An Extravagant Display of Material Wealth In India’s Modern History
The World’s Tallest Living Wall
Indian tycoon Mukesh Ambani, chairman of Reliance Industries, India’s largest private sector company, has been mooting the idea of a groundbreaking residence for his family for almost a decade. The world’s most lavish private home on the site of a Mumbai orphanage has run into red tape, showing that even India’s richest man is not immune to the complexities of Indian bureaucracy.The Maharashtra state government has issued an order to confiscate the land, which it alleges was sold illegally to the oil and petrochemicals baron. He is already part way through building his 27-story “palace in the air” on the site.
The design of the Residence Antilia, as it came to be called, was kept a close secret even after construction started a couple months ago. Anees Ahmad, a minister with the state government, said the Ambani property “is really an orphanage house. As per the government constitution of this country, these lands cannot be sold or purchased.”
The new Ambani family home would rise 570 feet — the equivalent in height of a 60-story residential building — and would have six levels of parking, a pool and a helipad. It is designed as the largest and tallest “living wall” in the world — a seamless, vertical garden that encompasses all walls of the building climbing to the 40th floor. Within this Vaastu tradition, the spine is regarded as the main source of support of the building, symbolically leading upward toward enlightenment. The various floor planes encombass a variety of garden tiers, terraces, water falls, ponds, recreational facilities, and enclosed, living areas that takes advantage of the most spectacular views of Mumbai and its waterfront.
The tower will have 6 floors of parking; several floors of just gardens; a couple “entertainment” floors including a massive theater; 2 floors of guest apartments, and various floors dedicated to the kitchen, laundry and other services. Reliance Corporate offices will be in the bottom floors and the private Ambani family residence will make up the topmost several floors. A helipad is designed on top, but there is mixed reports on whether this feature has been actually approved by the authorities.
