets of Limassol. The tower has 37 floors and 83 ultra-luxury apartments (from 2 to 4 bedrooms). There are no more than 3 apartments on each floor. Floors 35-37 are occupied by a luxury penthouse. Excellent layouts, exceptional attention to interior details, spacious rooms filled with light and air - these are the main characteristics of the apartments in ONE Tower. Services and amenities available to residents include: concierge service, 24/7 security, swimming pool, landscaped terraces, lounge area with panoramic sea views, and a state-of-the-art fitness centre and spa.

Properties available for sale in the ONE Tower project

Myth 5: The upper floors are cold and have poor water pressure.

The most outdated perception of living in a skyscraper is that the upper floors are poorly supplied with heat and water. This stems from the experience of living in the first panelled buildings, where the upper floors were often cold and the water pressure low, due to the insufficient capacity of the technical installations, the low energy efficiency of the materials and the heating systems.

In skyscrapers, these problems are easily solved. Firstly, each group of floors has its own sources and distributors of thermal energy and water, i.e. not all floors of a skyscraper provide engineering systems located at ground level. Secondly, there are special devices that pump warm air into the colder spaces of the building.

Finally, the energy efficiency of the premises is built at a completely different level. In the Ayia Napa Marina skyscraper, for example, the air-conditioning system regulates the temperature in each room, taking into account the actual consumption of heat and cold. Panoramic double-glazed windows are fitted with reflective sprays to prevent overheating in summer and loss of heat in winter.

In fact, Ayia Napa Marina is the first complex of its kind on the entire east coast of the island! And the scale with which the developer has approached the project is truly impressive. The huge resort includes the East Tower, West Tower, 35 villas on the island, peninsula and beach, a marina for 600 people, a large infrastructure in the form of a promenade, boutiques, restaurants, spa and fitness centres and much, much more. And while most of the villas were handed over in 2022, the apartments in the first East Tower were handed over in mid-2023.

Properties available for sale in the Ayia Napa Marina development

Conclusion

A high-rise is really a "giant computer" and a complex engineering system where everything is thought through to the last detail. In contrast to the days of mass construction, the modern skyscraper is an exclusive product involving thousands of specialists in various fields. Especially in the premium segment of the market, buyers can be sure that they will not have any domestic problems due to the high-rise architecture of the building in Cyprus.

List of all available properties high-rise buildings in Cyprus

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