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Antilia (building)

Coordinates: 18°58′05″N 72°48′34″E / 18.9681°N 72.8095°E / 18.9681; 72.8095
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Antilia
Map
General information
StatusCompleted
LocationAltamount Road, Cumballa Hill, Mumbai
CountryIndia
Coordinates18°58′05″N 72°48′34″E / 18.9681°N 72.8095°E / 18.9681; 72.8095
Completed2010
Opening2010
CostUS$2 billion[2]
OwnerMukesh Ambani
Height173 m (568 ft)
Technical details
Floor count27
Lifts/elevators10
Design and construction
Architect(s)Perkins & Will[1]
Structural engineerSterling Engineering Consultancy Services (Mumbai)
Main contractorLeighton Asia

Antilia is the residence of billionaire Mukesh Ambani and his family.[3] It is located on Billionaires' Row in Mumbai, India.[4] Built from 2006 to 2010 at a cost of nearly US$2 billion,[2][5][6][unreliable source] it was valued at US$4.6 billion in 2023.[7] It is one of the most expensive houses or residences in India.[8]

The building is designed to withstand a magnitude 8 earthquake.[9] The top-six floors are private residential areas. The structure's design incorporates the lotus plant and the sun.

The structure is 27 stories, 173 metres (568 ft) tall, over 6,070 square metres (65,340 sq ft), and with amenities including a 168-car garage, ballroom, nine high-speed lifts, a 50-seat theatre, terrace gardens, swimming pool, spa, health centre, temple, and snow room that spits out snowflakes from the walls.[10][11]

Timeline of value

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It was constructed between 2008 and 2010.[5]

In 2007, due to a sustained real estate bubble in Mumbai, Ambani's unbuilt house and the 4,532-square-metre plot on which it is being erected were already estimated to be worth more than US$1.2 billion.[6][unreliable source]

In 2014, it was considered the world's most expensive private residence, costing between US$1 and 2 billion to build.[2]

As of 2023, it was valued at $4.6 billion,[7] as average annual growth rate of prices on homes in Mumbai from 2010 to 2020 was 11.2%.[12] Prices in Mumbai increased by 100%[13] in 2006, 19%[14] in 2012.

Plot

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The 4,532-square-metre (1.120-acre) land on which Antilia was built housed an orphanage called Currimbhoy Ebrahim Khoja Yateemkhana (Kareembhai Ibrahim Khwaja Orphanage)[15] belonging to a charity run by the waqf board. The orphanage had been founded in 1895 by Currimbhoy Ebrahim, a wealthy shipowner.[16] In 2002, the trust requested permission to sell this land, and the charity commissioner gave the required permission three months later. The charity sold the land allocated for the purpose of education of underprivileged Khoja children to Antilia Commercial Private Limited, a commercial entity controlled by Mukesh Ambani, in July 2002 for ₹210.5 million (US$2.5 million).[17] The prevailing market value of the land at the time was at least ₹1.5 billion (US$18 million).[18][19][20]

The sale was in direct contravention[21] of § 51 of the Wakf Act[22] which requires that any such sale of land should be done after the permission of the Maharashtra State Board of Waqfs. The Waqf minister Nawab Malik opposed this land sale, as did the revenue department of the Government of Maharashtra. Thus a stay order was issued on the sale of the land. The Waqf board also initially opposed the deal and filed a PIL in the Supreme Court challenging the decision of the trust. The Supreme Court, while dismissing the petition, asked the Waqf board to approach the Bombay High Court. However, the stay on the deal was subsequently vacated after the Waqf board withdrew its objection.

In June 2011, the Union government asked the Maharashtra government to consider referring the matter to the Central Bureau of Investigation.[23][24][25][26] A PIL was filed a decade later by Abdul Matin, against the orphanage and the Charity commissioners permission.[27] As of 2018, the case was being heard by a special bench of the court.[28][29]

Design and construction

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The building was named after the mythical Spanish phantom island of Antillia.[30]

Antilia is the residence of Asia's richest family, the Ambani family.[31][32]

The building was designed by the US architecture firms Perkins & Will,[1] based in Chicago, and Hirsch Bedner Associates, based in Los Angeles. They were consulted after Nita Dalal Ambani was impressed by the contemporary Asian interiors at the Mandarin Oriental, New York, also designed by them.[33]

The building plan was approved by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation in 2003,[34] and construction started in 2006 with Leighton Asia initially taking charge, and completed by B. E. Billimoria & Company Ltd.[35] The architects altered floor plans and design concepts as the construction of the building progressed.[33] The home has 27 floors with extra-high ceilings. (Other buildings of equivalent height may have as many as 60 floors.)[36] The home was also designed to survive an earthquake of magnitude 8.[37] It is considered by some to be the tallest single-family house in the world, but others disqualify the Antilia because it includes space for a staff of 600.[38]

The interior design uses the shapes of the lotus and the sun. These two features are repeated throughout the building using crystals, marble, and mother-of-pearl.[39] However, no two floors use the same materials or plan, the idea of the design is of consistency, but not repetition.[33]

The building has three helipads; however, they are not operational. The helipads have to be certified air-worthy in India by the Director-General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), and have yet to receive approval from the central defence and environment ministries.[40]

The house warming was done in November 2010, but Ambani did not immediately move in for fear of "bad luck".[41] In June 2011, almost 50 renowned pandits were invited to conduct pujas and address vastu issues in the building, after which the Ambanis took up residence in September 2011.[42][43]

Antilia as seen from Altamount Road

Cost and valuation

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Before construction, the value of the plot and unbuilt house were estimated to be more than US$1.2 billion.[6][unreliable source] During planning, the house was expected to be the world's largest and most expensive home, with a cost of about US$2 billion.[33]

In 2014, it was considered the world's most expensive private residence.[2]

Incidents

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On 10 July 2017, a fire broke out on the ninth floor, and it was extinguished within a few minutes. Six fire tenders reached the building within 10 minutes of getting the call. However, the fire was extinguished by Antilia staff before the fire brigade team arrived, using a small line of fixed firefighting systems and fire extinguishers. The fire was confined to the 4G antenna and plastic framing of the vertical garden.[44]

See also: Antilia bomb scare and Sachin Vaze § 2021 Antilia bomb scare case

On 25 February 2021, a car containing 20 explosive gelatin sticks and a threatening letter targeting the Ambanis, was found near Antilia. The car was parked about 400 metres from the building on Carmichael Road bordering Altamount Road. A security officer at Antilia placed a call to the police control room regarding the suspicious vehicle, and the police rushed to the spot, joined by the bomb detection and disposal squad. After the sniffer dogs detected explosives, the bomb squad removed the gelatin sticks, which were found to be not assembled, and had no battery or detonator.[45] The probe was led by the Mumbai's crime intelligence unit head Sachin Vaze. The case was handed to the National Investigative Agency, which found out that Vaze was himself involved in this incident, and he was arrested.[46]

Public reception

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Tata Group former chairman Ratan Tata said Antilia is an example of rich Indians' lack of empathy for the poor.[47] Tata said, "The person who lives in there should be concerned about what he sees around him and asking how he can make a difference. If he cannot, then it's sad because this country needs people to allocate some of their enormous wealth to finding ways of mitigating the hardship that people have.[47] It makes me wonder why someone would do that. That's what revolutions are made of."[48]

See also

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References

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Citations

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  1. ^ a b "Perkins + Will Debunks Antilia Myths". Archived from the original on 16 January 2016. Retrieved 1 April 2022.
  2. ^ a b c d Carlyle, Erin (13 May 2014). "The Most Expensive Billionaire Homes In The World". Forbes. Archived from the original on 23 February 2017. Retrieved 21 August 2019.
  3. ^ "Photos: Inside the Life of the Ambani Family, Owners of the World's Most Lavish Home". Vanity Fair. Condé Nast. 23 May 2012. Archived from the original on 29 March 2019. Retrieved 26 August 2019.
  4. ^ "Mittal's address more expensive than Ambani's – Money – DNA". Dnaindia.com. 4 August 2008. Archived from the original on 26 December 2010. Retrieved 17 November 2010.
  5. ^ a b "The Ambani Residence, The Most Expensive House in the World". Vanity Fair. 8 May 2012. Archived from the original on 8 December 2021. Retrieved 11 February 2022.
  6. ^ a b c Parwini Zora (7 June 2007). "Indian industrialist to build rs2000 "home" amidst Mumbai's multimillion slum-dwellers". Asian Tribune. World Socialist Web Site. Archived from the original on 30 December 2013. Retrieved 17 November 2010.
  7. ^ a b Eshita, Bhargava (19 April 2023). "Mukesh Ambani and Anant Ambani's $4.6 billion 27-storey skyscraper home has a snow room, spa, ice-cream parlor, and more". Financial Express. Archived from the original on 1 March 2024. Retrieved 1 March 2024.
  8. ^ "7 most expensive houses in India". DNA India. Retrieved 21 July 2024.
  9. ^ "10 Surprising Facts About Ambani's 'Antilia', the World's Most Expensive House – Celebrity, Cosmopolitan India". Cosmopolitan India. Archived from the original on 11 February 2022. Retrieved 11 February 2022.
  10. ^ "Helipads to ballrooms: All that you wanted to know about Mukesh Ambani's Antilia". Firstpost. 24 March 2014. Archived from the original on 26 August 2019. Retrieved 26 August 2019.
  11. ^ "Mukesh Ambani's 'Antilia' world's most expensive billionaire home: Forbes". The Indian Express. 14 May 2014. Archived from the original on 11 February 2022. Retrieved 11 February 2022.
  12. ^ Kaul, Vivek (4 October 2020). "Investing in real estate is hardly a lucrative bet now". Live Mint. Archived from the original on 1 March 2024. Retrieved 1 March 2024.
  13. ^ Girish, Kuber (19 September 2006). "Real estate prices in Mumbai double in a year". The Economic Times. Archived from the original on 1 March 2024. Retrieved 1 March 2024.
  14. ^ "Property prices continue to rise across India in 2012". www.commonfloor.com. 26 December 2012. Archived from the original on 13 March 2017.
  15. ^ "Mukesh Ambani built Antilia on orphanage land illegally sold in 2005: Maharashtra State Board of Wakfs". The New Indian Express. 12 November 2017. Retrieved 22 September 2024.
  16. ^ "Legality of orphanage property sold to Mukesh Ambani's Antilia in question". India Today. 29 November 2017. Archived from the original on 26 October 2018. Retrieved 26 October 2018.
  17. ^ "State may refer Ambani's Wakf land deal to CBI". The Indian Express. 2 August 2011. Archived from the original on 8 November 2022. Retrieved 3 April 2021.
  18. ^ Madhurima Nandy (5 August 2008). "Altamount Road in Mumbai is world's 10th dearest address". Livemint. Archived from the original on 28 November 2010. Retrieved 2 June 2013.
  19. ^ "Lodha secures Mumbai land for Rs 4,053 cr". Business Standard. 26 May 2010. Archived from the original on 10 September 2011. Retrieved 2 June 2013.
  20. ^ "SC rejects plea to stop work on Mukesh mansion". Business Standard. Press Trust of India. 3 May 2008. Retrieved 2 June 2013.
  21. ^ "Centre wants CBI to probe Mukesh Ambani home deal". Hindustan Times. 4 June 2011. Archived from the original on 3 August 2022. Retrieved 3 March 2021.
  22. ^ "Mukesh Ambani's new house – Antilla". aavaas.com. Archived from the original on 3 September 2011. Retrieved 11 April 2014.
  23. ^ "Ambani dream house stands on shaky ground". Yahoo India Finance. 2 August 2011. Archived from the original on 15 March 2016. Retrieved 8 September 2011.
  24. ^ Makarand Gadgil (1 August 2011). "Maharashtra govt to review Ambani home land deal". Livemint. Archived from the original on 12 December 2019. Retrieved 2 June 2013.
  25. ^ "News # 020613-145152]". Newkerala.com. Archived from the original on 1 February 2014. Retrieved 2 June 2013.
  26. ^ "Centre wants CBI to probe Mukesh Ambani home deal". Hindustan Times. Archived from the original on 1 March 2014. Retrieved 2 June 2013.
  27. ^ "Mukesh Ambani's 'Antilla' allegedly built on land reserved for orphans". Mumbai Live. Archived from the original on 26 October 2018. Retrieved 26 October 2018.
  28. ^ "Mukesh Ambani Built Antilia on Orphanage Land Illegally Sold in 2005: Maharashtra State Board of Wakfs". Caravan. 29 November 2017. Archived from the original on 3 December 2017. Retrieved 26 October 2018.
  29. ^ "Sale of Land For Mukesh Ambani's House 'Antilia' Illegal, Against Provisions of Wakf Act: Maharashtra State Board of Wakfs [Read Affidavit]". www.livelaw.in. Live law. 28 November 2017. Archived from the original on 26 October 2018. Retrieved 26 October 2018.
  30. ^ Hanrahan, Mark (18 May 2012). "Antilia: Inside Mukesh Ambani's 27-Story Mumbai Residence, The World's First $1 Billion Home (photos)". HuffPost. Archived from the original on 6 February 2019. Retrieved 9 January 2018.
  31. ^ "Antilia / World's Most Expensive House". ArchDaily. 15 October 2010. Archived from the original on 20 February 2022. Retrieved 20 February 2022.
  32. ^ "Mukesh Ambani set to move into his $2 bn home!". Rediff. Archived from the original on 20 February 2022. Retrieved 20 February 2022.
  33. ^ a b c d Woolsey, Matt (30 April 2008). "Inside The World's First Billion-Dollar Home". Forbes. Archived from the original on 12 November 2010. Retrieved 17 November 2010.
  34. ^ Sayliudasmankikar (4 June 2007). "Mumbai's costliest road gets richer". Indian Express. Archived from the original on 8 November 2022. Retrieved 3 April 2021.
  35. ^ "Oh brother, spare me the time – World". Sydney Morning Herald. 2 August 2008. Archived from the original on 8 November 2012. Retrieved 13 October 2010.
  36. ^ "Personal Green Skyscrapers – The 60 Story Antilia House (GALLERY)". Trendhunter.com. Archived from the original on 1 July 2012. Retrieved 29 July 2010.
  37. ^ Kwek, Glenda (15 October 2010). "India's richest man builds first $1-billion home". Melbourne: Theage.com.au. Archived from the original on 30 October 2010. Retrieved 28 October 2010.
  38. ^ Ro, Lauren (8 March 2017). "Arizona's 'Falcon's nest,' designed by Sukumar Pal, asks $1.5M". Curbed. Archived from the original on 16 April 2017. Retrieved 18 April 2017.
  39. ^ Lynn Farah (15 June 2020). "Mukesh Ambani's Mumbai mansion Antilia". South China Morning Post. Archived from the original on 5 April 2021. Retrieved 4 April 2021.
  40. ^ Shiv Kumar (17 August 2019). "Defence spoke on helipads atop tall Mumbai buildings". www.tribuneindia.com. Archived from the original on 21 March 2021. Retrieved 5 April 2021.
  41. ^ Elizabeth Flock (19 October 2011). "Mukesh Ambani never moved into his $1 billion mansion Antilia". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 13 July 2015. Retrieved 20 December 2013.
  42. ^ Sudhir Suryawanshi (30 October 2011). "Mukesh Ambani moved into Antilla 2 months ago". DNA India. Archived from the original on 26 February 2021. Retrieved 3 April 2021.
  43. ^ Rajini Vaidyanathan (18 May 2012). "Ambanis give first view inside 'world's priciest house' in Mumbai". BBC News. Archived from the original on 12 April 2021. Retrieved 3 April 2021.
  44. ^ Indo Asian News Service (11 July 2017). "Fire breaks out at Mukesh Ambani's 'Antilia' building in south Mumbai". Archived from the original on 10 April 2021. Retrieved 10 April 2021.
  45. ^ Vijay Kumar Yadav and Manish K Pathak (25 February 2021). "Explosive, threat letter found in a car near Ambani house in Mumbai". hindustand times. Archived from the original on 10 April 2021. Retrieved 10 April 2021.
  46. ^ Vaktania, Saurabh (19 March 2021). "Mukesh Ambani bomb scare case: What happened and when". India Today. Archived from the original on 5 May 2021. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
  47. ^ a b "'Antilla', Mukesh Ambani's house, shows lack of empathy for poor: Ratan Tata". The Times of India. 22 May 2011. Archived from the original on 26 May 2011. Retrieved 30 May 2011.
  48. ^ "Why Mukesh Ambani's swanky home makes Ratan Tata sad". Firstpost. 20 December 2014. Archived from the original on 28 July 2016. Retrieved 11 July 2016.
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