What a $221 Million Apartment Looks Like

The most expensive apartment in the United Kingdom sold for £135.4 million, or about $221 million, according to documents at the national Land Registry. The deal was made in 2007, but the paperwork was only filed last week. We don't know who actually bought the place, but whoever it is, they're "using lawyers in Ukraine," according to The Guardian. Here's a quick overview of what we know about the place:

• It was bought "as an empty shell," in The Guardian's words, with no amenities and nothing on the walls. The buyer has reportedly spent another £60 million, or about $97.6 million, on interior work.
• It's in the world's most expensive residential development, the One Hyde Park complex in London. This place is the project of Christan and Nick Candy, two brothers who enjoy a certain celebrity in the English real estate world. It includes a movie theater, bulletproof glass, and--as reported by The Daily Telegraph--"a private underground tunnel to the Mandarin Oriental [hotel] next door which gives open access to the five-star facilities and allows a 60-strong army of hotel staff to serve residents in their apartments 24 hours a day."
• The apartment itself is a three-story penthouse with 25,000 square feet, including a wine cellar. The Real Estalker, a luxury-properties blog, says it's obtained floor plans and some brochure pictures of "a typical 5 bedroom apartment" at One Hyde Park. These pictures are pretty jaw-dropping, and bear in mind that they depict an apartment with 8,500 square feet. "Flat A," as the $221 million penthouse is known, has almost three times as much space. (Source)