Bringing together a prime location of impeccable design and resort-style amenities, Beachside Sumner offers a rare opportunity to savour exclusive waterfront living in Christchurch. Taking shape on a prime slice of land between Marriner Street and The Esplanade, Beachside Sumner is an architecturally designed complex of luxury apartments and penthouses with premium resort amenities, along with lush landscaping and private gardens.
“This truly is top-level. Every apartment has been carefully detailed and includes European appliances, premium fixtures and fittings and gorgeous window treatments.”
This is coastal living at its best, right next to Sumner Beach and so handy to local cafes and shops. It is no surprise to learn that the market has been quick to respond to the elevated lifestyle available at this impressive development. “Over half of the apartments on the market have sold already, along with all the ocean-facing rooftop penthouses,” says Rosa Carter of New Zealand Sotheby’s International Realty. “With construction well underway, now is the time to really start looking at the options here – whether you are an investor or someone looking for a lock-and-leave second home or a primary home.”
The location could not be better, with the beach on the doorstep and easy access to Te Ara Ihutai Christchurch Coastal Pathway, along with the Port Hills, local playgrounds, schools, shopping and an array of entertainment and hospitality options. Apartments at Beachside Sumner are priced from $875,000 for a one-bedroom option or from $1.4 million for two to three-bedroom options. Rosa says their buyers include the developers wanting to move in and enjoy the lifestyle, which speaks volumes about the quality on offer.
“This truly is top-level. Every apartment has been carefully detailed and includes European appliances, premium fixtures and fittings and gorgeous window treatments.” Lead architect and urban designer James Lunday says the development has six distinctive, independent buildings that share a unified, modernist aesthetic. Each building has no more than 12 apartments, ensuring that the lifestyle here will be tranquil and private. “The public won’t have access to the internal private park, but the design purposely activates the urban environment along the street frontages and there are view shafts preserved for visual access from Marriner to the beach,” says James.
“The first building – Anchorage – is the landmark, and activates an important corner with a frontage on The Esplanade and Marriner.” For example, a large, cantilevered verandah – a prominent design feature of the Anchorage building that provides shelter for outdoor dining from the ground-floor restaurant and a canopy on Castaway – will shelter a bus stop alongside the development.
Working in harmony with the Sumner seascape, the Anchorage design features undulating facades. The organic sculpted form naturally creates spaces for balcony gardens and expansive outdoor areas. Adding to the lifestyle for the future Beachside community will be the building’s ground-floor restaurant and wine bar. There are currently two-bedroom apartments still available in this striking building. Stepping down from the five-storey Anchorage on Marriner St will be the four-level Castaway building that is more angular in design and makes prominent use of timber materials.
It will house an array of premium resort amenities, including a covered outdoor heated pool, sauna, spa and spacious ground-floor gym, showers (indoor and outdoor), changing rooms and toilets. There are only six one-bedroom apartments in the whole development, all in Castaway. “These are a fantastic rental investment or ideal as a stylish lock-and-leave,” says Rosa.
Castaway’s spacious two-bedroom roof penthouse will have a large roof garden. These are a real feature throughout Beachside Sumner, where all residents will be able to relax and enjoy rooftop dining and recreation. James says the Castaway’s beach club facilities will also include an office area with a full-time property manager. He notes the gym will have a glass frontage to the street, treated so as to safeguard privacy. “It will operate in the evenings, providing light and adding a safety factor.”
Both Anchorage and Castaway are under construction and due to be completed by mid-2026. As work draws to a close on these buildings, the next two beachfront buildings (Latitude and Spinnaker) will commence construction this year. The remaining two buildings (Driftwood and Oasis) will commence construction in early 2026, with Beachside Sumner completed mid-2027.
Prospective buyers can find further details online (beachsidesumner.co.nz) or can contact New Zealand Sotheby’s International Realty. Open days are regularly advertised and held at the Sumner sales suite, 11 Marriner Street, where fixtures and fittings are displayed, along with plans and other information.
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