So what’s the latest? Well, apparently £70m won’t buy you the most expensive house in the world; it won’t even buy you the swimming pool located in the most expensive house in the world. To give you an idea of what’s actually happened: there’s a new Rolls-Royce in town, and the previous successor has been downgraded to a Lada.

A new record for the most expensive house in the world has been set, and it’s not only squeezed past the previous record holder, it’s shamelessly smashed through the barriers and has setup camp in a whole new league.

How much was the most expensive house in the world bought for?

£392m. I kid you not. That’s enough to cure a small third-world county, sadly.

Who owns the most expensive house in the world?

Russian precious-metal mogul, Mikhail Prokhorov.

About the property

The property goes by the name Villa Leopolda, a Belle Époque mansion in the French town of Villefranche-sur-Mer on the Cote d’Azur, on the French Riviera. It was built in 1902 for Belgian King Leopold II.

In August 2008, the previous owner, Lily Safra (wife of the deceased Syrian (Lebanon-born) businessman Edmond Safra), a famous Jewish philanthropist, decided to sell it to its new Russian owner.

The estate is so big that it requires 50 full time gardeners. The grounds cover 20 acres of garden and visitors can stroll amongst 1,200 olive, orange, lemon and cypress trees.

Unlike the previous most expensive houses in the world, there is extremely little information about the property out there, so it’s difficult to know exactly what we’re meant to be envious of (besides from all that wealth). I can’t even tell you guys how many bedrooms, bathrooms and parking spaces there are. But I imagine it could comfortably house The Waltons, and the monthly electricity bill probably costs more than my entire house.

I have a feeling more information will start to surface as more people start to get a little bit more curious. However, everything has been pretty hush, hush; even the owners are refusing to admit that they actually purchased the damn thing.

But I guess the lavish details aren’t that important, the main fact is that someone purchased a property in France for £392m, consequently there are people out there that have so much money that it makes me want to cry! To put things into perspective, I don’t even have £1 in my pocket right now, just a few coppers cluttering up my Ikea desk. I’m trying hard not to think about it too much, because it can become pretty demoralising knowing that my yearly salary wouldn’t even cover this guy’s weekly grocery expenses.

Pictures of the property

Like the lack of information, there’s also a shortage of clear pictures. But this is what I managed to find…

Does that look like a property worth £392m? Hmmm…your guess is as good as mine.

About the owner, Mikhail Prokhorov

Prokhorov is ranked as the 24th richest man in the world with a $22 billion fortune. Born May 3, 1965, he’s a Russian self-made billionaire. He made his name in the financial sector and went on to become one of Russia’s leading industrialists in the precious metals sector. He is the former chairman of Norilsk Nickel, the world’s largest producer of nickel and palladium, and the current chairman of Polyus Gold, Russia’s largest gold producer.

So what’s a man worth $22 billion look like? You guessed it….like Bob Saget.

If anyone has any further information on this property, please let me know!

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Now, this whole issue can be extremely subjective and messy. I mean, by definition, a “house” is simply a building in which people live. Essentially, a garden shed could be considered a house if someone decided to live in one, and I’m sure some people do. So during this crowning, I’d like to declare some guidelines to avoid any confusion. I don’t want another episode similar to the “world’s biggest house” escapade, where a bunch of idiots threw hissy fits because I declared a ‘castle’ the biggest house in the world. I still maintain that by definition a castle is a house! I’m not making up the rules, if you want to query the definition, talk to my mate dictionary.com.

The Guidelines for the smallest house in the world

1. The “house” has to be a structure initially constructed with the intentions of living in, it can’t be a shed, tin can or any other vessel that someone freely chose to convert into a home. Boxes don’t count either.

2. The house has to look like a house E.g front door, windows and 4 walls

3. I think that just about covers it.

Without further ado…

Pictures of the smallest house in the world

Details about the house

• The house occupies a total of 96 square feet, which is smaller than most people’s bathrooms. It is truly TINY.
• The house comes fully equipped with a desk and fireplace in the main room; a kitchen; wet bath; and a loft upstairs.
• For its small size, the house has a large amount of storage space, thanks to its clever design.
• A house like this costs approximately $40,000 to buy
• the house is wired for electricity and ready to be plugged in through a plug on the outside. The house could also be powered by using a standard AC plug-in, or even better, via a solar electric system with an inverter.
• There are two-burner stove, an under-counter refrigerator, a bar sink, an RV on demand hot water heater, and a propane boat heater.
• Tumbleweed Tiny House is very well insulated, easy to heat and cool, and
  meet the State of California’s strict residential energy efficiency standards. Jay typically spent less than $170 (total) on propane to heat his tiny house during the brutal winters in Iowa.

Who owns the house and why?

Everyone say hello to Jay Shafer. He’s the creator and resident of the smallest house in the world, which he has proudly named Tumbleweed. Jay is an artist and architect, who lives in his home near San Francisco. He sells plans for, and builds, tiny homes in sizes ranging from an extremely small 50 square feet to a practically roomy 500 square feet.

Jay has been living in a house smaller than some people’s closets since 1997. Can you imagine living in something so small for so long?

Jay’s decision to inhabit just 96 square feet arose from his concerns he had about the impact a larger house would have on the environment, and because he does not want to maintain a lot of unused or unusable space. Basically, he’s a tree hugger. Truly inspirational or just plain nuts. What do you think?

Since completing Tumbleweed, Jay has continued to make little buildings, which are available to purchase from his website, Tumbleweed Houses.

Guided tour of Tumbleweed

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Pretty incredible, yeah? Oh yeah. A few of my regular forum members were discussing this particular property while I read in confusion. As soon as I saw a picture of it I was totally intrigued by it. I was surprised I had never heard anything about it before; it’s not exactly inconspicuous, consequently I’m sure it’s been the talking point for many property enthusiasts. It’s truly unique, and that’s why I thought it deserved some documentation.

The History Of The Shark

The Shark became the most famous resident of Headington when it appeared in the roof of 2 New High Street on 9 August 1986. Bill Heine is the brains behind the shark and still owns the house. Since 1988 Bill has been better known as a Radio Oxford presenter. Makes sense, it looks like the work of an “entertainer”. I’m sure a lot of people got both tears and laughter out of this piece. Perhaps the work of a true entertainer.

When pressed by journalists to provide a rationale for the shark, Bill suggested the following:

The shark was to express someone feeling totally impotent and ripping a hole in their roof out of a sense of impotence and anger and desperation…. It is saying something about CND, nuclear power, Chernobyl and Nagasaki.

The headless sculpture, with the label “Untitled 1986″, was brought to life on the 41st anniversary of the dropping of the atomic bomb on Nagasaki. Created by the sculptor John Buckley, it is made of fibreglass, and is 25 feet long.

Oxford City Council tried to get rid of the shark on the grounds that it was dangerous to the public, but engineers inspected the roof and classed it as being ‘safe as houses’. Structurally I’m sure it’s sound, however, perhaps there’s an emotional impact that was overlooked, which could be seen as dangerous. It looks pretty realistic and I’m sure it’s given some of the local kids some unpleasant dreams consisting of shark tales piercing flesh. Nice.

The council then decided that the shark was development within the definition contained in Section 22 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1971, and that as such it had to be removed. I’m not entirely sure what section 22 defines, but I think the point is that a group of Cognac drinking, cigar smoking Lords didn’t want their town ruined by such a foul monstrosity. The darn thing simply had to go.

The council then kindly offered to display the sculpture in a public building such as a swimming pool. That was a nice gesture, huh? Surprisingly, Psycho Bill rejected the idea. I guess the council overlooked the point that if someone goes to the trouble of putting something like that up on a roof as a global stance on an atomic bomb, it’s kind of insulting to suggest removing it, only to place it in the local swimming pool’s reception.

So the saga continued; the chaps at the local council weren’t going to budge on this. In 1990, Bill was refused retrospective planning permission by Oxford City Council. In 1991 he appealed to the Secretary of State for the Environment (then Michael Heseltine); and in 1992 Heseltine’s Inspector Peter Macdonald came out in favour of the applicant, and had the following to say about the shark:

It is not in dispute that this is a large and prominent feature. That was the intention, but the intention of the appellant and the artist is not an issue as far as planning permission is concerned. The case should be decided on its planning merits, not by resorting to ‘utilitarianism’, in the sense of the greatest good to the greatest number. And it is necessary to consider the relationship between the shark and its setting …. In this case it is not in dispute that the shark is not in harmony with its surroundings, but then it is not intended to be in harmony with them. The basic facts are there for almost all to see. Into this archetypal urban setting crashes (almost literally) the shark. The contrast is deliberate … and, in this sense, the work is quite specific to its setting. As a ‘work of art’ the sculpture (‘Untitled 1986′) would be ‘read’ quite differently in, say, an art gallery or on another site. An incongruous object can become accepted as a landmark after a time, becoming well known, even well loved in the process. Something of this sort seems to have happened, for many people, to the so-called ‘Oxford shark’. The Council is understandably concerned about precedent here. The first concern is simple: proliferation with sharks (and Heaven knows what else) crashing through roofs all over the City. This fear is exaggerated. In the five years since the shark was erected, no other examples have occurred. Only very recently has there been a proposal for twin baby sharks in the Iffley Road. But any system of control must make some small place for the dynamic, the unexpected, the downright quirky. I therefore recommend that the Headington shark be allowed to remain.

To sum it up, the Shark was there to stay. Hooorraaaay. Or not?

Love it or Hate it?

Unlike Marmite, I can’t tell if I love it or hate it (I hate Marmite, by the way). I’m sure there are plenty of people who hate it and a handful of art enthusiasts that love it. Man, you arty farty people are so weird. When a community of people consider randomly splattered paint onto a canvas as being “contemporary art”, you know there’s a problem somewhere.

I guess I both love and hate it. Don’t get me wrong, I think it looks hideous. I mean, I’ve already labeled Bill as crazy, and I’ll continue to do so every time I think of the guy (which will be barely ever, but that’s beside the point). Anyone who is responsible for something so incredibly inappropriate must be short of a few marbles. Normal people would start slicing their wrists in moments of complete “anger and desperation”. Putting a 25ft headless shark on your roof in retaliation of anger and desperation is, well, CRAZY. Perhaps Bill was feeling a level of anger that the average human has yet to feel, a level that couldn’t be helped by razors and short ropes. Who knows, perhaps he just needed to go for a run. That usually works for me.

However, it’s not the first time we’ve seen someone conform to extreme movements over emotions. Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan built the Taj Mahal in memory of his dead wife. It’s a pretty similar scenario; both movements were based on anger and depression. Only difference is that the Taj Mahal is one of the Seven Wonders of the World, and arguably one of the most amazing pieces of architecture in human history. It’s made from rare marble and took over 20 years to build and every aspect of the property had a purpose. The Headington Shark, on the other hand, is made from fibreglass, and took a few hours to put up one late night by a group of people that were probably drinking cans of Stella.

Having said all that, there’s something extremely inspirational about nutty Bill going to that kind of extreme because he believed in something. He didn’t put up something beautiful to represent his despair, he said “fuck no” to that. The man was hurting, he wanted to symbolise his pain, and what better to symbolize pain than a 25ft shark?

Only someone with a, “I don’t give a fuck” attitude would conjure up such a reaction to emotional inadequacies. Perhaps the message is more valuable than the actual product, in this case, at least in my eyes. The man didn’t even get planning permission, he “just did it” one night. It’s kind of like living life without a penis your entire life, and then suddenly waking up with a 25ft erection- I guess that’s how his neighbours felt.

He stood up for what he believed in and fought for his rights. Actually, I’m not entirely convinced that it was his right to do that, since it does intrude on the entire community. But it was his right to express himself, and he did, and he won. He won even after the council fought so hard to get his work removed.

As already quoted, the shark was about CND, nuclear power, Chernobyl and Nagasaki. I’m assuming he was complete outraged by the whole movement warfare was taking. I can completely understand the source of his anger, and to witness someone so passionate about such important movements is admirable. But, still, why a fish through your roof, Crazy Bill? Well whatever, I still think what you’ve done is pretty awesome, as strange and ugly as it is (but that was probably the point).

The actual sculpture appears to also look pretty impression. I’ve already mentioned, it looks real and scary, so hats off to the sculpture.

Finally, Bill, I think you’re one crazy fucker, but I get it and I like it. As a standing object, the house is hideous. As a whole package with the knowledge of its purpose, it’s beautiful.

Value of the property

With such unique properties, I guess the value will be determined by the eye of the crazy beholder. If it was put on the market, 2 people out of 10 million people would probably show interest, but those 2 interested radicalisms would probably bid on it until hell freeze over. But then again, people don’t build things like that only to sell it.

More Pictures of the Headington Shark

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Introduction to Windsor Castle

Together with Buckingham Palace in London and Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh, Windsor Castle is one of the principal official residences of the British monarch.

Most of the Kings and Queens of England have had a direct influence on the construction and evolution of the castle, which has been their garrison fortress, home, official palace, and sometimes their prison. The castle’s history and that of the British monarchy are inextricably linked. Its rich history spans almost 1000 years

Brief History of Windsor Castle

Windsor Castle was originally built by William the Conqueror, who reigned from 1066 until his death in 1087. The castle formed part of his defensive ring of castles surrounding London, the site chosen in part because of its easily defensible position. The building was basically a fortress, as opposed to a inhabitable residence.

His successor William II is thought to have improved and enlarged the structure, but the Conqueror’s youngest son King Henry I was the first sovereign to live within the castle. He was conscious about security, and thought it was the safest place for him and his family.

From then on, centuries passed and many great leaders took habitat in the fortress. Improvements were made, and slowly more and more buildings were added to the overall structure.

It is accepted that Edward III was the monarch who began the transformation of the castle from a fortress to a comfortable residence. However, Henry VIII’s successor and son, King Edward VI (who reigned from 1547–1553), wrote while staying in the castle “Methink I am in a prison, here are no galleries, nor no gardens to walk in.”

Edward VI’s sister Queen Elizabeth I (who reigned 1558–1603) spent much of her time at Windsor and regarded it as the safest place in her realm and would retire here in moments of anxiety, as she described it: “knowing it could stand a siege if need be” While her statement suggests the castle was still very much a fortress, she too contributed to the transformation

The Restoration of the monarchy in 1660 was to prove the first period of significant change to Windsor Castle for many years. Charles II did much to restore and refurnish the castle from the damage suffered during the civil war.

Following the death of Charles II in 1685, the Castle fell slowly into a state of neglect. Needless to say, while the precincts and park remained a complex of inhabited royal mansions, the sovereigns themselves preferred to live elsewhere.

It was not until 1804 – when King George III, the father of 13 children, needed a larger residence than could be found elsewhere – that the castle was once again fully inhabited.

It was during the reign of King George IV between 1820–1830 that the castle was to undergo the greatest single transformation in its history. George IV, known for his extravagant building at both Carlton House and the Royal Pavilion during his regency, now persuaded Parliament to vote him £300,000 for restoration. The architect Jeffry Wyatville was selected, and work commenced in 1824.

The work took 12 years to complete and included a complete remodeling of the Upper Ward, private apartments, Round Tower, and the exterior facade of the South Wing which gave the castle its near symmetrical facade seen from the Long Walk.

Wyatville was the first architect to view the castle as one composition, rather than a collection of buildings of various ages and in differing styles. As an architect he had a preference for imposing symmetry, whereas the castle which had evolved piecemeal over the previous centuries had no symmetry at all. Wyatville imposed a symmetry of sorts on the existing buildings of the Upper Ward, by raising the heights of certain towers to match others, and refacing the Upper Ward in a Gothic style complete with castelated battlements to match the mediæval buildings.

Much of the interior of the Castle was given the same makeover treatment as the exterior. The work was unfinished at the time of George IV’s death in 1830, but was virtually completed by Wyatville’s death in 1840.

Following the accession of King Edward VII in 1901, the castle often remained empty for long periods, the new King preferring his other homes elsewhere. But then…

Who Lives In Windsor Castle

In 1952, Queen Elizabeth II came to the throne and decided to make Windsor her principal weekend retreat. The private apartments which had not been properly occupied since the era of Queen Mary were renovated and further modernised, and the Queen, Prince Philip and their (then) two children took up residence. This arrangement has continued to the present day.

Windsor Castle Layout

Over its 1,000-year history, the design of Windsor Castle has changed and evolved according to the times, tastes, requirements and finances of successive Monarchs. Nevertheless, the positions of the main features have remained largely fixed and the modern plan below is a useful guide to locations. The castle today, for example, remains centred on the motte or artificial hill (“A” on the plan) on which William the Conqueror built the first wooden castle.

A: The round tower
B: The Upper Ward, The Quadrangle (as this courtyard is known)
C: The State Apartments
D: Private Apartments, overlooking the East terrace
E: South Wing, overlooking The Long Walk
F: Lower Ward
G: St George’s Chapel
H: Horseshoe Cloister
K: King Henry VIII Gate (principal entrance)
L: The Long Walk
M: Norman Gate
N: North Terrace
O: Edward III Tower
T: The Curfew Tower

Windsor Castle Quick Facts

• Windsor Castle is the English county of Berkshire
• Windsor Castle is the largest inhabited castle (house) in the world
• The Queen is often in residence at Windsor Castle and this is indicated by the Royal Standard flying over the Round Tower. When the Queen is not in residence the Union Jack flag flies in its place.
• The castle’s floor area is approximately 484,000 square feet (about 45,000 square metres)
• Most of the Kings and Queens of England have had a direct influence on the construction and evolution of the castle, which has been their garrison fortress, home, official palace, and sometimes their prison
• Windsor is the only royal castle that has been in continuous occupation since the Middle Ages
• Windsor was on of the first sites chosen by William the Conqueror for the series of fortifications built to protect his new conquest after 1066
• The majority of the castle was designed by an architect, Jeffry Wyatville in 1824. The work took 12 years to complete and included a complete remodeling of the Upper Ward, private apartments, Round Tower, and the exterior facade of the South Wing
• The early castle was almost certainly built of wood. It remained a wood and earth structure until King Henry I began to convert the castle to stone
• On 20 November 1992, a fire began in the Queen’s private chapel. The fire raged for 15 hours until it had destroyed nine of the principal state rooms. One-fifth of the floor space of the castle was damaged -an area of 9,000 square metres. The restoration programme was not complete until 1997; 70% of it funded by the decision to open to the public for the first time the state rooms of Buckingham Palace. The total cost of repairing the damage was £37 million. The restoration was undertaken at no additional cost to the British taxpayer.
• Windsor Castle is one of three official residences of The Queen and has been home to the Sovereign for over 900 years.
• The castle, after centuries of alterations, contains about 1,000 rooms and occupies 13 acres of land.
• Windsor castle contains many dungeons which were occupied by many famous prisoners. Some of the famous prisoners of Windsor Castle are as follows: 1265 – The Lord Mayor, called FitzThomas, 1346 – King John II of France and King David II of Scotland, 1413 – The Earl of March and Prince James (later James I) of Scotland, 1546 – The poet, the Earl of Surrey, 1647 – King Charles I.
• The original functions of Windsor Castle were to act as a royal power base, to overawe and frighten the indigenous population and to provide a retreat for the Royal family in times of civil disorder. It is now one of three a luxury residences to Queen Elizabeth II.

Windsor Castle Pictures

Windsor Castle Chapel

Windsor Castle Crimson Room

Windsor Castle Banqueting Room

Visit Windsor Castle

Windsor Castle is all year round to the general public, although opening arrangements may be subject to change at short notice. Visitors can see five main areas (subject to opening arrangements) on a visit to Windsor Castle: the State Apartments, St George’s Chapel, Queen Mary’s Dolls’ House, the Castle Exhibition and the exhibition in the Drawings Gallery. Between October and March, the semi-state rooms are also open to the public. For more information, go to the official Windsor Castle website

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We put together a list of guidelines to help us unravel the unfortunate piece of shit that is destined to top the poll of being the ugliest house in the world. The guidelines were put in place to enforce some kind of legislation to ensure that we really do crown the bottom of the barrel.

What were we looking for when choosing the victor?

1) The property must be habitable and occupied by a proud owner. There’s no point choosing a property that’s been half destroyed by Bambi (or whatever dumb name hurricanes are given). This isn’t just about finding a pile of rubble, this is about finding something so hideous that it will make your pile of rubble look like a castle.

2) We have to take taste and financial circumstances into consideration. For example, simply choosing a shed in the middle of Bangladesh isn’t going to cut the mustard. Some people have no choice about what conditions they live in, so their taste isn’t necessarily reflected by their home. We want to find a property that was consciously purchased/designed out of taste by a keeper. A truly foul monstrosity will have a truly distasteful keeper.

3) While chipped windows and rotten paint maybe a sight for sore eyes, they’re not cancerous enough to bring down the house. We need to look beyond the attributes that can be easily healed. Let’s face it, if a house can be cured with a lick of fresh paint and a new set of window frames- how ill could it have been in the first place? For those reasons, we couldn’t crown this foul creation:

Looks absolutely herendous, right? However, it’s all superficial. It can be healed with a lick of paint.

The bottom line is that we need to look beyond the visual pleasantries and find a shell that is suffering from a disease that has no known cure besides from demolition.

As you can see, we’re not fucking around here. We’re deadly serious about finding the ugliest house in the world. So ladies and gentlemen, without further ado, I present to you Property Investment Project’s winner for the ugliest house in the world:

The Ugliest House In The World Winner

Ghastly, isn’t it? This offensive piece of work is located near the 18th hole of the Bighorn golf course in Palm Desert, U.S. “Only in America” comes to mind.

It took me about 5mins to untangle the visual to actually workout what’s going on. I’m still a little confused- how is that not a skateboarding park? Or maybe it is. It looks like a wonderland for any skateboarding enthusiast and/or a perfect hideout for anyone that wants to escape and smoke some weed in a cave.

It would make an ideal snap for a “where’s Wally” insert, right? In this case, the Wally happens to be Duane Hagadone, a publishing tycoon and zillionaire from Idaho. Apparently, Hagadone wanted “a residence that blends into the mountain, that is very subtle, not a pinnacle seen from all angles.” That’s a beautiful vision, but you know what? The end result looks like…shit, and someone clearly has the word “subtle” misconstrued with the word “painfully abstract”. Some may say that the building has character, and I say some people are lost in a world of insanity.

So why is this our winner, besides from the fact it looks Hurriclae Kristina had chewed it up and spat it back out?

• Duane Hagadone designed this heap himself. He didn’t inherit it, he didn’t win it, he didn’t lose the cruellest of all dares to obtain it, he actually designed it. No, I’m being serious. Money can’t buy taste, nor a good architect, apparently.
• Now here’s the real winner. It cost $30million to build. 30 MILLION UNITED STATES DOLLARS!
• Not even a lick of paint can cure this serious case of inadequacy. This truly is the Leprosy of the architecture world.

Does this 32,016-square-foot monstrosity actually blend into the mountains as intended? I’m not convinced. What do you think? Hagadone built the “Neverland” of Palm Desert to retire. Odd, right? He could have saved himself $30million and committed a series of crimes and just moved into Alcatraz for a similar living experience.

The $30million pad has all the ordinary features you would expect from any mansion (I feel a little uneasy calling it a “mansion”). It has curving walls, swimming pools in the shape of human eyes and bat wings for roofs. That’s normnal, right?

As for the local community, the real victims, what do they think of it? Well, apparently there was complete uproar, and they’re still in disbelief that Hagadone got approval to even build the house. Upset residents flooded the city with e-mails, branding the house “an unsightly scar on the hill,” “a blight,” “a monstrosity,” “a pimple” and an “abortion” of city planning. Residents complained that their views of the Santa Rosa Mountains, which enfold the city like a clamshell, had been ruined.

I don’t know why they’re complaining, they’re living near a piece of history- Property Investment Project’s ugliest house in the world. They should be honoured. Ungrateful cry babies.

Here are some more visuals:

We’re open for further suggestions, so if you think you know of an uglier house, or perhaps you even live in an uglier, we’d love to hear from you.

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The Pierre Hotel, New York, $70 million, 14,000 sq ft

This beautiful triplex penthouse sits in Manhattan, on top of one of New York’s renowned hotels, The Pierre. It offers a 360 degree view of the city, and it includes the Pierre’s original ballroom with exquisite architecture and a 23 foot curved ceiling to compliment it. It has a total of nine bedrooms, five of them being master bedrooms, seven full baths, five fireplaces, heated marble floors and an address on the swankiest street in the most glamorous city in the world, oak floors with mahogany borders (amazing) and FOUR TERRACES because we know 1 terrace would just never cut it, right? Late at night, when the moon is out, the view overlooks the spectacular City lights, it’s what the kids would call “PIMP”. Here are some additional pictures, Enjoy!

The Continuum, Miami Beach, $18 million, 6,500 sq ft

Here we have the Continuum. Though this place isn’t even a “big” penthouse compared to its less-pricey competitors, it’s located in one of the most popular Florida cities, Miami Beach. This brilliantly designed building has a penthouse consisting of five bedrooms, four full bathrooms, and two powder rooms. The bathrooms are clad in marble and lapis lazuli slabs. One of the bathrooms has a specially imported rain shower. I have no idea what a “rain shower” is, but it sounds wonderful and refreshing. The showers are also built against floor-to-ceiling windows for the little exhibitionist in all of us. For those who enjoy entertainment, each room has a retractable plasma TV, and of course there is a movie theater, with seating for six. The apartment is modern, and is finished with an extremely contemporary look, with clean surfaces and straight lines. Here are a few more pictures:

Wilshire Boulevard, Bevely Hills, $14.5 million, 8,000 sq ft

It looks like the Queen got in touch with her people and did a full, lavish makeover on this one. Located in Beverly Hills, California, this amazing penthouse, known as “The Wilshire” is an Exceptional Double Penthouse Superlative Luxury, crowned the finest residential building in Los Angeles. The Wilshire is the superlative luxury building, with limestone and copper panels flanking its 27 stories. Its unique design distinguishes this residential high-rise from any other in Los Angeles. Each one of the homeowners enjoys 24-hour concierge service, 24-hour valet, first-class gym facilities and swimming pool. State of the art amenities include: Vantage lighting and shade control systems, custom designed doors, beautiful bronze and iron staircase and balcony detail, Linear heat and air conditioning, water filtration system, four elegant fireplaces, remote control security monitors, and so much more. The spacious, finely detailed, walnut family room will envelop you in the luxury of a European pub with coffered ceilings and rich granite bar. A 100-inch rear screen projection system is part of the latest in audio-visual technology in the remarkable media room. The formal dining room and separate sitting room resemble a Parisian townhouse with the sheer elegance of their finishes. It looks great, no doubt about it, but it has a mere 2 bedrooms and an over exaggerated 5 bathrooms. How odd.

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Yes, you read correctly, the $1 billion house, that’s not Rupee or Yen, that’s one billion U.S dollars. India’s richest man, Mukesh Ambani, has completed the development of this his new home in Mumbai that currently has an estimated value of $1 billion. The building (I feel weird calling it a “house”) has been named Antilla after a mythical island.

Mukesh Ambani’s net worth

Forbes estimated Ambani’s net worth at $43 billion, making him the 5th richest person in the world. Reliance Industries was founded by Mukesh’s father, Dhirubhai Ambani, in 1966, and is India’s most valuable firm by market capitalization.

Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Group is India’s largest private company, with interests in oil, retail and biotechnology. The 50-something-year-old became the country’s first rupee trillionaire.

Before the $1 billion house was built, Mukesh Ambani and his family currently lived in a 14-storey building. Apparently 14-stories just wasn’t enough space for him, his wife, his mother, and his 3 children. I imagine they were tight for space.

What will $1billion get you?

I personally can’t imagine what you could possibly spend on a house that would make its value $1 billion. One thing is for sure, I’m sure it’s filled with complete unnecessary bullshit like gold toilet paper holders. Yes, the toilet paper holders’ probably cost more than what I earn in one month.

This is all speculation, but apparently it has the following…

• A total of 27 floors
• 4,532-square-metre plot
• A car garage that has the capacity to hold his personal car collection of 168 cars
• An in-house car service centre
• The house is made entirely of glass and is 570 feet tall
• 50 seater cinema
• Several swimming pools
• Two-storey health club
• 600 members of full-staff
• Double height ceilings
• Ballrooms
• Crystal chandelier ceilings
• Retractable stages
• Multiple “safe” rooms
• 3 helipads
• The four floors at the top, that will provide a view of the Arabian Sea and a superb view of the city’s skyline, will be for Mukesh, his wife Neeta, their three children and Mukesh’s mother Kokilaben
• According to the plan, two floors above the family’s residence will be set aside as maintenance areas, and on top of that will be an “air space floor,” which will act as a control room for helicopters landing on the helipad above

The question which remains unanswered is, “what the fuck?” Is all that really necessary (rhetorical question)? I wonder how many of those precious square feet will actually be touched by his feet. Clearly, I’m just jealous. Anyways, without further ado, this is what a $1 billion house looks like…

Pictures of the $1 billion house

And now, Mukesh Ambani has a question for you…

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If anyone knows anything about these properties, please leave a comment and let me know.

Enjoy.

The Japanese are notorious for being radical; they love taking things to a new level, and here is a fine example of their wackiness. This apartment block is based in Mitaka, Toyko, designed by New York based designers Arakawa and Gin.The idea behind the wacky colours, and almost “lego” look is to make the old feel young. Nothing is made easy in these apartments, everything is a challenge, and consequently designed to make people, especially the elderly, keep on their toes. Lopsided floors force the resident to maintain a good sense of balance , strangely located light switches insist we feel around for the light, whilst small veranda doors will ask you to crawl and bend to enter. These wacky apartments are priced at US$750,000 each.

This is the modern caravan for the super rich. Unlike the caravan, a car won’t help you budge this portable cabin; all you need is a transport helicopter or a crane and you’re moving on up. Unfortunately, I can’t help but feel that anyone that travels in a helicopter would rather accommodate in a 5 star, lush Hilton hotel. But then again, maybe this fine example of modern art is designed to accommodate the “insane”This ridiculously modern home accommodates up to 40 square feet of living space. The beauty is obviously not contained in the limited space, but is contained by the feature of being having the ability to travel from city to city, with the purpose of resting on the roofs of existing buildings. With both the front and back of the loft encased in glass, the loft makes the most of its roof top position by offering the cities best 360 degree views. Inside, the latest in German design furnishings and finishes ensures the ultimate modern creature comforts.

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On the banks of river Yamuna in Agra, India.

When was The Taj Mahal Constructed?

1631-1653

Who was The Taj Mahal built By?

Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan

Why was The Taj Mahal built?

In memory of the Emperor’s dead wife

How much land is The Taj Mahal spread over?

42 acres

What is the significance: of The Taj Mahal?

One of the Seven Wonders of the World

I visited the Taj Mahal about 8 years ago, I was 15years old, and still to this day, I consider it the most amazing piece of architecture I have seen in my life. And it’s rare that the average teenager appreciates something like architecture, so it really must have been something special. If anyone has the opportunity to see it, it’s a definite must. I don’t think anyone can disagree; the pictures of the building look amazing- it only gets more spectacular in real life, as you can’t see the fine attention to detail through mere pictures.

Introduction to The Taj Mahal

The Taj Mahal is arguably one of the most incredible manmade constructions in the world. It’s located in Agra, which is in the north central part of Indian, on the right part of the Humana River. Known for its symmetry, the Taj Mahal sits on a raised platform surrounded by four minarets. Inside are delicate mosaic works and marble walls decorated with intricate patterns of inlaid precious stones. The Taj seems to glow in the light of the full moon. On a foggy morning, the visitors experience the Taj as if suspended when viewed from across the Jamuna river.

Taj Mahal Facts

The Taj Mahal is a mausoleum (a large tomb). It was commissioned by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan for his favourite wife Empress Mumtaz Mahal, who died in 1631. So great was the Shah Jahan’s love for his wife Mumtaz, that he ordered the building of the most beautiful mausoleum on Earth for her, The Taj Mahal.

Emperor Shah Jahan

Empress Mumtaz Mahal

• The construction documents show that its master architect was Ustad ‘Isa, the renowned Islamic architect of his time.
• The Taj stands on a raised, square platform (186 x 186 feet) with its four corners truncated, forming an unequal octagon. The architectural design uses the interlocking arabesque concept, in which each element stands on its own and perfectly integrates with the main structure.
• The tomb stands on its own marble base, which rests on a red sandstone platform. Four tall pillars, 138 ft each, rise up from the corners of the white marble base are topped with eight windowed cupolas. This has been made to replicate throne of God in paradise. Directly below the dome rests Mumtaz Mahal’s tomb, which is centrally lined with the main entrance. Besides Mumtaz Mahal’s tomb is the tomb of Shahjahan. The tomb of Shahjahan was not actually intended to be there but Aurangzeb placed it there, consequently breaking the symmetry.

• The Taj Mahal is generally considered the finest example of Mughal architecture, a style that combines elements of Persian, Turkish, Indian, and Islamic architectural styles.
• Construction of the tomb started in 1632, and was completed in 1648. It took 22 years to complete the tomb, and an extra 5 years for the garden, with the help of 20,000 workers. Sculptors, masons, craftsmen, and calligraphers were called from Persia, Ottoman Empire and Europe to work on construction of the Taj.
• The Taj Mahal is built from precious white marbel with dedlicate masiac, with inlaid precious stones. Almost every surface of the entire building has been decorated, and every detail is symmetrical. The mosaic designs are based on three decorative elements- calligrapyh, abtract geonetric and vegetative motifs. The exterior decorations of the Taj Mahal are among the finest to be found in Mughal architecture of any period.

Inside the dome



Calligraphy:


Mosaic:








• The Taj Mahal cost 32million rupees to build, which is roughly $1,000,000.
• The tomb initially called “Rauza”. Later, after Mumtaz Mahal passed away, the mausoleum would be called the Taj Mahal, a derivative of the name Mumtaz Mahal.
• The architectural complex of the Taj Mahal comprises of five main elements: the Darwaza or main gateway, the Bageecha or garden, the Masjid or mosque, the Naqqar Khana or rest house, and the Rauza or the Taj Mahal mausoleum.
• The name Taj Mahal when translated means “Crown Palace” or “Crown of the Palace.”
• The Taj Mahal is one of the eight wonders of the world.

Taj Mahal Myths

The Taj Mahal comes attached with many myths and legends; whilst many are strongly believed, others are laughed at. There is evidence to suggest that these rumours are based on truth, but nothing is set in stone.

• Many people believe, Shah Jehan had planned to build another Taj Mahal in black marble, which was to be his own tomb on the opposite bank of the River Yamuna and connect the two by a bridge. However, the construction never got started due to conflict with this son’s, which took up most of his time.
• Shah Jehan deemed that no one else should ever copy the masterpice, so he had the master craftsmans hands cut off.
  Some European scholars held the view that the Taj was designed by an Italian – Geronimo Veroneo. This was first suggested by Father Manrique, an Augustinian Friar, who came to Agra in 1640 A.D. to secure the release of Father Antony who had been imprisoned by the Mughals.
• In the early years after the Taj Mahal was built, a long series of cracks in the underground vaults started to emerge. Those cracks were quickly seen to, and patched up. Cracking has been observed at different times since construction; testing in the early 19th Century showed the base of the mausoleum on the northern side of the structure is lower than on the south by 3.5 centimetres. There is some evidence the Taj Mahal is gradually sinking into the Yamuna River.

Taj Mahal Front View



Taj Mahal Birdseye View



Taj Mahal Gateway to the Gardens



Taj Mahal Dome Exterior



Taj Mahal Pilar



Taj Mahal Wall



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]]> http://www.propertyinvestmentproject.co.uk/blog/the-taj-mahal-facts-and-myths/feed/ 106 http://www.propertyinvestmentproject.co.uk/blog/pictures-of-destroyed-homes-by-natural-disasters/ http://www.propertyinvestmentproject.co.uk/blog/pictures-of-destroyed-homes-by-natural-disasters/#comments Mon, 02 Apr 2007 16:02:50 +0000 The Landlord http://www.propertyinvestmentproject.co.uk/blog/2007/04/02/pictures-of-destroyed-homes-by-natural-disasters/ Here’s examples of how powerful nature can be. Your property investment(s) could be taken away from you within seconds, while you remain helpless. Reality can be a real downer at times :)

1) 1960, San Francisco- Earth Quake



2) North Idaho- Hailstones





3) 1990, Kilauea Volcano -slow moving pahoehoe lava



4) 1999, Turkey- Earthquake



5) Puerto Rico – tropical storm, heavy rain on island



6) 1917, Sweden- landslide





7) South Woodward – Tornado



8.) 1996, North Carolina- Hurricane Fran



9) 2005, New Orleans- Hurricane Katrina



10) 2004, Indian Ocean- Tsunami



11) 1989, Sullivans Island- Hurricane Hugo



12) 2003, Australia- Bushfire





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]]> http://www.propertyinvestmentproject.co.uk/blog/pictures-of-destroyed-homes-by-natural-disasters/feed/ 1