Jinding launch Surfers Paradise apartment tower, SORA

It was important to Jinding to nail the design of their first ever Gold Coast development.

Jinding, who has been developing property in Melbourne for a number of years, engaged the local DKO Architecture to create SORA, Japanese for sky, in the heart of Surfers Paradise.

‘Sora’s architecture pays homage to the sun, sand and water it is surrounded by; it is a layered, authentic expression of structure and materiality which is shaped by these elements, providing a sheltered haven for its residents to explore and embrace their coastal surroundings and lifestyle," DKO's design leader, Kai Chua, said.

Chau said the project embraces its unique coastal environment through an architecture which both opens up to the views, and protects its inhabitants from the sun and wind.

"The majority of the apartments are orientated east, with some to the north and south to take advantage of the view as well as protect the residents from the brunt of the afternoon sun," Chau advised.

DKO worked with the existing Norfolk Pines on the site, incorporating them at the base of the building to form part of the entry. The first apartment level, above two mezzanine levels, with the first apartment level starting at the tops of the canopy.

It's the lifestyle that SORA is selling, says Jinding’s managing director of development, Liz Ronson.

"It's not just the homes that they can live in anymore, but the lifestyle and the year-round destination that SORA offers," Ronson says.

"There's the sun and surf lifestyle, with the beach less than 100 metres from the front door," Pennings suggested, adding that the foodie culture is also growing around the area.

"There's a really good case for those part-time, holiday makers and investors, to make SORA apartments home."

Ronson says the mix of unique selling points are attracting a variety of buyer groups, however it's the amenity which is one of the main drivers.

There will be a ground floor pool and gym, barbecue area, games room, and rooftop with an outdoor room and two multi-purpose rooms.

The 122 apartments were launched via Jinding's database first, seeing significant interest from investors and repeat customers.

Jinding then went locally with a soft launch, and saw an even split from all facets of the market, with investors, first and second home buyers, and downsizers all showing keen interest.

Locals made up the most enquiry traffic, but there was also strong interest from Sydney.

One-bedroom apartments start from $456,000, with two-bedroom apartments priced from $719,000.