The Havana Guide: Modern Architecture 1925-1965 [Paperback]

Eduardo Luis Rodriguez (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 2000 | ISBN-10: 1568982100 | ISBN-13: 978-1568982106 | Edition: 1

While Havana's colonial mansions have recently received worldwide attention, the immense wealth of modern architecture in Cuba has long been neglected.
The first half of the twentieth century was a culturally rich era for Cuba, a time in which the architects of the Modern Movement sought to define an identity for this Caribbean nation. However, within a few years after the revolution of 1959, design ideology became allied with the mass-production aesthetic promoted by the Soviets, and many Cuban architects fled to seek creative and political freedom abroad.
The Havana Guide is the first to recognize the enormous importance of Cuba's modern architecture. It features over 200 structures, including hotels, churches, theaters, social clubs, and private residences. Street maps for all neighborhoods as well as archival and contemporary photographs supplement the texts. Also included is a history of modern architecture in Cuba. This is an essential source book of modern architecture for travelers and architects alike

Editorial Reviews

Review

Intelligent introductions with key biographical details, black and white photographs, floor plans and sharp capsule histories. -- Architecture Magazine May 2000

About the Author

Eduardo Luis Rodriguez is the director of Cuba's architectural journal, Revista Arquitectura.

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Princeton Architectural Press; 1 edition (July 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1568982100
• ISBN-13: 978-1568982106
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #813,270 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Havana Guide - perhaps a guide to paradise lost?, April 14, 2005

By 

JRinPR (Puerto Rico, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Havana Guide: Modern Architecture 1925-1965 (Paperback)

This book focuses on the various works of prominent Cuban architects from the 1920's until the beginning of the now almost five-decades-long Castro reign. The most recent creation depicted is from 1965; we can safely assume that probably all of the architects portrayed in this book went into exile in the sixties (author Eduardo Rodriguez does not make mention of a single one staying there).

The author still lives in Cuba, and rather than condemning the architects he writes about for having left the island, as is customary from Cubans who stayed there, he laments the loss of their talents. Photographs and blueprints are surprisingly plentiful and very interesting, however he is not clear upon whether they are recent photographs (on some it's obvious, because of the decay apparent on the building), or if they were taken at the time of completion. He is also inconsistent in informing readers of the present uses of said buildings (many homes are now diplomatic guest houses or residences, some government buildings are identified by the use given to them when Batista was in power. As an example, one is identified as the Lottery Building, an institution that Castro abolished shortly after taking power). He does let us know the present names of former high-class suburbs (those with anglo names such as Country Club or Vanderbilt were re-named by the Castroites).

The book makes evident what a diverse society Havana had at one time, as opposed to feeding you the oft-repeated stereotype of said city simply being a haven for casinos and mob-controlled hotels. It gives you an idea of what could have been, in light of the fact that these architects were very prolific at the time of the Revolution and that, by the author's own admission, there has been very little construction in Cuba since 1959.

Do not assume that The Havana Guide is solely for architects, however. It is also a book that will be enjoyed by anyone who is interested in Cuba. It may also serve as a trip back in time for those who lived in Havana and were able to see these buildings first-hand.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Magnífico libro de arquitectura cubana, July 1, 2008

By 

Javier Perera Fernandez "guira41" (Madrid, Spain) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Havana Guide: Modern Architecture 1925-1965 (Paperback)

Es un libro excelente sobre arquitectura cubana, sobre un período además poco documentado y del que desgraciadamente van quedando pocos exponentes en Cuba. Imprescindible para comprender la evolución de la arquitectura en Cuba.

5.0 out of 5 stars Great compilation of Cuban modernist architecture, February 20, 2011

By 

Fernando Martin Vázquez "f martín vázquez" (Madrid, Spain) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Havana Guide: Modern Architecture 1925-1965 (Paperback)

THE BOOK COMPILES MODERNIST ARCHITECTURE IN CUBA. YOU CAN GET REALLY SURPRISED ABOUT THE QUALITY OF THE DESIGN OF THE CONSTRUCTIONS BUILT IN THOSE YEARS IN CUBA. The author dedicates about a page to each building including pictures(B/W), plans and a short explanation. The book will be expecially interesting if you are travelling to Cuba(interested in architecture) because it divides the buildings depending on the areas where they are located.