Largest house

The largest, tallest and most expensive private house in the world is Antilia, a 27-storey personal skyscraper and home of Indian businessman Mukesh Ambani in Mumbai. Designed by American architects Perkins & Will and completed in 2010, Antilia has a total living floor area of 37,000 m² (400,000 ft²), plus 168 parking spaces, three helipads, several swimming pools, a health spa and theatre. It occupies a 4,532-square-metre (48,780-ft²) plot on Mumbai's exclusive Altamount Road, and accommodates 600 staff. Measuring 173 m (568 ft) high, the generous triple-height spacing of the 27 floors mean that the building is actually as tall as a typical 60-storey office tower.

The building is named after the mythical Atlantic island of Antillia, and the design uses anicent Vaastu Shastra architectural principles to maximize positive energy. Exact expenditure is unclear, and at one point was officially estimated at $500–700 million, but very probably Antilia eventually cost close to $2 billon. Much of this comes from land, size and construction expenditure, but also from using different marbles, stones and exotic woods, plus bespoke furniture and fittings, on every floor.

A Look at Luxury and Scale: Defining What Makes a House the Largest

There are many criteria that can be used to determine what makes a house large. This includes not only the number of storeys and the square footage, but also things like the number of parking spaces, where it is located and how much space it occupies. For context, Antilia has a total living floor area of 37,000 m² (400,000 ft²) and has 168 parking spaces.  

Considering how grand it is, one could argue that this house is no less than a palace. However, in the record-breaking world and for verification purposes, it is important to distinguish between private residences and palaces. While both essentially just refer to large houses, a palace is typically the official residence of someone of social rank, like a king or another monarch. Antilia, which is a private residence, belongs to business tycoon Mukesh Ambani and his family actively lives there. Palaces are often open to public visits, which is quite uncommon with private residences.  

The classification of houses is known as architecture typology. A residential typology like Antilia, for example, will be different than a commercial building typology which will be more focussed on architectural design for, say, office spaces.  

Image of the Mumbai skyline. Image from Pixabay.

A Look Inside the World’s Largest House

Antilia is located in South Mumbai, one of the most premium residential areas in the world. Mumbai as a whole is one of the most expensive cities in India, home to billionaires, businessmen and famous Bollywood actors. Indian businessman Mukesh Ambani owns Antilia, whose family went viral on social media for a lavish $600 million wedding in the summer of 2024. The gigantic house occupies a 4,532-square-metre (48,780-ft²) plot and towers prominently over the Mumbai skyline.  

The Ambani residence is named after the mythical island of Antilia, and it is truly no less than magical. All that the family would need — from fitness to entertainment to travel — is all housed under one roof. The house has a prominent vertical design to suit the constraints of being situated in a big city and has what is known as a staggered structure. Every alternate floor has significant open space, allowing for ample natural light and ventilation.  

Believe it or not, comparable to Antilia is THE Buckingham Palace! While Buckingham Palace is equipped with amenities ranging from a doctor’s office to a movie theatre, Antilia has three helipads and a ballroom.  

Notable Features of the Largest House 

As mentioned, Antilia has a total living floor area of 37,000 m² (400,000 ft²) and occupies a 4,532-square-metre (48,780-ft²) plot. It is 173 m (568 ft) high and has 27 spacey floors. If the residence were an ordinary office building though, it would have had about 60 normally spaced floors. It can accommodate about 600 staff members. 

The extravagant Ambani residence also has a snow room where family members can cool off during the summers. It has six floors of parking to store 160 cars as well as a complete wellness centre. The wellness centre is spread across four floors and includes amenities like a gym, spa and yoga studio.  

The most unique element of the building its blend of modern and traditional Indian architecture. It was designed keeping in mind the Indian concept of Vaastu, which is like Feng Shui, but also incorporates more modern elements like high ceilings and ceiling-to-floor glass windows.  

This allows the residence to have natural light and ventilation, which is truly a luxury in a cramped city like Mumbai. There are multiple gardens and terraces across floors and was also built keeping in mind responsible sustainability practices.  

While it is mostly the Ambani family that resides at Antilia, the family often hosts celebrities and prominent figures from across the world. One could speculate that they too, have been subject to the luxurious Ambani hospitality at Antilia.  

Antilia, the largest house in the world. Image from Pixabay.

The Cost of Owning and Maintaining the Largest House 

Antilia is worth a whopping $2 billion and took over four years to construct. For context, Buckingham Palace is worth $4.6 billion. The interior of the building lives up to the opulence and is made using materials like rare marbles and even crystal. 

It is speculated that the monthly cost of maintaining the residence adds up to about $290,000 per month. A large part of the Ambani budget also goes toward paying the staff of 600 people. 

When it was constructed, Antilia gained a lot of criticism for being a symbol of wealth inequality and the dichotomy between the rich and poor in India. This criticism was enhanced by the fact that the house overlooks a largely poverty-stricken area of the city. On the other hand, some argue that the grandeur created by the mere presence of the building is attracting more eyeballs to Mumbai, thus establishing it as a pioneering, sophisticated hub for innovation and creativity.  

Historical and Cultural Significance of Enormous Homes 

Antilia adds itself to a list of large homes that have etched their name in history. The list ranges from Istana Nurul Iman in Brunei to the Ak Saray Presidential Palace in Türkiye. Istana Nurul Iman translates into “Light of Faith Palace” and is the Sultan of Brunei’s residence. It has over 1,788 rooms, a huge garage for luxury cars and even an air conditioned stable for over 200 horses.  

The Ak Saray Presidential Palace in Turkey is no less wondrous, with an estimated value of $615 million, a library comprising of more than four million books and a proper laboratory within. 

Large houses and luxury residences also have an important role to play in modern real estate trends. Luxury real estate can enhance property value in the area and lead to the creation of real estate jobs in the area. However, such trends also make affordable housing less accessible to middle and lower-income individuals.  

Istana Nurul Iman in Brunei. Image from Pixabay.

How the Largest Houses Compare to Famous Mansions 

Antilia is also the most expensive house built and the tallest house, in addition to the largest. Houses are also associated with some other intriguing GWR superlatives. For instance, the oldest houses in the world are in Turkey, dating back to 7,500–5,700 BC. Much in contrast to Antilia, the narrowest house in the world is situated in Poland and is only 92 cm (3.02 ft) at its narrowest and 152 cm (4.99 ft) at its widest. 

The main difference between large private residences and government-owned estates is how it is funded. Private residences are typically privately funded, whereas some government-owned estates may be taxpayer-funded.  

How a society functions and what it values are important factors that impact mansion designs and ownership. For example, Brunei is a monarchy and the architecture of the Istana Nurul Iman too, reflects a style steeped in its older heritage.