More Ambani Fun

It all started when Mrs. Nita Ambani (wife of Mukesh Ambani) was relaxing at a spa at the Mandarin Hotel, New York, the Asian interiors struck her and she inquired about the desinger. And so they consulted rchitecture firms Perkins + Will and Hirsch Bedner Associates, the designers behind the Mandarin Oriental, based in Dallas and Los Angeles, respectively.

And what’s the most unique feature of the entire house,if you may ask? Well, the Ambani house differs in the fact that no two floors are similar in either plans or materials used. At the request of Nita Ambani, say the designers, if a metal, wood or crystal is part of the ninth-floor design, it shouldn’t be used on the eleventh floor, for example. The idea is to blend styles and architectural elements so spaces give the feel of consistency, but without repetition.

Mrs.Ambani also took alot of interest in the crockery of the house. We told you how she went all the way to Sri Lanka for crockery shopping.

And now, for some information about each room:

Ballroom:

80% of the ceiling of the Antilla ballroom will be taken up by crystalchandeliers. The royal staircase will lead to a central landing. It features a retractable showcase for pieces of art, a mount of LCD monitors and embedded speakers, as well as stages for entertainment. The hall opens to an indoor/outdoor bar, green rooms, powder rooms and allows access to a nearby “entourage room” for security guards and assistants to relax.

Bathroom:

The Antilla house is a mix of several features seen worldwide however, all the features have a distinct Indian feel to them. The Gingko-leaf design sink is a good example of this. Native to India, the leaves in thesinks are shaped in such a way that their stems guide water into the bowl created by the basket of the leaf.

Traditional Lounge:

Ambani’s home features countless lounges, offering Reliance Industries guests a quiet escape. Chandeliers and mirrors are a common feature of these rooms, as are finely woven Indian area rugs.

The family wants the look and feel of the home’s interior to be distinctly Indian; 85% of the materials and labor will come from outside the U.S, most of it from India. Where possible, the designers say, whether it’s for the silver railings, crystal chandeliers, woven arearugs or steel support beams, the Ambanis are using Indian companies, contractors, craftsmen and materials firms.

Modern Lounge:

The furniture, floors, lines and dark woods of this lounge are simpler and more discreet than the other lounges of the house. I wonder what they’ll use this for?

Entertainment Level:

The eighth floor is the entertainment floor complete with a 50-seat theatre, a gardened rooftop and balconies.

The Ambani house features-a full-fledged theater, indistinguishable from a cinema. A wine room, snack bar and entertaining space, including couches and tables, fill out the room.

Health Level:

The indoor/outdoor health level features a lap pool and Jacuzzi that take in views of the city skyline, as well as lounge chairs shaded by trees. Yoga and dance studios, changing rooms for men and women, gyms and a solarium with a juice bar fill out the interior space.

In case it gets too hot in Mumbai and the Ambanis are bored to go to some other place, there are plans of an ice-room, where they can sit and enjoy the man-made snow flurry.

Garage:

The first six floors are stashed away for parking alone and get this, just for the Ambani fleet of cars. Friends can flock aplenty as there is space allotted for 168 imported cars here. The seventh floor is to be employed for the maintenance of these cars.
Taking the green way:

Hanging vertical gardens dot the exterior. While they make for good decoration, their key function has to do with energy efficiency: The hydroponic plants, grown in liquid nutrient solutions instead of soil, lower the energy footprint of the home by absorbing heat and sunlight and providing shade that helps keep it cool.

Roof:

The top floor features a covered, outdoor entertaining space with panoramic views of the Mumbai skyline as well as the Arabian Sea. On those days when it’s too hot, or cold, an interior space with floor-to-ceiling windows provides the same luxury.

Wealth of this kind can only be an illusion for some while it is a reality for a fortunate few like the Ambanis.