John Pasalis in Real Estate Trends
I just came across a Forbes article covering the world's first billion dollar home. The home is being built for Indian billionaire and fifth richest man in the world, Mukesh Ambani. The house, called Antilla, will be a 550 ft high 27 storey building in the heart of Mumbai. With construction costs of close to $2B, the Antilla will be the most expensive house in the world.
From the Forbes article:
The Ambani home, called Antilla, differs in that no two floors are alike in either plans or materials used. At the request of Nita Ambani, say the designers, if a metal, wood or crystal is part of the ninth-floor design, it shouldn't be used on the eleventh floor, for example. The idea is to blend styles and architectural elements so spaces give the feel of consistency, but without repetition.
Antilla's shape is based on Vaastu, an Indian tradition much like Feng Shui that is said to move energy beneficially through the building by strategically placing materials, rooms and objects.
On the health level, local plants decorate the outdoor patio near the swimming pool and yoga studio. The floor also features an ice room where residents and guests can escape the Mumbai heat to a small, cooled chamber dusted by man-made snow flurries.
For more temperate days, the family will enjoy a four-story open garden. In profile, the rebar-enforced beams form a "W" shape that supports the upper two-thirds of the building while creating an open-air atrium of gardens, flowers and lawns. Gardens, whether hanging hydroponic plants, or fixed trees, are a critical part of the building's exterior adornment but also serve a purpose: The plants act as an energy-saving device by absorbing sunlight, thus deflecting it from the living spaces and making it easier to keep the interior cool in summer and warm in winter. An internal core space on the garden level contains entertaining rooms and balconies that clear the tree line and offer views of downtown Mumbai.
A few more facts about the house:
- the building will feature 400,000 square feet of interior space; "only" around 45,000 will be used as the Ambani's private residence
- 6 level parking garage with room for 175 cars
- 9 elevators
- a grand ballroom with a silver staircase and a ceiling that will be 80% covered in crystal chandeliers
- 4 storey open garden
- an entertainment level with a 40 seat movie theatre and wine room.
- a health level with a lap pool, yoga studio, dance studio and of course the ice room mentioned above
The following renderings are from Forbes.com.
John Pasalis is a sales associate at Prudential Properties Plus in Toronto and a founder of Realosophy. Email John
Having seen the place myself, believe me when i say it is a piece of construction art.You may sprain your neck just looking at the sheer height of it from below.Kudos to Ambani for doing his part for the environment too.
Posted by: Real Estate India | May 27, 2008 at 08:46 AM
So you are attempting to understand the real estate position in Mumbai, but you are not clear in your mind the market picture of real estate in massive Mumbai? To help you, here is a preview of real estate market in Mumbai. Mumbai is going to be the town of the potential. According to the facts & figures, the real estate sector is growing at a blistering 30 per cent annually. Mumbai real estate is among the most expensive in the world - more than that of Tokyo or New York - and there is no shortage of those who can afford to pay. Some of the few successfully completed real estate projects in Mumbai are new airport at Navi Mumbai, New Suburban Trains Project, Bandra-Worli Sealink Project, Santacruz-Chembur Link Project, De -congestion of Prime CBD areas, Current Transportation systems, New Bridges Project, Sprawling Townships Project, Shopping Malls, IT Software Parks, Office complexes and development of Property investment proposition. Now, the city is undergoing redevelopment and restructuring. Various big real estate developers & constructors like DLF, Akruti, Parasvnath are bidding for the redevelopment of Dharavi which is Asia’s biggest slum and Mumbai’s biggest mess. Another interesting trend taking place in Mumbai is the remodeling of commercial spaces to retail spaces. With the property values of commercial spaces touching the sky, developers find it difficult to sell their commercial/office property. Hence, many of them are positioning their property as retail space in a hope to find more takers. Mumbai property market is a case in point. This market needs to be studied carefully as most the property trends arise from this market.For more view- realtydigest.blogspot.com
Posted by: riathareja | May 30, 2008 at 07:18 AM
all i can say is ..AAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSOOOOOOOOOOMEEEEEEEEEEE
Posted by: sam | July 04, 2009 at 05:02 PM
OMFG i am now obsessed with this house it's like a dream home ! :O
i wood be greatful to have a big massive house like that, it seems AMAZING ! :D
i hope that when i am older i will have the money to have a house as big as that ! x
Posted by: epackwood@hotmail.co.uk | August 21, 2009 at 09:25 AM
We expereice growing treds for lavish real estate investment in india , as these are treated as a symbol for status and lavish life .
Posted by: John Beck | October 05, 2009 at 05:09 AM