DUBAI: Great cities are known by their ambitious architecture, and Dubai is determined to outdo them all with one head scratching project after another.
The city’s latest offering are jaw-dropping villas, which feature underwater bedrooms and bathrooms with floor-to-ceiling windows offering scenic views of marine life.
XPRESS toured the first Floating Seahorse villa, in The Heart of Europe on World Islands, off the coast of Dubai.
The floating villa, with one floor submerged underwater, is the first of 131 units being built by Austrian real estate developers Kleindienst Group.
“The floating villa is more a like boat without engine. The first edition of Floating Seahorse was launched in February 2015 with 41 units and an asking price of Dh5 million. They sold out within days as did 50 more units launched a few months later in the second edition called Tzar,” said Josef Kleindienst, chairman of Dubai-based Kleindienst Group.
Construction is nearing completion and developers reckon they will be able to hand over the first 50 units to owners by October. “Last week we launched our third edition called Signature. The response was overwhelming. Within days we managed to sell 19 of the 41 floating villas, priced Dh12 million each,” said Kleindienst
All villa style boats have three levels including one at sea level and another under water. The master bedroom and bathroom are submerged underwater while a fully-fitted kitchen, dining area and an open plan living area are on sea level. The upper deck features a mini bar, kitchenette and a glass-bottomed jacuzzi. An artificial coral garden, which the developer is currently building, will sit under the boats.
The underwater homes are fully built in steel including the hull. The signature edition comes with a fibre glass upper deck. “Until such time Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) connects power to World Islands, we will have generators to supply power. A sewage vacuum system will be connected to every Floating seahorse,” said Kleindienst.
Investors will receive a Land Department certificate and title deed for the ‘submerged plot’ they own.
