Inside Cuba [Hardcover]

TASCHEN (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 2006

Fiesta Cuba: living in the Pearl of the Antilles Described by Christopher Columbus as ?the loveliest land ever beheld by human eyes, ? Cuba's sumptuous landscapes are marked by sun-drenched tobacco and sugar cane fields and its cities ripe with music, dancing, and jubilation. Celebrating the relics of Cuba's revolutionary glory days, this book explores everything from the kinds of interiors seen in Buena Vista Social Club to top-notch luxury hotels and cultural heritage sites. Via a diverse selection of Cuban homes, hotels, gathering places, and more, Inside Cuba takes you on a colorful tour of Cuba's most archetypal interiors. Just mix up a Mojito, pop in a Compay Segundo CD, and fire up a cigar?you?ll be in the perfect mood to savor these luscious Cuban gems. Highlights include: ? traditional time-worn homes bearing the patina of generations of habitation ? Modernist houses?including one by Richard Neutra?and artists? homes ? Cuba's best eclectic 20th century mansions ? a sugar baron's grandiose palacio ? Partag's cigar factory, one of Havana's oldest and finest ? the baroque building Palacio de los Capitanes Generales ? the spectacular and futuristic Mario Girona-designed ice cream haven that is Havana's most popular hangout ? a home with a Lalique-designed interior ? the bars Ernest Hemingway frequented, the hotel where he stayed between 1932 and 1939, and the estate near Havana he purchased in 1940, where he wrote The Old Man and the Sea ? Mafia casino hotels ? Don Diego Vel?zquez's Moorish-influenced home where gold was once processed before being shipped to Spain The photographer: Gianni Basso is specialized in travel photography, architecture, and interiors. In 1989, he foundedthe photography agency Vega MG. His work has been widely published in books and magazines. He lives in Milan.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Highlights include: • traditional time-worn homes bearing the patina of generations of habitation • Modernist houses—including one by Richard Neutra—and artists’ homes • Cuba’s best eclectic 20th century mansions • a sugar baron’s grandiose palacio • Partagás cigar factory, one of Havana’s oldest and finest • the baroque building Palacio de los Capitanes Generales • the spectacular and futuristic Mario Girona-designed ice cream haven that is Havana’s most popular hangout • a home with a Lalique-designed interior • the bars Ernest Hemingway frequented, the hotel where he stayed between 1932 and 1939, and the estate near Havana he purchased in 1940, where he wrote The Old Man and the Sea • Mafia casino hotels • Don Diego Velázquez’s Moorish-influenced home where gold was once processed before being shipped to Spain

About the Author

The author: Julio Cesar Perez Hernandez, a practicing architect and urban planner, is an adjunct professor at the School of Architecture in Havana, Cuba and at the Boston Architectural Center in USA. He is the recipient of several international and national awards and his work has been published in the New York Times, Arquitectura Cuba and Arquitectura y Urbanismo and exhibited in Harvard and Havana. He is currently working in a Master Plan for the city of Havana. The editor: Angelika Taschen studied art history and German literature in Heidelberg, gaining her doctorate in 1986. Working for TASCHEN since 1987, she has published numerous titles on the themes of architecture, photography, design, and contemporary art.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 416 pages
• Publisher: Taschen (March 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 3822845973
• ISBN-13: 978-3822845974
• Product Dimensions: 12.8 x 9.8 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #849,380 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the most valuable Cuban Architectural books in my library, February 13, 2008

By 

Loren R. Witzel (Boston, MA United States) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Inside Cuba (Hardcover)

If you are looking for a book on Cuban politics and history, Look somewhere else. If you are looking for a book full of exquisit imagery and information detailing Cuban life, especially in the realms of art and architecture, this book is a must have. I own a copy of virtually every book that I've ever found on Cuban art & architecture and this is among the top five that I've ever found. Typical books of this quality sell for far more than this and often contain far less useful information.
As a graduate architecture student with a passion for Cuban architecture, I refer to this book in my research as well as for pleasure.

3.0 out of 5 stars Cuban Heavyweight Champion, January 28, 2010

By 

Duke of Kansas City (Kansas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Inside Cuba (Hardcover)

Okay, so you have bought a lot of books on Cuban architecture/interiors and cd's of Cuban music (sorry, no cd with this book) and you still want more of this exotic and taboo island. Well, you can buy this book and stop spending because it is more like comprehensive art history book in size, weight and content. The book should be in every academic library and required reading/viewing for every art/design student. Forget Tuscany or Provence, Cuba is where the real "rustica" is found in abundance without modern "gadgets" and updated kitchens and bathrooms.

The Cuban "novice" will be shocked to see a country still living in the Fifties with old American cars, tv's, oscillating fans instead of air conditioning, etc. It almost sickening the consumption/throwaway habits of ours and European societies when you see what these people get along with and still enjoy life. There is a nice profile of Ernest Hemingways old haunts in Havana, including hotels/bars and his home.

Unfortunately, a lot of books, including this one, about Cuban architecture and design feature the same homes and municipal buildings as if all the photographers are on the same tour or the Cuban government restricts them from photographing other places. The book is priced very nice for such a large and comprehensive book, but still not too big for your book shelf. Highly recommended, thanks to Taschen for publishing such great art books.

5.0 out of 5 stars Inside Cuba, March 8, 2007

By 

Ward Thompson "no one" (no where) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Inside Cuba (Hardcover)

Excellent book. Could benefit from more text and specific location information (addresses) but great coverage and good photos. My wife and I used the information from the book on a recent visit.