How much is your house worth? Couple of hundred grand tops, yeah? Not a patch on this: it’s worth a billion quid, and one of the most eco-friendly abodes going.
Currently being created by Nita and Mukesh Ambani in downtown Mumbai, it’s a 27-story “family skyscraper” but it’s not just a show of enormous wealth, it’s an eco-fancier’s dream.
It’s also an architect’s nightmare, since designers are still finalising some of the floors, even as it’s being put together. In fact, no two floors are alike in either plans or building materials.
The result is an adorably eccentric design, comprising metal, wood and even crystal.
Dubbed Antilla, the bottom six stories are reserved for parking spaces (both family cars, and those of their personal staff), while nine elevators (and silver-plated stairwells) snake their way through the building, passing ballrooms, lounges and bathrooms in their dozens.
From an environmental point of view, its creators say that Indian companies, contractors, craftsmen and materials firms are being used wherever possible, to reduce the carbon footprint of its construction, while plants and gardens actually form the outside of the building on many levels and on all sides, providing insulation, absorbing sunlight and keeping the tower cool without the need for extra air conditioning.
Of course, the plants also pump out fresh oxygen into the atmosphere at the same time.
A special “garden level” also contains spaces for entertaining guests, with balconies that clear the tree line (yes, there are trees growing 22 stories up), to offer views across Mumbai.
Less eco-friendly are plans to include an indoor ice room, complete with a snow machine to create flurries of man-made white stuff, and provide space for skiiing.
Crazy, yes, but we’d still love an invite to one of the Ambani’s parties.
Due for completion January 09 | £1 billion
