London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Nov 14, 2025

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

0:00
0:00
Close
UK Upholds Firm Rules on Stablecoins to Shield Financial System
Brussels Divided as UK-EU Reset Stalls Over Budget Access
Prince Harry’s Remembrance Day Essay Expresses Strong Regret at Leaving Britain
UK Unemployment Hits 5% as Wage Growth Slows, Paving Way for Bank of England Rate Cut
Starmer Warns of Resurgent Racism in UK Politics as He Vows Child-Poverty Reforms
UK Grocery Inflation Slows to 4.7% as Supermarkets Launch Pre-Christmas Promotions
UK Government Backs the BBC amid Editing Scandal and Trump Threat of Legal Action
UK Assessment Mis-Estimated Fallout From Palestine Action Ban, Records Reveal
UK Halts Intelligence Sharing with US Amid Lethal Boat-Strike Concerns
King Charles III Leads Britain in Remembrance Sunday Tribute to War Dead
UK Retail Sales Growth Slows as Households Hold Back Ahead of Black Friday and Budget
Shell Pulls Out of Two UK Floating Wind Projects Amid Renewables Retreat
Viagogo Hit With £15 Million Tax Bill After HMRC Transfer-Pricing Inquiry
Jaguar Land Rover Cyberattack Pinches UK GDP, Bank of England Says
UK and Germany Sound Alarm on Russian-Satellite Threat to Critical Infrastructure
Former Prince Andrew Faces U.S. Congressional Request for Testimony Amid Brexit of Royal Title
BBC Director-General Tim Davie and News CEO Deborah Turness Resign Amid Editing Controversy
Tom Cruise Arrives by Helicopter at UK Scientology Fundraiser Amid Local Protests
Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson Face Fresh UK Probes Amid Royal Fallout
Mothers Link Teen Suicides to AI Chatbots in Growing Legal Battle
UK Government to Mirror Denmark’s Tough Immigration Framework in Major Policy Shift
UK Government Turns to Denmark-Style Immigration Reforms to Overhaul Border Rules
UK Chancellor Warned Against Cutting Insulation Funding as Budget Looms
UK Tenant Complaints Hit Record Levels as Rental Sector Faces Mounting Pressure
Apple to Pay Google About One Billion Dollars Annually for Gemini AI to Power Next-Generation Siri
UK Signals Major Shift as Nuclear Arms Race Looms
BBC’s « Celebrity Traitors UK » Finale Breaks Records with 11.1 Million Viewers
UK Spy Case Collapse Highlights Implications for UK-Taiwan Strategic Alignment
On the Road to the Oscars? Meghan Markle to Star in a New Film
A Vote Worth a Trillion Dollars: Elon Musk’s Defining Day
AI Researchers Claim Human-Level General Intelligence Is Already Here
President Donald Trump Challenges Nigeria with Military Options Over Alleged Christian Killings
Nancy Pelosi Finally Announces She Will Not Seek Re-Election, Signalling End of Long Congressional Career
UK Pre-Budget Blues and Rate-Cut Concerns Pile Pressure on Pound
ITV Warns of Nine-Per-Cent Drop in Q4 Advertising Revenue Amid Budget Uncertainty
National Grid Posts Slightly Stronger-Than-Expected Half-Year Profit as Regulatory Investments Drive Growth
UK Business Lobby Urges Reeves to Break Tax Pledges and Build Fiscal Headroom
UK to Launch Consultation on Stablecoin Regulation on November 10
UK Savers Rush to Withdraw Pension Cash Ahead of Budget Amid Tax-Change Fears
Massive Spoilers Emerge from MAFS UK 2025: Couple Swaps, Dating App Leaks and Reunion Bombshells
Kurdish-led Crime Network Operates UK Mini-Marts to Exploit Migrants and Sell Illicit Goods
UK Income Tax Hike Could Trigger £1 Billion Cut to Scotland’s Budget, Warns Finance Secretary
Tommy Robinson Acquitted of Terror-related Charge After Phone PIN Dispute
Boris Johnson Condemns Western Support for Hamas at Jewish Community Conference
HII Welcomes UK’s Westley Group to Strengthen AUKUS Submarine Supply Chain
Tragedy in Serbia: Coach Mladen Žižović Collapses During Match and Dies at 44
Diplo Says He Dated Katy Perry — and Justin Trudeau
Dick Cheney, Former U.S. Vice President, Dies at 84
Trump Calls Title Removal of Andrew ‘Tragic Situation’ Amid Royal Fallout
UK Bonds Rally as Chancellor Reeves Briefs Markets Ahead of November Budget
×