Architecture in the Age of Inequality: Navigating Professional Identity and Moral Integrity

Let's talk about the world's most expensive residence after the Buckingham Palace. Antilla, as the name is derived from a lost Atlantic Island, this building also symbolises the lost lands of humanity within the world of rich. I will talk about how I want to pursue my architecture – how to not generate money even if I have a hard time paying my bills. Some actions may be legal by law, but our moral compass guides us toward the right path, making certain choices feel almost illegal, simply because they clash with our sense of morality.

Coming back to the skyscraper, it was built as a private residence for a family of six and a dog. Some rumors even suggest there is a bear as well in an artificially controlled snow room - in the humid and warm climates of coastal Mumbai. The extravagant display of wealth is staggering, and I wouldn't be surprised if the rumor about the bear is true.

Just to give you an estimate of the scale of the wealth involved, my annual tuition fees (of course through loans) is the exact Antilla’s electricity bill for just one month - a sum that could power seven thousand homes. Like many, I have mixed emotions about this – a sense of wonder of what could be possible in one’s life and on then a sharp pang of jealousy that undermines all the wonder.

Eventually, my jealousy subsides as I realize how unrelatable the lives of such billionaires have become, often leading to feelings of disgust over their absurd choices. Me and my friends would often criticize this billionaire family – Mr. Ambani’s. But I question myself if this criticism is because of our insecurities and a way of making our mind happy – by calling them tacky, without personality and taste? Some even commented on their body weights and people who are getting married in their family as gold diggers.

Through this essay, I want to also understand how much of my criticism is driven by ego versus being genuine, neutral assessments of reality. Emotions truly blur our perception and trap us in a bubble of what our mind wants to believe to feel good.

This Antilla was built in 2011, so its been in my life for a while. When I told my friends about me writing an essay about in masters, they asked me to explore new topics instead of revisiting old ones. However, how can I move away with a once in a lifetime wonder? Its like completion of one of the pyramids in ancient Egypt - a landmark structure that I doubt any other billionaire would ever surpass in value or audacity.

I wonder what I would choose to create if ever being granted 2 billion USD to make a design for a private residence. If I calculate 6 percent of my fees, that would amount to 120 million dollars. Would I be able to say no to that? Where do my values lie - as a human, architect and humanitarian?

As an architect I am not impressed. Looking at the possibilities of the expenses involved, it is clear that instead of coming out as a unique design for our architectural community, Antilla is disappointing. Every architect wants to make an iconic structure which would stand out, while looks like Perkins and Wills tried but unfortunately Antilla comes out as a combination of recycled generic ideas that require high maintenance.

The first time I saw the green façade with checkered pattern in real life, it was covered with a blue tarpaulin (Indian blue plastic to keep the slums and shops temporarily safe from rain). It was an irony, what slum people use to live and survive, the billionaire had to employe to protect his house. Honestly, it humanized the structure and the family for me. I recognized the mistake made by this global architect which was funny but revealed how client deals with our mistakes once they take over the project.

By my short online research, I discovered the guests aren’t allowed to change the temperature of the spaces – because it has been set up according to the plants and marble finishes. Having 27 floors, each has a floor manager, and he keeps the temperature in control for the plants and finishes. I now understand the role of at least 27 out of the 600 staff members employed in this building. The social and economic gap in this capitalist world has made a life such that a family of 6 needs 600 house helps. I won't comment further on that, except to say they are compensated well, likely more than I will earn as an architect.

I would argue if this LEED certified building is environmentally sustainable but the building employs 600 people, and this can be seen as a way to promote social sustainability even if in a small or indirect way — by providing jobs and giving economic benefits.

But why would I call a LEED certified building unsustainable? Firstly, 35,000 square feet of its building area is the residential quarters belong to a 6-people family in the one of the highest population dense cities in the world. Secondly, the same building height that would typically accommodate 60 stories, Antilla stands with 27. This spatial inefficiency highlights excessive consumption and extreme wastefulness. In the late 2000s, our community underwent greenwashing. Putting up green walls on the facade made us believe we are trying to save nature. Meanwhile, architects who are designing buildings benefiting our planet's sustainability go unnoticed. I am certain that Mukesh Ambani, in his pursuit of leading in sustainable technologies and the emerging green market of 2025, will find it challenging to market his home as sustainable.

Another friend worked as a designer for one of Ambani’s resort projects for their one year long bash wedding. He gave me an interesting insight - their projects don’t have a budget. Making it every architect’s dream. What we design in studios without thinking of budgets is what he did during his experience with Ambani’s. His favorite aspect was that their projects are never published or revealed to avoid public criticism – so architects mistakes remain hidden.

Somehow, it’s not the same case for Antilla as it stands in ego built on the lands of an orphanage next to vast views of a slum. Going through all the links online, the details of their house also seems to be deliberately hidden, each source reveals a new feature of the building and all of them are true – 3 helipads, 6 floors of private parking space, 4 floors of Babylon like hanging gardens, ice cream parlors, movie theaters, health centers, ball rooms, spa, 3 story bubble jacuzzi bath that gives the feeling of being underwater, snow room with artificial snow flakes, pools all connected with customized elevators which are designed to move horizontally as well as vertically, making it easier for the family residents to navigagte around the building.

People often say that one can only claim that money does not bring happiness when they actually have money. I do believe I need to become reasonably wealthy before I can spread my philosophy about money. To gain a realistic view point of rich people and their exorbitant houses, I looked into industrialists who have more or less the same power of money – Late Ratan Tata, a respectable industrialist globally and a former architect found Antilia as irrelevant on a humanitarian basis. I quote him – “It makes me wonder why someone would do that, that’s what revolutions are made of. … The person who lives in there should be concerned about what he sees around him and [asking] can he make a difference."

I related to Tata's comments, as he held a position of power similar to Ambani's and had a strong architectural background. This allowed me to understand it's not a necessity for the wealthy to build a twenty-seven-story mansion in downtown Mumbai surrounded by slums and poverty; rather, it is a choice they make. Once I understood this distinction, I was left with the most important and obvious question about this structure: why!,? Why would anyone choose to do this?

In Indian culture, people personalize their houses to reflect their personalities. Yet, what I see in Antilla is a ‘Dominant structure without any emotion’. Some argue that the design is a reflection of the family's taste and preferences and that they have the right to construct their dream home. I can accept that to a point, but I can’t help but wonder what they see from their lavish rooms. What exactly do they look on the rest of the city from their gated community in the sky? – The answer is Slums, and more slums.

As per sources, the site was sold to Ambani’s company by a charity, on the condition that it be used for the purpose of education for underprivileged children. The site lies next to one of the biggest and most dense slums of Asia - Where 800,000 people live per square mile. This extreme density is in deep contrast to the opulence of Antilla and life in its immediate context. Sixty percent of the population there lives on a $2 daily wage while overlooking a $2 billion soaring skyline—the building’s cost surpasses the GDP of many small countries and even global aid budgets, like that of WWF, which is just $443 million.

This building has already become a symbol of social-economic disparity in the cultural landscape of Mumbai, but what shocks me is how normalized this has become. An outrage may stir for a day or two and life soon returns to normal, with people accepting this situation as a part of their reality. I wonder if it created a deep resentment inside the citizens which may take a new form in future to reform our society?

I am not suggesting that the richest must be “humanitarian”, “considerate” or “tolerant” in their use of wealth to be apologetic for global capitalism. This is a reality of modern post-colonial economic disparity. But Antilla is not the same case as Bill Gates building a compound in a wealthy suburb of Washington. It is an insult to the poor and disservice to those who are less fortunate. As one of the crits said – “He has a responsibility as a role model for his people to display moderation and understanding rather than excessive greed. Do the unthinkably rich have no responsibility to display moderation? Or is it all relative? Should we not consider Antlia an insult to the poor since he spent a relatively small portion of his wealth on the building?” I agree with this perspective, and as Spiderman famously said, "With great power comes great responsibility."

Reflecting on the views from the tower, seeing hundreds of thousands struggling to make a living, collaborating, connecting, sharing, accepting both their circumstances and one another. And in that view, amidst so much collective resilience and human connection, I can’t help but wonder: doesn’t it feel lonely at the top? (and this curiosity might just lead me up there)

Slums may be materially deprived, but rich in networks: neighbors who know each other’s names, families that share food, strangers who offer help because they understand struggle. There's a kind of architecture in that too — one built not with cranes and consultants, but with empathy, adaptability, and community.

After recognizing both the architectures, I’m reflecting on what draws my interest, what I have been trained to do, and what I need to do to pay my bills.

I am asking myself what moral codes I should establish today so that in the future, when I face choices, I will remember the commitments I made to myself in this essay.

There is no doubt we must become financially independent to live our lives and architecture as a profession does not always provide a straightforward path to this. We need to secure a minimum amount of income for daily living, as well as a reserve for uncertainty. I am still uncertain about how to navigate this journey, especially when considering the minimum wage and the extensive hours dedicated to this profession. But one thing I have understood is it's important to focus on the behaviors and attitudes associated with wealth, rather than personal wealth status.

Yes, wealth should be generated legally, ethically and morally. While legal standards apply to us all, it is our ethics and morals that define who we are. The negative traits that accompany wealth accumulation - such as pride and arrogance, distort perception of our real selves where individuals may see themselves as superior or above others.

I repeat - it’s not about being rich or poor but about understanding the moral implications of one's actions and the impact they have on society. Architecturally, I know high end clients are going to keep my office running but focusing on serving with integrity and righteousness, regardless of client’s wealth status would give me fulfillment and peace. (even in the absence of material wealth in my life). By setting examples through my choices, I may inspire people to act ethically and responsibly.

Just like Ambani’s, when the time comes and I have to make a choice, in that moment, - I want to remember that true wealth lies in living a life of integrity and righteousness. Every architecture I do will have defects - weather making an affordable urban space for people to enjoy in the city or designing grand villas for the rich. It will be performance of my duties without abandonment that would lead my personal growth and fulfillment.

At the very least, I hope to have the courage to stand by the Antilla I design —and unlike Perkins & Will, I will make sure it doesn’t disappear from my website : P

Citations –

1. "'Antilla', Mukesh Ambani's house, shows lack of empathy for poor: Ratan Tata." The Times of India, 22 May 2011, https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/antilla-mukesh-ambanis-house-shows-lack-of-empathy-for-poor-ratan-tata/articleshow/8558551.cms.

2. "Antilia (building)." Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 1 Apr. 2025, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antilia_(building).

3. "Image of Antilia Building in Mumbai." Soaring Above India's Poverty, a 27-Story Home, by Jim Yardley, StarNews Online, 29 Oct. 2010, https://www.starnewsonline.com/story/news/2010/10/29/soaring-above-indias-poverty-a-27-story-home/31780214007/.

4. "Electricity Bill of Mukesh Ambani’s Rs 1,50,000 Crore Antilia Will Shock You." India.com, 9 Apr. 2024, https://www.india.com/viral/electricity-bill-of-mukesh-ambani-nita-ambani-rs-150000-crore-antilia-will-shock-you-more-than-what-top-execs-make-annually-each-room-consumes-300-units-per-month-7715985/.