Havana Guide: Modern Architecture, 1925-1965 FROM THE PUBLISHER
While Havana's colonial mansions have recently received worldwide attention, the immense wealth of modern architecture in Cuba has long been neglected.
Author Biography: Eduardo Luis Rodriguez is the director of Cuba's architectural journal, Revista Arquitectura.
SYNOPSIS
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.
FROM THE CRITICS
Architecture Magazine May 2000
Intelligent introductions with key biographical details, black and white photographs, floor plans and sharp capsule histories.
Library Journal
In this interesting collection on little-known Cuban architecture, the editor-in-chief of the Cuban journal Arquitectura Cuba creates a guide, similar in format to the American Institute of Architects guides, that depicts 200 structures created between 1925 and 1965. These structures range from private homes to hotels, churches, and government buildings. Organized by neighborhoods in Havana, the text provides photographs, plans, and a brief narrative for each project. Most of the photographs show the original structure, leaving the reader to wonder about the current condition of the buildings. The brief history of the Modern movement in Cuba provides a context for these projects. This volume will be of interest to architectural collections, large travel collections, and special collections dealing with Cuban history and culture.--Jay Schafer, Bay Path Coll. Lib., Longmeadow, MA Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.
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