Architecture in Cuba is diverse. This island has seen many waves of development over the centuries with the Spanish, French, Americans and even the Soviets influencing the design of buildings around this country. In Havana, the buildings show off a long-gone wealth and extravagance this country once enjoyed, one built on sugar cane, casinos and the mafia. Their stunning decay is a living museum to past generations’ hubris; a misguided feeling that the good times will always roll.
It’s not all bad news though. The Cuban government has set up a holding company headed by some pretty clever people who are hell-bent to save as much of this history as possible. They use hard currency derived from government-owned hotels and restaurants in the city to restore the buildings and create beautiful public spaces for both tourists and locals to enjoy. I emphasize the last point – the business model is such that as neighbourhoods are restored to the old glory, the buildings are mixed-use such that local people in Havana are not pushed out. So, it’s not uncommon to be in an area full of tourists sipping coffees and snapping photos of beautiful public squares, only to turn the corner and find a school, or a gym or a community centre or an artisan’s shop and turn the corner again and find a residential neighbourhood, full of people chatting, playing with their kids or fixing their car in the middle of the street. Over several days in Havana I walked easily 15 km a day. Every street was interesting. Every damaged building seemed to have a story. Every restored building was an insight into what this city must have looked like in its heyday.
My first night in Havana, I decided to splurge a little and stay at the fancy Hotel Nacional, a great old art deco haunt of many big names of years ago. The lobby was fantabulous!
There were many photos of guests from over the years. Whooz dat guy?
Hotel Nacional from the Malecon. Yeah I’m ridin’ in my cah….
Teatro nacional:
Plaza Vieja:
One of my favourite hangouts, La Factoria Plaza Vieja (brew pub):
Yes, that’s a tree growing out of the building:
This building on the Malecon is pockmarked from seaspray off the Gulf of Mexico.
A pharmacy in Habana Vieja:
People live here…check out the engraving at the top of the building – the Monserrat Hotel!
Check out the building on the left.That’s scaffolding and it completely covers a building.
Here’s another angle. Some kinda of bizarre invasive species – a Chernobyl pitcher plant that swallows entire buildings overnight!
“I swear, honey, I was just having a shower and the house fell down!”
Stairway to heaven…
sedativegunk 