His designs can be seen all around Spain but now, the first home designed by famous Catalan architect Antoni Gaudi will open its doors for a special one-night stay via Airbnb this autumn.
Casa Vicens, which is listed for just $1 (Dh4) on the accommodation-booking website, is located in Barcelona’s Gracia neighbourhood.
It was originally built as a summerhouse but, these days, sits as a museum dedicated to the architect and his work in the region.
“Built as a lavish summerhouse for a local family in 1885, Casa Vicens was designed by internationally renowned architect, Antoni Gaudi. A riotous mix of colours and influences, it was Gaudi’s first ever commission and it is widely regarded as being one of the first buildings of the Art Nouveau movement. This hidden gem was declared part of Unesco World Heritage in 2005,” reads the Airbnb listing.
The booking comes with a tour from Casa Vicens Gaudi host Emili, a member of the team who recently transformed Gaudi’s first house into a museum. He will share his insights and knowledge from the recent restoration project during an extensive tour of the space.
Doors will also be closed to the public, meaning guests have unprecedented access to explore the historic building.
"We are excited to give guests the opportunity to experience this house as Gaudi designed it – as a nature oasis. We are deeply committed to the preservation of Gaudi's cultural heritage and it will be a great pleasure to share the building's secrets and rich history with whoever books," said Emili.
As part of the stay, guests will also be treated to a Gaudi-inspired menu from a Michelin-star restaurant in the dining room, as well as a nightcap in the luxurious smoking room.
To conclude the evening, guests will head to the Vicens family master bedroom and, in the morning, be treated to a full Mediterranean breakfast in the private city garden.
Booking opens on Monday, July 12 at 4pm CEST (6pm GST) for a one-night stay for two guests. More information is at airbnb.com/gaudi
Sinopharm vaccine explained
The Sinopharm vaccine was created using techniques that have been around for decades.
“This is an inactivated vaccine. Simply what it means is that the virus is taken, cultured and inactivated," said Dr Nawal Al Kaabi, chair of the UAE's National Covid-19 Clinical Management Committee.
"What is left is a skeleton of the virus so it looks like a virus, but it is not live."
This is then injected into the body.
"The body will recognise it and form antibodies but because it is inactive, we will need more than one dose. The body will not develop immunity with one dose," she said.
"You have to be exposed more than one time to what we call the antigen."
The vaccine should offer protection for at least months, but no one knows how long beyond that.
Dr Al Kaabi said early vaccine volunteers in China were given shots last spring and still have antibodies today.
“Since it is inactivated, it will not last forever," she said.
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
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- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
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- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
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Director: Sudha Kongara Prasad
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THE BIO
Mr Al Qassimi is 37 and lives in Dubai
He is a keen drummer and loves gardening
His favourite way to unwind is spending time with his two children and cooking
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Gearbox: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 298hp @ 6,600rpm
Torque: 356Nm @ 4,700rpm
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Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
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Company%20Profile
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