Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Friday, Feb 06, 2026

Antoni Gaudí’s First-Ever Designed House

Antoni Gaudí’s First-Ever Designed House

The legendary architect’s Casa Vicens will open its doors in Barcelona for an exclusive one-night stay.

This fall in Barcelona, Spain, two lucky Airbnb guests will have the rare opportunity to spend the night in Antoni Gaudí’s Casa Vicens. Dating back to 1885, the historic residence marks the celebrated Spanish architect’s earliest commission in the city. The UNESCO-listed landmark, which is widely regarded as one of the first buildings of the Art Nouveau movement, was originally designed by Gaudí as a lavish retreat for a local family.



Architect Antoni Gaudí designed Casa Vicens when he was just 31 years old. Built with vibrant ceramic tiles and red bricks, the historic structure was Gaudí’s first-ever commission. Today, it’s commonly referred to as one of the greatest examples of Art Nouveau, which is also known as Catalan Modernism.

Although the building has been in private hands for the majority of the 136 years since Gaudí built it, the vibrant architectural landmark was converted into a house museum in 2017. Now, for the first time ever, Casa Vicens will offer an overnight stay for two guests. The booking-which is currently listed on Airbnb for roughly one dollar-will be available to reserve on a first come, first served basis.



Casa Vicens was declared part of UNESCO World Heritage in 2005. This August, the Barcelona landmark will welcome two overnight guests for a one-time, one-night stay via Airbnb.

The fortunate guests will be hosted by Casa Vicens’s general manager, Emili Masferrer i Fons, who is part of the team that transformed the historic property into the current museum. The host will share insights from the restoration project during an exclusive tour of the property, after which guests will enjoy a Gaudí-inspired Michelin-star meal in the grandiose dining room-followed by a nightcap in the swanky ‘smoking room.’



According to the Airbnb listing, Casa Vicens "represents the flowering of Barcelona’s distinctive form of modern architecture." The sprawling interiors reveal Moorish, neoclassical, and organic motifs.



A peek at the dining room where guests will enjoy a Michelin-star meal. Much of the wooden furniture in this room was designed by the internationally renowned architect.

The evening will conclude with a stay in the Vicens family’s primary bedroom-another space fitted in Gaudí’s distinctive style. A full Mediterranean breakfast will be served the next morning in the lush, private garden. Throughout the exclusive stay, the doors to Casa Vicens will be closed to the public, presenting the two overnight guests with unprecedented access to the 19th-century property.



Set on the first floor, the primary bedroom showcases Gaudí’s interpretation of Art Nouveau.

"We are excited to give guests the opportunity to experience this house as Gaudí designed it," says Casa Vicens’s general manager. "We are deeply committed to the preservation of Gaudí’s cultural heritage."



In the vibrant ‘smoking room’ on the home’s lower level, plasterwork on the ceiling replicates palm trees, while the colorful walls are decorated with intricate papier-mâché tiles.

"A local production team worked under our supervision to turn the house into a beautiful sanctuary for guests in the middle of Barcelona," the Airbnb host continues. "It will be a great pleasure to share the building’s secrets and rich history with whoever books the listing."



Guests will enjoy a Mediterranean breakfast in the private garden that surrounds the vibrant structure.

Booking for the coveted Airbnb listing opens on July 12, 2021, at 1:00 p.m. EST (4:00 p.m. CEST). The stay will cost 1-roughly one dollar-plus taxes and fees. According to Airbnb, "interested guests should note that house rules are in strict adherence with local COVID-19 guidelines, and those who request to book must live in the same household to minimize risk."



The extensive restoration of Antoni Gaudí’s Casa Vicens began in 2015. It was led by architects José Antonio Martínez Lapeña and Elías Torres of Martínez Lapeña-Torres Arquitectes, and David García of Daw Office, who helped convert the 19th-century house into a public museum.



"In Casa Vicens, Gaudí recreated the figurative worlds that were fashionable at the time, but in a highly personal way," the team of architects stated in a previous interview. "As a whole, [the building] heralds and displays the creative freedom that would become the hallmark of his entire future oeuvre."

Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Foreign Governments and Corporations Spend Millions with Trump-Linked Lobbying Firm in Washington
KPMG Urges Auditor to Relay AI Cost Savings
Saudi Arabia Quietly Allows Wealthy Foreign Residents to Buy Alcohol, Signalling Policy Shift
US and Iran to Begin Nuclear Talks in Oman
China unveils plans for a 'Death Star' capable of launching missile strikes from space
Investigation Launched at Winter Olympics Over Ski Jumpers Injecting Hyaluronic Acid
U.S. State Department Issues Urgent Travel Warning for Citizens to Leave Iran Immediately
Wall Street Erases All Gains of 2026; Bitcoin Plummets 14% to $63,000
Eighty-one-year-old man in the United States fatally shoots Uber driver after scam threat
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz Begins Strategic Gulf Tour with Saudi Arabia Visit
Dubai Awards Tunnel Contract for Dubai Loop as Boring Company Plans Pilot Network
Five Key Takeaways From President Erdoğan’s Strategic Visit to Saudi Arabia
AI Invented “Hot Springs” — Tourists Arrived and Were Shocked
Erdoğan’s Saudi Arabia Visit Focuses on Trade, Investment and Strategic Cooperation
Germany and Saudi Arabia Move to Deepen Energy Cooperation Amid Global Transition
Saudi Aviation Records Historic Passenger Traffic in 2025 and Sets Sights on Further Growth in 2026
Tech Market Shifts and AI Investment Surge Drive Global Innovation and Layoffs
Global Shifts in War, Trade, Energy and Security Mark Major International Developments
Tesla Ends Model S and X Production and Sends $2 Billion to xAI as 2025 Revenue Declines
The AI Hiring Doom Loop — Algorithmic Recruiting Filters Out Top Talent and Rewards Average or Fake Candidates
Federal Reserve Holds Interest Rate at 3.75% as Powell Faces DOJ Criminal Investigation During 2026 Decision
Putin’s Four-Year Ukraine Invasion Cost: Russia’s Mass Casualty Attrition and the Donbas Security-Guarantee Tradeoff
Saudi Crown Prince Tells Iranian President: Kingdom Will Not Host Attacks Against Iran
U.S. Central Command Announces Regional Air Exercise as Iran Unveils Drone Carrier Footage
Trump Defends Saudi Crown Prince in Heated Exchange After Reporter Questions Khashoggi Murder and 9/11 Links
Saudi Stocks Rally as Kingdom Prepares to Fully Open Capital Market to Global Investors
Air France and KLM Suspend Multiple Middle East Routes as Regional Tensions Disrupt Aviation
Saudi Arabia scales back Neom as The Line is redesigned and Trojena downsized
Saudi Industrial Group Completes One Point Three Billion Dollar Acquisition of South Africa’s Barloworld
Saudi-Backed LIV Golf Confirms Return to Trump National Bedminster for 2026 Season
Gold Jumps More Than 8% in a Week as the Dollar Slides Amid Greenland Tariff Dispute
Boston Dynamics Atlas humanoid robot and LG CLOiD home robot: the platform lock-in fight to control Physical AI
United States under President Donald Trump completes withdrawal from the World Health Organization: health sovereignty versus global outbreak early-warning access
Trump Administration’s Iran Military Buildup and Sanctions Campaign Puts Deterrence Credibility on the Line
Tech Brief: AI Compute, Chips, and Platform Power Moves Driving Today’s Market Narrative
NATO’s Stress Test Under Trump: Alliance Credibility, Burden-Sharing, and the Fight Over Strategic Territory
Saudi Arabia’s Careful Balancing Act in Relations with Israel Amid Regional and Domestic Pressures
Greenland, Gaza, and Global Leverage: Today’s 10 Power Stories Shaping Markets and Security
America’s Venezuela Oil Grip Meets China’s Demand: Market Power, Legal Shockwaves, and the New Rules of Energy Leverage
Trump’s Board of Peace: Breakthrough Diplomacy or a Hostile Takeover of Global Order?
Prince William to Make Official Visit to Saudi Arabia in February
Saudi Arabia Advances Ambitious Artificial River Mega-Project to Transform Water Security
Saudi Crown Prince and Syrian President Discuss Stabilisation, Reconstruction and Regional Ties in Riyadh Talks
Mohammed bin Salman Confronts the ‘Iranian Moment’ as Saudi Leadership Faces Regional Test
Cybercrime, Inc.: When Crime Becomes an Economy. How the World Accidentally Built a Twenty-Trillion-Dollar Criminal Economy
Strategic Restraint, Credible Force, and the Discipline of Power
Donald Trump Organization Unveils Championship Golf Course and Luxury Resort Project in Saudi Arabia
Inside Diriyah: Saudi Arabia’s $63.2 Billion Vision to Transform Its Historic Heart into a Global Tourism Powerhouse
Trump Designates Saudi Arabia a Major Non-NATO Ally, Elevating US–Riyadh Defense Partnership
Trump Organization Deepens Saudi Property Focus with $10 Billion Luxury Developments
×