World's most expensive home is almost ready

This is the building that will home to a family of six. Mukesh Ambani's new residence - a 27-storey glass-fronted building will have parking for 168 cars, three helipads, a theatre and 600 staffers for its upkeep. Named after the mythical island Antilia, the house-in-the-making is being built on a 4,532 sq metre plot that was acquired by Ambani in 2002.

The world's costliest home, a 27-storey sky scraper under construction in Bombay for over £1 billion, is expected to be completed by the year end, two years after work on it began.

Owned by Mukesh Ambani of Reliance Industries, ranked the world's fifth riches man by Forbes magazine, the 500ft high building named Antilla with a floor space of 400,000 sq feet resembles a glass palace.

Designed by Perkins and Will & Hirsch Bedner Associates of Dallas and Los Angeles it has entertainment centres, a ballroom, a health club, an Olympic size swimming pool and a lush four-storey high open garden, a luxury in the densely populated port city.

The distinctive feature of Ambani's future home where he plans on living with his wife, three children and mother is that no floor is alike: each one has a distinctly different layout and is constructed with dissimilar material. The first six floors would be reserved for parking Amabani's 168 imported cars alongside an in-house service centre whilst the entertainment centre comprising a mini-theatre capable of seating 50 people would be on the eighth floor.

Other floors above them would house gyms, the swimming pool and numerous glass-fronted apartments for guests. The top four floors would be for the Ambani family with a breathtaking view of the Arabian Sea and the city's impressive skyline.

According to Forbes magazine the Ambani's living quarters begin atop a lobby with nine elevators and several storage rooms and lounges. Down dual stairways with silver-covered railings is a large ballroom with 80 per cent of its ceiling covered in crystal chandeliers." Topping all this would be the control room for the three helipads above, permission for which is yet to be granted.

The entire complex would be staffed by 600 employees, many of who will also live on the premises. (Link)