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Antilia (building)

Coordinates: 18°58′06″N 72°48′35″E / 18.9683°N 72.8097°E / 18.9683; 72.8097
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Antilia
Map
General information
StatusCompleted
LocationAltamount Road, Cumballa Hill, Mumbai
CountryIndia
Coordinates18°58′06″N 72°48′35″E / 18.9683°N 72.8097°E / 18.9683; 72.8097
Completed2010
Opening5 February 2010
CostUS$2 billion
OwnerMukesh Ambani
Height173 m (568 ft)
Technical details
Floor count27
Lifts/elevators10
Design and construction
Architect(s)Perkins and Will
DeveloperMukesh Ambani
Structural engineerSterling Engineering Consultancy Services (Mumbai)
Main contractorLeighton Contractors

Antilia is a private home in the Mumbai City district (South Mumbai) of Mumbai, India. It is the residence of Indian billionaire Mukesh Ambani and his family, who moved into it in 2012;[1] at 27-storeys, 173 metres (567.585 feet) tall, over 400,000 square feet (37,161 square meters), and with amenities such as one helipad , air traffic control, a 168-car garage, a ballroom, 9 high speed elevators, 50-seat theater, terrace gardens, swimming pool, spa, health center, a temple, a snow room that spits out snowflakes from the walls, the skyscraper-mansion is one of world's largest and most elaborate private homes.[2] The architectural design of Antilia has been fashioned along the lines of the lotus and the sun. The top six floors of the building have been set aside as the private full-floor residential area. It's also designed to withstand an earthquake of 8 on the richter scale.

As of May 2020, it is valued at $2.2 billion, deemed to be the world's second most valuable residential property, after British crown property Buckingham Palace, and the world's most valuable private residence.[3] Its controversial design and ostentatious use by a single family has made it infamous in India and beyond, including severe criticism in the architectural press and mockery in popular media.[4]

It is located on Altamount Road, Cumballa Hill in Mumbai.

Naming

The building is named after the mythical island Antillia.[5]

Construction

Antilia as seen from Altamount Road

Antilia started building in 2006 and was built in consultation with US architecture firms Perkins and Will & Hirsch Bedner Associates, with the Australian-based construction company Leighton Contractors initially taking charge of its construction. The construction was completed by B.E.Billimoria & Company Ltd.[6] The home has 27 floors with extra-high ceilings. (Other buildings of equivalent height may have as many as 60 floors.)[7] The home was also designed to survive an earthquake rated 8 on the Richter scale.[8] 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.[9]

Controversies

The 4,532-square-metre (1.120-acre) land on which Antilla was built housed an orphanage called Currimbhoy Ebrahim Khoja Yateemkhana with 60 orphans, and belonged to a charity run by the Wakf board. The orphanage had been founded in 1895 by Currimbhoy Ebrahim, a wealthy shipowner.[10] In 2005, this property was purchased by Muffin-Antilla Commercial Private Limited, a commercial entity controlled by Mukesh Ambani, from the Currimbhoy Ebrahim Khoja Trust, in direct contravention[11] of § 51 of the Wakf Act.[12] In 2002, the trust took permission from the charity commissioner to sell this land. The charity commissioner gave the required permission three months later. Section 51 of the Wakf act requires that any such sale of land should be done after the permission of the Maharashtra state board of wakfs. However this permission was not taken, a notice was sent to the orphanage, this was disputed by the orphanage trust and finally, the Wakf board and the orphanage came to an agreement.[13] The sale proceeded and the building was built. However, a PIL was filed a decade later by Abdul Matin, against the orphanage and the Charity commissioners permission.[14] The case remains in court is as of 2018, was still being heard by a special bench of the court.[15][16]

The 4532sqm[17] plot of land had been previously owned by the Currimbhoy Ebrahim Khoja Yateemkhana (an orphanage). This charitable institution had sold the land allocated for the purpose of education of underprivileged Khoja children to Antilla Commercial Private Limited in July 2002 for ₹210.5 million (US$2.5 million).[18] The prevailing market value of the land at the time was at least ₹1.5 billion (US$18 million).[19][20][21]

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 on receiving an amount of ₹1.6 million (US$19,000) from Antilla Commercial Pvt Ltd, and it issued a No Objection Certificate.[22]

In 2007 the Maharashtra state government said the structure is illegal because the land's owner, the Waqf Board, had no right to sell it, as Waqf property can neither be sold nor transferred.[23] Ambani then obtained a No Objection Certificate from the Waqf Board after paying ₹ 1.6 million and began construction.[23] In June 2011, the Union government asked the Maharashtra government to consider referring the matter to the Central Bureau of Investigation.[24][25][26][27]

In regards to the three helipads, the Indian Navy said it will not allow the construction of helipads on Mumbai buildings, while the Environment Ministry, following a representation from Awaaz Foundation,[28] said the helipads violate local noise laws.[23][29] Issues have also been raised with regards to the construction of an illegal car park.

In 2011 it was reported that Ambani had yet to move into the home, despite its completion, for fear of "bad luck".[30]

Cost and valuation

Antilia is the world's most expensive private home, costing approximately US$2 billion.[31][32][33] Thomas Johnson, director of marketing at architecture firm Hirsch Bedner Associates (consulted by Reliance during the design of the building's floor plan) told Forbes magazine the residence cost nearly $3 billion.[34]

Public reception

Tata Group former chairman Ratan Tata said Antilia is an example of rich Indians' lack of empathy for the poor.[35] Tata said, "The person who lives in there should be concerned about what he sees around him and asking can he make a difference. If he is not, 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."[36] "It makes me wonder why someone would do that. That's what revolutions are made of."[37]

See also

References

Notes

Citations

  1. ^ Nast, Condé. "Photos: Inside the Life of the Ambani Family, Owners of the World's Most Lavish Home". Vanity Fair. Retrieved 26 August 2019.
  2. ^ "Helipads to ballrooms: All that you wanted to know about Mukesh Ambani's Antilia". Firstpost. Retrieved 26 August 2019.
  3. ^ Zeveloff, Julie. "12 Crazy New Facts About Mukesh Ambani's Billion-Dollar Home". Business Insider. Retrieved 25 February 2019.
  4. ^ Bajaj, Vikas (18 October 2011). "Mukesh Ambani's 27-Story House Is Not His Home". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 19 June 2017.
  5. ^ Hanrahan, Mark (18 May 2012). "Antilla: Inside Mukesh Ambani's 27-Story Mumbai Residence, The World's First $1 Billion Home (PHOTOS)". HuffPost. Retrieved 9 January 2018.
  6. ^ "Oh brother, spare me the time – World". smh.com.au. 2 August 2008. Retrieved 13 October 2010.
  7. ^ "Personal Green Skyscrapers – The 60 Story Antilla House (GALLERY)". Trendhunter.com. Retrieved 29 July 2010.
  8. ^ Kwek, Glenda (15 October 2010). "India's richest man builds first $1-billion home, Antilla, Ambani". Melbourne: Theage.com.au. Archived from the original on 30 October 2010. Retrieved 28 October 2010.
  9. ^ Ro, Lauren (8 March 2017). "Arizona's 'Falcon's nest,' designed by Sukumar Pal, asks $1.5M". Curbed. Retrieved 18 April 2017.
  10. ^ "Legality of orphanage property sold to Mukesh Ambani's Antilla in question". India Today. 29 November 2017. Retrieved 26 October 2018.
  11. ^ http://www.samayindia.in/business-news/89-cbi-to-probe-mukesh-bhais-antilla[dead link‍]
  12. ^ "Mukesh Ambani's new house – Antilla". aavaas.com. Archived from the original on 3 September 2011. Retrieved 11 April 2014.
  13. ^ "Mukesh Ambani built Antilla on orphanage land illegally sold in 2005: Maharashtra State Board of Wakfs". The New Indian Express. 28 November 2017. Retrieved 26 October 2018.
  14. ^ "Mukesh Ambani's 'Antilla' allegedly built on land reserved for orphans". Mumbai Live. Retrieved 26 October 2018.
  15. ^ "Mukesh Ambani Built Antilla on Orphanage Land Illegally Sold in 2005: Maharashtra State Board of Wakfs". Caravan. 29 November 2017. Retrieved 26 October 2018.
  16. ^ "Sale of Land For Mukesh Ambani's House 'Antilla' Illegal, Against Provisions of Wakf Act: Maharashtra State Board of Wakfs [Read Affidavit]". www.livelaw.in. Live law. Retrieved 26 October 2018.
  17. ^ "Allah's Left The Building". Retrieved 9 January 2018.
  18. ^ "State may refer Ambani's Wakf land deal to CBI". The Indian Express. 2 August 2011. Retrieved 16 May 2012.
  19. ^ Madhurima Nandy (5 August 2008). "Altamount Road in Mumbai is world's 10th dearest address". Livemint. Retrieved 2 June 2013.
  20. ^ "Lodha secures Mumbai land for Rs 4,053 cr". Business Standard. 26 May 2010. Retrieved 2 June 2013.
  21. ^ "SC rejects plea to stop work on Mukesh mansion". Business Standard. 3 May 2008. Retrieved 2 June 2013.
  22. ^ "Mukesh Ambani pays 16 lakh to Wakf board, gets NOC". Ibnlive.in.com. 9 July 2007. Retrieved 2 June 2013.
  23. ^ a b c Headlines Today Bureau. "Mukesh Ambani all set to move into world's costliest house: India : India Today". Indiatoday.intoday.in. Archived from the original on 18 October 2010. Retrieved 14 October 2010.
  24. ^ "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.
  25. ^ Makarand Gadgil (1 August 2011). "Maharashtra govt to review Ambani home land deal". Livemint. Retrieved 2 June 2013.
  26. ^ "News # 020613-145152]". Newkerala.com. Retrieved 2 June 2013.
  27. ^ "Centre wants CBI to probe Mukesh Ambani home deal". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 2 June 2013.
  28. ^ "No private helipads: Jairam". hindustantimes.com/. Archived from the original on 13 March 2014.
  29. ^ "Citizens say no to helipads atop private buildings". Hindustan Times. hindustantimes.com.
  30. ^ Elizabeth Flock (19 October 2011). "Mukesh Ambani never moved into his $1 billion mansion Antilla". The Washington Post. Retrieved 20 December 2013.
  31. ^ "Mittal's address more expensive than Ambani's – Money – DNA". Dnaindia.com. 4 August 2008. Retrieved 17 November 2010.
  32. ^ "Indian industrialist to build rs2000 "home" amidst Mumbai's multimillion slum-dwellers". Asian Tribune. 7 June 2007. Retrieved 17 November 2010.
  33. ^ "Mukesh Ambani's new abode worth billion – Business News – IBNLive". Ibnlive.in.com. 3 February 2010. Retrieved 17 November 2010.
  34. ^ Woolsey, Matt (30 April 2008). "Inside The World's First Billion-Dollar Home". Forbes. Forbes.com. Archived from the original on 12 November 2010. Retrieved 17 November 2010.
  35. ^ "'Antilla', Mukesh Ambani's house, shows lack of empathy for poor: Ratan Tata". The Times of India. 22 May 2011. Retrieved 30 May 2011.
  36. ^ "'Antilla', Mukesh Ambani's house, shows lack of empathy for poor: Ratan Tata". The Times of India. 22 May 2011. Retrieved 2 June 2013.
  37. ^ "Why Mukesh Ambani's swanky home makes Ratan Tata sad". Firstpost. 20 December 2014.
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