Feb. 11 – The top apartment of a residential tower block in Mumbai will astonishingly be located at the 125th floor of a 486 meter building if the State High-Rise Committee approves plans submitted last week by the developers.
The project will be to be located on Keshavrao Khade Marg near the Mahalaxmi Race Course and will be built by Joyus Housing Ltd, a consortium comprising three developers: Shapoorji Pallonji, Ackruti and DLF Group.
It would be the city’s tallest residential building and would easily dwarf anything in Shanghai.“As a project, we don’t intend to make it the tallest in the city. As it is, this is at a very early stage and there are still hundreds of clearances to be taken. It will be a lengthy procedure until a final height limit is arrived at and it could take at least two years,’’ Hemant Shah of Ackruti told The Times of India.
Officials from the high-rise committee confirmed the project as the tallest building proposal they have ever received. As a sign of Mumbai’s rising financial prominence, the Mumbai Metropolitan Regional Development Authority (MMRDA) announced an over-100-storey “iconic tower’’ at Wadala.
The MMRDA is a special committee that deals with urban development in the city with special attention to its effects on the environment and existing infrastructure. It has final approval for buildings higher than 70 meters.
The tower located in Wadala at 526 meters is likely to make it the tallest one when it its completed although MMRDA officials say that the height may be scaled down to 80 floors.
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Having lived and worked in New York for many years I can comment that there are pros and cons to very high buildings. The footprint of a tall building is probably ecologically better as you can pack more residents or office tenants per square foot of land. Personally, even if I had the money, I would not choose to live in the penthouse of a 125 storey building in any country. I find it disorienting being on a floor higher than about a dozen stories. Also, fire engine ladders can only reach about 18 stories and high buildings tend to sway a little in high winds and make odd creaking noises. Think of 9/11 and how long it took some people to walk down those flight of stairs when they couldn’t use the elevators. One would think that a society would pack maybe the less fortunate in these buildings but it seems the opposite happens.
I agree, and Mumbai gets the monsoon and high winds too. I’m not sure I’d want to be up there. Buildings sway up on the 65/f let alone what it’d be like on 125/f. Presumably like a ship pitching in high waves. A business opportunity perhaps downstairs selling seasickness pills? – Chris
“As it is, this is at a very early stage and there are still hundreds of clearances to be taken.”
I will believe when I see it. In fact, I will check back in 30 years, and I wouldn’t be surprised that this project will not have been realized by then. The Indians are masters of pre-mature celebration. Announce a project and then celebrate it as an achievement, never mind the project will never be built. Keep dreaming.
I agree Jeff, the proof is in the construction. However, this new India does seem to be better able at getting things done. There are a number of reasons for that, political mainly. But we’ll see. When it opens we’ll link back to this page so we can see how look it took. Bets on our ages by then? – Thanks Chris
On skyscrapercity, there are tons of such projects and as Jeff pointed there are many premature celebrations. I think in any country where people believe in their abilities and glory of their history but couldn’t make this happen, they do rejoice any good news and it is definitely pre-mature in most ways.
Oh yes, and Mumbai will surpass Shanghai, errr, will have surpassed Shanghai by 2010!
Yes, I am talking about you, Prime Minister Singh! Remember? You declared on October of 2004, “When we talk of a resurgent Asia, people think of the great changes that have come about in Shanghai. I share this aspiration with the chief minister and senior Congress leaders to transform Mumbai in the next five years in such a manner that people would forget about Shanghai and Mumbai will become a talking point.”
Yeah, now is 2010, and your time is up. Shall we finally shut up and hide our face in shame?
India = 99.999% talk, 0.001% action
Ahem. Not when it comes to building Airport terminals it doesn’t. Things are indeed moving: http://www.2point6billion.com/news/2010/07/02/delhis-new-world-class-terminal-set-to-impress-6244.html
That new Terminal in Delhi is bigger than the Shanghai one in Pudong. – Chris
“Ahem. Not when it comes to building Airport terminals it doesn’t.”
If one airport can justify such optimism, then no wonder the BJP ilk dared to perpetrate the “India Shining” campaign on the Indian populace.
Just goes on to prove my point: India = 99.999% talk, 0.001% action.
We are only fooling ourselves.
@Dev – yeah, whatever. However there are always people who do, and those who say it can’t be done. Guess you belong to the latter while the rest of us try and get things done. Oh – a successful Delhi Commonwealth Games per chance? Can India put on an international event? Guess we’ll see…
@Chris,
“Yeah, whatever. However there are always people who do, and those who say it can’t be done. Guess you belong to the latter while the rest of us try and get things done. O”
- Yeah, indeed, whatever. There are always those who talk and daydream, and those who prefer action. We Indians are the former, and the Chinese are the latter. Of course, then there are people who point out that empty talk and daydream will not get things done. I am one of those who point out this obvious truth.
“We Indians are the former”. Not all of you are Dev. You may speak for yourself, but there are plenty of energetic Indian entrepreneurs out there getting things done. Just as Force India are currently 6th in the F1 rankings. Couldn’t be done? Think again. – Chris
@Chris,
“but there are plenty of energetic Indian entrepreneurs out there getting things done. ”
- yes, I agree that there are plenty of good Indian entrepreneurs out there. However, plenty is not the same as enough, and let’s not forget that most of these good Indian business people are working in the west, not in mother india.
“Just as Force India are currently 6th in the F1 rankings. Couldn’t be done? ”
- is this all you can think of? What does F1 ranking, a lowly 6th no less, have to do with feeding the 300 million Indians who go hungry everyday? What does it have to do with giving electricity to the 400 million of us who do not have it? What does it have to do with teaching the 500 million of us who cannot read or write? Moreover, how many drivers on the team are Indian?
I’d rather feed, cloth, and educate first before going for F1 success. The Chinese don’t have an F1 team, but their literacy rate is over 90%, and their child malnutrition rate is 7%, as against our pathetic 47%.
You are missing the point here, my friend.
ahhh kudos to the developers…for forwording such a wonderful idea, of having sky scrapers in mumbai. it’s an answer to the international critics who says that india cannot have a skyscraper.
after all,devlopers are left with no other option then to go for such kind of projects. some of you might me knowing of the very fact that the cost of land in mumbai is highest in world.And other being that there is scarsity to land in mumbai.
so i think solution is to give nod to such highrise projects.lastly it’ll give a fine impression of city to world.
@Dev – I think you’re confusing the capabilities of F1 (private sector funding) with the responsibilities of Government (housing & feeding the poor). – Chris
@Chris,
No, I think you are confusing one or two atypical examples of excellence with the overall economic excellence. Just because the private sector has some success stories does not make the entire private sector, or the whole of India successful or promising.
If you really want good examples of how good the Indian private sector is, simply look at the pathetic preparations for the CWG, which are being carried out by the private sector. Remember, all projects have been awarded via the tender process to private companies, and just look at the mess.
So the lesson is this: don’t keep your hopes up.
Also, you talked about housing and feeding the poor as if they were small matters, which just shows that you live in a typical middle-class Indian bubble. Wake up to the slums around you and the poor right outside Indian cities. Heck, watch Slumdog Millionaire.