A Sculptural Green Onyx Bathroom Anchors This 16,000-Square-Foot Home Above Mumbai

Poised high above the Mumbai skyline, where the city begins to dissolve into a haze of sea, sky and glass towers, sits Mumbai’s new ultra-luxury address, Oberoi Realty’s 360 West in the vibrant neighbourhood of Worli in Central Mumbai. The mixed-use project is composed of two towers built by Samsung C&T, the construction giant behind the Burj Khalifa. Living here commands a sense of openness–a rarity in the city today–with uninterrupted views of the Arabian Sea, landmarks like the Sea Link and Mumbai’s sweeping skyline. When Dieter Vander Velpen Architects was entrusted with accommodating the needs of a couple with young children and parents in a sprawling full-floor unit on the 45th floor, the Antwerp-based designer balanced opulent scale with intimacy and global sensibilities with deeply rooted cultural understanding. The 16,000-sq-ft home accommodates five generously proportioned bedrooms, alongside multiple formal and informal living spaces.

A Spatial Prelude

From the moment the elevator doors part, one’s arrival is underscored by quiet drama. Sculptural bronze doors open out into a foyer with intentionally positioned art and objects that draw the gaze towards Mumbai’s unfolding skyline. A central water feature crafted from marble becomes a focal point, setting a zen-like tone upon entering the dwelling. Sightlines are carefully orchestrated throughout the home, starting at the foyer, where wooden claustras offer glimpses into the home’s social areas. Beyond the living space, the sprawling residence accommodates two distinct primary suites; each serves as a private retreat and is distinguished by its own visual identity.  

The inimitable Dieter Vander Velpen Architects aesthetic is tangible from the outset. It is a hallmark design ethos that Belgian architect Vander Velpen effortlessly arrives at by combining luxurious materials with a decidedly subtle design language, very clean lines, and a minimal approach to details. His is a measured material palette that reconciles richness and restraint. Light-stained European oak flooring sets a calm, consistent base, while walnut veneer recurs across spaces for warmth and continuity. “There are a few materials that continue through the apartment, such as bronze, certain wood species, stone types, and then there are materials that are complementary and that are more, a moment of surprise in each room,” says Vander Velpen.

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Monumentality, Softened

In the living room, a spectrum of richly veined marble varieties anchors the space without overpowering it. Monumental features, also a Vander Velpen signature, become intentional inclusions with large-scale details beautifully set off by soft layers of tactile intimacy and the uninterrupted flow of natural light. Scale is handled with practised ease, supporting grand gestures like a grand Travertine-wrapped column, a beautiful Calacatta Viola marble fireplace and a cluster of bespoke sculptural travertine coffee tables.  In the midst of it all, a sand-toned DS-266 Yoga day bed designed by Stefan Heiliger for De Sede quietly earns its place as a timeless and incredibly comfortable addition to the living space.

Bespoke To The Bone

A large part of the home, including the fireplace, most of the furniture and cabinetry, was built on site. “Going completely bespoke is how we also operate. That’s signature Dieter Vander Velpen Architects. Not just going for a kitchen or a bathroom from a brand, but making it completely from scratch. Not just using elements we might have already used before, but designing specific elements for this project,” Vander Velpen tells us. With an array of bespoke seating arrangements, the living area is ideal for every pursuit, be it hosting large gathering or settling into a solitary, unhurried evening. 

“The scale makes it a complex project technically, but also in the execution and in building all this custom millwork. The good thing is that there is very good craftsmanship available in India, so we were able to work with really great craftsmen who built on-site,” says Vander Velpen.

“The scale gave us the opportunity to design the furniture from scratch, like the dining and coffee tables, nightstands and credenzas, and that makes it really unique and luxurious,” he adds. 

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The Heart Of The Party

In the adjacent dining area, a recessed buffet niche, carved in the same richly veined Calacatta Viola marble, holds space for cutlery and epitomises the meeting of material, function and form. An expansive twelve-seater marble dining table crafted from scratch is paired with Gallotti&Radice dining chairs. 

Discreetly integrated staff quarters and a separate service kitchen ensure that the home functions effortlessly behind the scenes. “A cultural nuance compared to other countries is perhaps the way Indian families work staff in these apartments. There are people assisting with the cooking, cleaning or the upkeep of the apartment. It’s about how you create circulation, where this all flows very naturally. So, in a way, you’re designing certain elements even of a small boutique hotel in a private residence,” Vander Velpen explains.

A Fluid Response To Occasion 

Wooden claustras subtly distinguish each space from the next. Besides offering tantalising glimpses into what lies beyond and preserving flow, these slated screens accommodate pocket doors. The concealed sliding doors allow the space to expand or retreat as required, enabling subtle shifts between openness and privacy.

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Expansive But Intimate

Vander Velpen believes that when homes have formal and private areas, there’s a risk of designing a formal area that only gets used during an event or party. “What we tried to do here is to design the formal areas in such a way that you want to use them on a day-to-day basis too. You could design them in such a way that it would be too cold or lobby-like, but we did it in such a way that’s still cosy, even though the apartment’s size might seem to contradict it.”

Gardens In The Sky

Indoor gardens act as natural connectors between formal and intimate spaces. For instance, one bridges the living room and bar, and beyond, another unfurls from the family kitchen. In both spaces, fully retractable windows blur the line between inside and out. Oak floors transition into rustic limestone in these green spaces. Complete with large planters, gravel beds and a tonal palette of warm neutrals, it’s where moments of pause and greenery find their way into the residence’s daily rhythm. The ever-changing interplay of light and texture flows freely through these pockets. 

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Sensorial Layers

Beyond, an elegant bar area takes entertaining to a new level. The built-in walnut cabinetry and wine cellar were custom-made to hold every bar essential, while open shelving with ambient mood lighting puts a cool stack of books and art objects in focus. Aside from the bar top, the richly veined Calacutta Viola marble makes another appearance – this time on a recessed platform with a wash basin.

Luxury Meets Practicality

The 360 West residence unfolds into two distinct primary suites, each of which was imagined as a self-contained sanctuary with its own material language. Further within the private realms of the primary suite, three secondary bedrooms are arranged alongside a family kitchen and living area. This informal heart of the home is complemented by an array of leisure spaces including a home theatre, game room, spa and gym.

In the primary bedroom, plush finishes are paired with bold curved silhouettes. Anchored by light oak wood flooring, dark wood panelling and bronze detailing, the room has a European aesthetic.

Private Retreats Above The City

One of the primary suite’s en suite is wrapped entirely in a green onyx stone. Walls and floors merge into a deeply immersive and revitalising setting, where a sculptural soaking tub, hewn from the same stone, becomes both a focal point and refuge. The vanity, set against a ceiling-to-floor window, transforms everyday rituals into moments of reflection. “The green onyx is really a showstopper. That’s where we added a bit more fun and luxury into the material palette and then you have different bathrooms where you have different marbles just to create individuality and to give each space its own special elements,” says Vander Velpen.

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Everyday Living

Another architectural response attuned to the personal rhythms of shared living are the many light-filled spaces in the primary suite. The family room opens out into a casual dining room with an open kitchen and outdoor garden. For everyday dining, a stone-fabricated countertop with built-in cabinetry, and an oven and induction stove merges into a walnut table paired with Bukowski chairs by New Works. A Nova chandelier by Schwung, composed of a cluster of glass spheres in lacquered burnished brass and opal matte, introduces a modern touch to this space.

On Timelessness

“For me, it’s materials you will still enjoy five, ten, twenty years from now. So the base materials should be really good, and you shouldn’t go too trendy in the design language. With the loose furniture, you can go more playful but the base should really be good using materials that you like to touch. We love using natural materials like wood and stone because even if they patinate over time, they will still feel nice and chic,” says Vander Velpen. 

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Through the nuanced interplay of scale, texture and movement, this full-floor apartment at Oberoi 360 West transcends the idea of a conventional residence for multiple generations. Not only is it a refined expression of contemporary luxury; it is also an immersive landscape shaped for both living and lingering.