[imagesource:ag]

Named the most expensive private residence in the world by the Guinness Book of World Records, this opulent 27-story tower on Mumbai’s most exclusive street is owned by Mukesh Ambani, India’s richest man.

That’s a lot of superlatives, which is perhaps completely fitting for a house that apparently requires a staff of 600, has three helipads, and features a movie theatre that can seat 50.

Dubbed Antilia – the name of a mythical island off the coast of Europe – the interior of the building has rarely been photographed. However, between Business Insider and Architectural Digest, we’ve compiled everything to know about Antilia, the Ambani family home.

Mukesh – reportedly worth $113 billion as the chairman of energy, retail, and media conglomerate Reliance Industries – is said to have paid a lavish $1-2 billion for this high-end mansion, which has since reached an iconic status in India, and the world.

Image: Flickr

AG notes a different ranking that puts the home as the world’s second-most expensive property after Buckingham Palace:

The 400,000-square-foot building is situated in one of the world’s most expensive addresses—Altamount Road in South Mumbai. According to property trends, per square foot of any real estate on Altamount Road ranges between a massive Rs 80,000 to Rs 85,000.

Designed by Chicago-based architects Perkins and Will, with the Australian-based construction company Leighton Holdings taking charge of its construction, the architectural design of Antilia has been fashioned along the lines of the lotus and the sun.

Image: AG

Image: AG

The top six floors of the building have been set aside as the private full-floor residential area, with a mega-temple, a host of guest suites, a salon, an ice-cream parlour and a private movie theatre on the other floors.

Image: AG

Image: AG

Since Mukesh has a real need for speed, Antilia also has six dedicated floors for 168 cars, including his Rs 5 crore Maybach, as well as a dedicated car service station on the seventh floor.

While the heat in Mumbai has made headlines for passing people on to the afterlife, the Ambani family have a snow room to help them beat the heat.

Image: AG

The Ambani family includes father Mukesh and mother Nita, along with eldest son Anant and twins Isha and Akash. It is unclear who lives at Antilia full-time.

Image: Economic Times

The Ambani family are known to go over the top. Just recently they caught the world’s attention with pre-wedding festivities for son Anant that included a private Rihanna concert and meals prepared by 100 chefs. Some of their high-profile guests included Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg.

Antilia’s opulence has drawn criticism, with some experts saying that it does not align with Hindu architectural philosophy. In 2011, Ratan Tata, another one of India’s richest men, told the Times of India: “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.”

It is a dizzyingly unnecessary display of wealth, isn’t it?

[sources:businessinsider&ad]