Acquiring substantial wealth requires more than a Midas touch. The super-rich who buy penthouses also need a head for heights. This dizzy truth dawns the moment you enter a unique duplex for sale at $45 million on the top of Century Tower 1, along Tregunter Path. Occupying 5,130 square feet on the 30th and 31st floors of a fashionable apartment block in what used to be called Lower Peak, the altitude alone ensures a million-dollar view. What adds to the drama, however, is the shape. Century Tower 1 was built by Hongkong Land in the shape of a perfectly cylindrical tower. The two penthouses split this cylinder and are therefore in the shape of a semi-circle. With windows circling both floors of the entire apartment, the panorama is nothing short of spectacular. The 180-degree vista stretches from the Peak Tramway at the back to the Peak Tower just up the hill. Far down below is the Ladies Recreation Club and the top of Cotton Tree Drive. Beyond, the view extends across Central to Kwai Chung and Tsim Sha Tsui - then over Admiralty and Wan Chai to the rest of Kowloon and Kai Tak, reaching as far around as the Clearwater Bay Peninsula. By day, it is stunning. By night, it must be pure magic, although this could present a minor problem when entertaining guests. Since the 30th floor living room and dining room occupy most of the downstairs semi-circle and are easily joined by opening the Venetian doors in between, you can imagine guests spending an entire evening staring out of the windows (or out on the spacious balcony) simply dumbstruck with the sight. The semi-circular design works beautifully with light as well. In the morning, sunshine streams through the lounge and, above it, the master bedroom. During the course of the day, it moves gradually around to the back. Apart from a prestigious and uniquely designed penthouse in a fashionable address, what else do you get for your $45 million? The nuts and bolts of the top floor are two huge bedrooms and two smaller ones for guests or children. The master bedroom has an en suite bathroom, naturally, along with a balcony (not advisable for those who suffer twinges of vertigo) plus 'his' and 'hers' walk-in closets. Another bathroom serves the other bedrooms, the largest of which could serve as a rather grand office. A circular staircase with a bronze banister goes down to the first-floor lounge, dining room, kitchen and pleasant maid's quarters. The entry is through a hallway shared only by the neighbouring penthouse. The penthouse is unfurnished, except for new, wall-to-wall oatmeal carpets throughout. The fitted kitchen is functional but nothing to write home about. In any event, it will probably be ripped out and replaced by the new owner. As you might expect from an apartment block built in 1971, the penthouse has an element of charm. For example, the old fashioned but solid cast-iron windows are repainted, but show signs of their age. The balconies though have clearly been refurbished. Facilities with the block include a palm-fringed swimming pool (with lifeguard and children's pool) that is pleasantly shaded. At the entrance is an ornate deck area large enough to host a communal barbecue, as well as a playground for the kids and a one-man driving range about 20 metres long. The location is just a few minutes from Central and within walking distance of local schools and the shops at Code Plaza. The square-footage price being sought by the owners, Kerry Properties, is $8,772 - not cheap but not as pricey as a nearby (admittedly modern) penthouse that sold recently at Tavistock Two for $53.9 million, or about $14,000 per square foot. The agents, Colliers Jardine, suggest the Century Tower 1 penthouse might be described as a bargain. This week's property is a duplex penthouse in Century Tower 1, Tregunter Path, Mid-Levels, for which the owner, Kerry Properties, is asking $45 million. Built by Hongkong Land in 1971, the property occupies the 30th and 31st floors of the building. The floor area is 5,130 square feet and the property comes unfurnished. There are four bedrooms and two bathrooms in the apartment. The block contains a swimming pool, children's playing area and miniature driving range.