Facts About World's Most Expensive House Built - Mukesh Ambani's Antilia

Laelia Yang December 30, 2021 | 07:48

What is the world’s most expensive house? Antilia – the place that Reliance Industries’ chairman, counted amongst the richest people in the world.

What Is The World’s Most Expensive House Built?

Reliance’s Mukesh Ambani and Nita Ambani are the owners of the most expensive house built in the world. Situated in Mumbai’s Altamount Road, Antilia is a 4000-square-foot Xanadu.

The house is designed by Chicago-based architects Perkins and Will, with the Australian-based construction company Leighton Holdings. Check out inside information of their not-so-humble abode in Mumbai below:

What is Mukesh Ambani’s Antilia?

The most expensive private house in the world is Antilia, a 27-story personal skyscraper and home of Indian businessman Mukesh Ambani in Mumbai. Designed by American architects Perkins & Will and completed in 2010, Antilia has a total living floor area of 37,000 m² (400,000 ft²), plus 168 parking spaces, three helipads, several swimming pools, a health spa, and theatre. It occupies a 4,532-square-metre (48,780-ft²) plot on Mumbai's exclusive Altamount Road and accommodates 600 staff. Measuring 173 m (568 ft) high, the generous triple-height spacing of the 27 floors means that the building is as tall as a typical 60-story office tower.

The exact expenditure is unclear, and at one point was officially estimated at $500–700 million, but very probably Antilia eventually cost close to $2 billion. Much of this comes from land, size, and construction expenditure, but also from using different marbles, stones, and exotic woods, plus bespoke furniture and fittings, on every floor.

How much does Mukesh Ambani’s Antilia really cost?

Ranked second among the world’s most expensive properties, one can only imagine that the house of India’s richest man comes at a steep price. Spread across 400,000-square-feet, featuring 3 helipads, and six-story underground parking among other amenities, Antilia has priced between Rs 6,000 crore to Rs 12,000 crore, according to Forbes.

While there are no clear estimates about it, it is often reported in the media that the maintenance work at Antilia requires an expenditure of Rs 2.5 crores per month.

Where is Mukesh Ambani's Antilia?

The luxe 27-storey cantilevered Ambani house is spread over 4,00,000 sq ft in Mumbai (India), a city that is notorious for space issues making it one of the most exorbitantly-priced housing markets in the world.

Located on Altamount Road in Cumballa Hill, Mukesh Ambani’s skyscraper house is named after a mythical island believed to be in the Atlantic Ocean near Portugal and Spain.

Mukesh Ambani has Kumar Mangalam Birla, the scion of the Birla family, as his neighbor.

Where was Mukesh Ambani's Antilia constructed?

The construction for Ambani’s Antilia started in 2004 and continued rigorously for seven years till 2010. However, the Ambani family moved into the home only in late 2011, fuelling rumors about Vastu-related issues with the property, which we will discuss later in this article.

Mukesh Ambani's Antiliaprice in Indian rupees

Mukesh Ambani’s house price in Indian rupees works out to be approximately Rs 15,000 crores. Property surveyors are of the view that the per sq ft price of Antilia ranges between Rs 80,000 and Rs 85,000 rupees.

What is Mukesh Ambani's Antilia interior?

Photo: design-buildings

A house as grand as the man himself, the phrase ‘living large’ got a whole new meaning when Antilia's house came along with her 27 floors decked in grandiose. The skyscraper was built to withstand an earthquake of magnitude 8.0 on the Richter scale. Even though it is a 27-floor building, its estimated height is that of a 60-storey building owing to its height and massively high ceilings; each floor is said to be as tall as a 2-storey building. It is said to be the tallest house owned by a single family in the world standing at 173 meters which are around 568 feet. But that point is constantly argued upon as Antilia also houses around 600 staff members. These staff members including bodyguards, assistants, and other security personnel have a huge room allocated for their relaxation.

The Ambani’s moved into their new residence in September 2011, after a grand puja and Vastu ceremony that was conducted by 50 renowned pandits.

The interior of the Mukesh Ambani House is said to be inspired by a mythical Atlantic Island. The theme is primarily focused on the sun and the lotus engraved into marble, stone, crystals, and mother-of-pearl.

The house is decked with a beautiful and prominent temple, a theatre that can accommodate up to 50 people, a theatre on the terrace, an ice cream parlor, a salon, a dance studio, a health spa, a ballroom, a yoga studio, and multiple suites meant to host guests. The mansion also houses 3 Olympic-sized swimming pools. The top six floors of the Ambani’s mansion have been sealed off as their private, residential living space.

Mukesh Ambani’s passion for cars is well-known and that is reflected in the six floors dedicated to parking alone! His garage space can accommodate 168 cars. Not just this, Ambani has his own private car service station on the seventh floor.

One other area in the Antilia maze is the Ambani family’s snow room where they go to get away from the life-sucking Mumbai heat. The walls of the snow room are designed to dispense artificial snowflakes that give out Antarctic vibes. How cool is that!

Wondering how the family members move from one area to another without breaking a sweat? Well, thanks to the 9 elevators that run at super speed. These elevators are assigned to different sets of floors. There are separate elevators for the Ambani family, staff members, and guests. And in case, this would not suffice, there are three helipads built on the megastructure. However, they are not yet functional as permits from the Director-General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and the Central defense and Environment ministries are still pending.

What is the theme of Mukesh Ambani’s Antilia?

Mukesh Ambani house theme is based on pastels, which adds a serene vibe to the whole mansion; with a majority of its premises set in different hues of brown, beige, and cream, Antilia is truly a sight to behold. The aesthetic furniture complements the serenity of the interior and the finishing touch is given by the chandeliers that hang from every ceiling.

Mukesh Ambani's Antilia land controversy

Photo: thinkingthefuture

Mukesh Ambani bought the plot to build Antilia in 2002 for USD 4.4 million from a Muslim charitable trust that operated an orphanage in another location of the city.

Following the sale, a controversy about the purchase by Ambani emerged, with the then Maharashtra Waqf and revenue minister, Nawab Malik saying that the land owned by the Waqf board had been put for sale for the ‘education of underprivileged Khoja children (from the Nizari Isma’ili Shia community)’. Other critics also alleged that Mukesh Ambani bought the property through auction at a price much below the market rate of the plot.

Ultimately, Mukesh Ambani was able to receive a no-objection certificate from the Waqf Board for the plot, following which the construction for Antilia started.

How many workers are there in Antilia?

The Ambani Mansion, Antilia can host around 600 staff members. The staff members include cooks, bodyguards, security personnel, gardeners, housemaids, personal assistants, and other people needed. The staff is allotted living quarters and continues to reside in the mansion 24X7.

How many rooms are there in Antilia?

Antilia has 27 floors that stand at a towering height of 173 meters, equivalent to the height of a 60-story skyscraper. The top six floors house the Ambani family with an entire floor dedicated to each member of the family. And six floors from the bottom host Ambani’s car collection. There are a multitude of rooms in the mansion such as a salon, dance studio, theatre, ice cream parlor, and several others but the actual number of rooms in the Ambani mansion remains a mystery.

Mukesh Ambani has a huge need for speed. It is no wonder then that Antilia has six dedicated floors for cars, including his Rs 5 crore Maybach. In fact, the garage has space to accommodate 168 cars. The building in south Mumbai has a dedicated car service station on the seventh floor. Talking about a need for speed, Antilia also has 9 high-speed elevators, each assigned to different floors.

The Mumbai summer takes some getting used to. But for Mukesh Ambani and his family, there's a snow room to help them beat the heat. The walls of this dedicated room in the mansion spit out snowflakes.

Facts About Mukesh Ambani's Billion-Dollar Home

1. Contrary to many media reports, Antilia is not located in the slums. It sits at Altamount Road, one of the most expensive addresses in the world.

2. Unlike most of the world's wealthiest people, Antilia is the Ambanis' sole residence. They used to live in another Mumbai building that they shared with Mukesh's mother and brother.

3. A large staff is employed in the home but the kids, two of whom currently attend college in the US, still clean their rooms when they are home.

3. Antilia contains a multi-story garage with space for 168 cars. It also has three helipads on the roof, in case you prefer to arrive by air.

4. The lobby alone has nine elevators.

5. There is also a spa, terraced gardens and a temple where the family prays regularly. This blueprint shows the 2-story recreation center.

6. It also has a ballroom, guest suites and theater that seats 50.

7. The family's living quarters are on the top floors "because we wanted the sunlight," Nita told Vanity Fair.

8. Two design motifs—the sun and the lotus—are repeated throughout the mansion in rare materials like crystal, marble, and mother-of-pearl.

9. The Ambanis are vegetarians and teetotalers, and only serve wine during cocktail hours. Meals are vegetarian and alcohol-free.

10. The home is named after a mythical island in the Atlantic Ocean.