Mukesh ambani’s house
India’s richest man — Mukesh Ambani — is all set to move into Antilia, the world’s most expensive house owned by any individual. The Ambanis are reportedly moving in to the multi-million dollar skyscraper on October 28.
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.
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 will 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.
Controversies
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.
In 2007, the Maharashtra government declared the multi-storeyed 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.
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