Antilia, the luxury home of Mukesh Ambani, India’s richest man, is the world’s most expensive house owned by any individual.
It took seven years to complete the Ambani’s 27-storey dream mansion, built in the middle of downtown Mumbai. Billed as one of the most luxurious residences in the world, Antilia gets its name from the legendary island in the Atlantic Ocean.
The house is meant for just five people, Ambani, his wife and their three children who were reportedly moved in to the multi-million dollar skyscraper on October 28, 2010.
Nita Ambani, wife of Mukesh, says Antilia is a modern home with an Indian heart.
Though the building is 27 storeys tall, many of the floors are double or triple height, so the building rises to 570 feet — the equivalent of a 40-story structure.
The house is reported to be worth more than $1 billion, which will not affect Ambani’s bank balance too significantly. The energy magnate is one of the top 5 richest men in the world, and is said to be worth approximately $22 billion, according to Forbes magazine.
Special features
The 27-storey building is 570 feet high. The first six levels of it is just parking space, a mega-garage where more than 160 cars can be parked. Above the parking lot is the lobby which has nine elevators. Antilia’s glass tower boasts of three helipads on the top with an air traffic control area.
It features some world-class facilities, including some swimming pools, a health club, salon and a mini theatre. The ballroom is believed to be a carbon copy of the Mandarin Inn in New York. No room in the house is similar in look.
The eighth floor of the building features a 50-seater mini-theatre. The Ambanis reside in the top floors. In all, the family of five would occupy 4 lakh square feet of living space. The house has an army of 600 full-time staff to maintain the building.
The house is not without its critics, however. Some have said that such a home is inappropriate in a city where millions of people live in extreme poverty.
The world’s costliest house also had its share of controversies. Right from the beginning, from the land-acquisition stage, it waded through troubled waters.
The house is not without its critics, however. Some have said that such a home is inappropriate in a city where millions of people live in extreme poverty.
In 2007, the Maharashtra government declared the multi-storey mansion to be illegal after it received complaints that the Waqf Board — the previous owner of the land — had no right to sell it.
The state government wanted the board to reoccupy the land, which earlier belonged to the Currimbhoy Orphanage Trust. The board issued a notice to this effect. Construction began after Ambani acquired a no-objection certificate from the board, reportedly at the cost of Rs.16 lakh.
The helipads atop the building also kicked up a controversy on environmental grounds. The navy was first to object to it saying it would not allow “indiscriminate construction” of such facilities atop high rises in Mumbai.
Next, the environment ministry told the Bombay High Court through an affidavit that it does not support new helipads in Mumbai as it violated the norms of permissible noise levels. However, Antilia sailed through all the controversies to create a history.
