Pick of the Week: Plaza Condos with an architectural edge & Moshe Safdie

I had the good fortune to stumble upon some condo buyers recently, and in my quest to find the perfect purchase for them – i stumbled upon a rare thing: an impressive condo complex that was designed (a) to actually be condominiums, and (b) with a designer and an architect. Many of the condos I see in Kansas City are fine, but lots of them are re-purposed office buildings, hotels, or apartments which means that they are generally lacking in some important thing – whether it be parking, washer/dryer hookups, natural light, balcony, storage – you get the idea.

Anyway, the condo complex is called the Atrium on the Plaza, and it is generally located in between Main Street and the Nelson Museum tucked up on a hillside back in that area. It was built in 1980, and it is gets its name from the fact that each unit has a large atrium room – which can be used as a garden room or as an extension of the living room. This atrium opens out onto a very large private deck. These units are very comfortable and extremely spacious. There is ample storage, parking, and even a pool. The complex was designed by world renowned architect, Moshe Safdie, who is currently working on the new West Edge development on the west side of the Country Club Plaza, and also the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts. I found a very interesting website which is an excellent source of information on the Atrium on the Plaza with old design sketches and photographs.

There are currently two units for sale, and there have been six sold so far this year (2007) with an average sales price of $263,917.

(Photos: The West Edge and the Performing Arts Center)