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In Monaco — the tiny principality with the highest density of ultra-wealthy residents on Earth — skyscrapers were once a political taboo. In the late 1980s, Prince Rainier III halted high-rise construction to protect the Mediterranean skyline, and for decades the principality’s famous curve of towers remained frozen in time. It was only after his son, Prince Albert II, reversed the policy in 2008 that today’s landmark became possible: Tour Odéon.
A Tower That Broke the Taboo
Rising 170 metres with 49 floors, Tour Odéon was completed in April 2015 — Monaco’s first high-rise residence since the 1980s, and at inauguration the second-tallest building on Europe’s Mediterranean coast after the Gran Hotel Bali in Benidorm, Spain. Developed by Monaco’s own Groupe Marzocco, the tower was designed by Monegasque architect Alexandre Giraldi, who also designed the new Yacht Club de Monaco with Norman Foster, while the interiors were handled by the late French master Alberto Pinto. The project was a national undertaking in itself: the plans were reviewed by Monaco’s Urbanism Department, voted on by the National Council, and ultimately validated by the Prince.
Five Floors in the Clouds
What made Tour Odéon world-famous is its crown — the Sky Penthouse, a vertical estate of roughly 3,400 to 3,500 square metres spread across the top five floors, with 360-degree views over the Mediterranean and the French Riviera. It offers five bedrooms, a private cinema, and a kitchen on every floor, but its legendary feature is a private spiralling waterslide that descends from the rooftop terrace into a 360-degree infinity pool suspended 170 metres above the sea — quite possibly the most expensive slide ever built. When it was listed in 2013, the asking price came in around US$335 to 400 million, which saw it widely billed as the most expensive apartment in the world. Below it, the tower holds 62 for-sale luxury residences, including two 1,200-square-metre Sky Duplex apartments, priced from roughly €75,000 per square metre.
Fully-Serviced Living, Perfected
Tour Odéon’s pitch was never just the apartments — it is a fully managed lifestyle. Residents enjoy a chauffeur-driven house car on call, a private cinema, multiple pools, spa and fitness facilities, and 24/7 concierge, with hotel-style services summoned from a single integrated screen in each residence. In Monaco, it was the first project to truly fuse the experience of staying in a five-star hotel with the privacy of owning a home. The building also houses a ten-level underground garage with 543 parking spaces and a lobby adorned with sculpture by the artist Mateo Mornar. Its location sits at the heart of Monte-Carlo, a short walk from the Casino and the luxury boutiques, with the Mediterranean’s blue hour delivered directly to the balcony.
