While a 27-storey, two billion-dollar house for six people in the most poverty-stricken area of India might seem a tad bit extravagant to most, the richest man in India and sixth richest in the world, Mukesh Ambani, seems to have missed the memo.
And that’s precisely why there is a towering skyscraper that reaches 550 feet with over 400,000 square feet of interior space against the Mumbai skyline.
In its initial days, and even after its completion, the ostentatious display horrified Indian residents. Considering more than half live on $2 a day, and the building overlooks an overcrowded slum, it’s not hard to see why.
Despite the national outcry, the house, dubbed Antilia after the mystical city in Atlantis, stands today. The lowest levels – all six of them – are parking lots with space enough for 168 cars. Above that, and easily accessible via a lobby with nine elevators, the living quarters begin.
There are several lounge rooms, bedrooms and bathrooms, each adorned with dangling chandeliers. Also on offer is the large ballroom, with 80 percent of its ceiling covered in crystal chandeliers that opens out to a large bar, green rooms, powder rooms and “entourage room” for security guards and assistants to relax.
Rounding off the opulence, the final four levels of the complex are solely devoted to hanging gardens. These gardens point to the complexes eco-friendly status, acting as an energy-saving device by absorbing sunlight, and deflecting it from the living spaces insulating the area.
Surprisingly though, the family has yet to move into it’s $2 billion mega-mansion.
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