an architectural dialog:

1

The Pursuit of Lo Cubano

within the Architectural

Styles and Urban Fabric

of Havana

Intervention in Transitional

Historic Fabrics

2

Havana’s Nolli Map I, Studies of La Habana (1994) Professors Douglas Duany & Rafael FornesHavana’s Nolli Map II, Ecole d’Architecture de Paris, Belleville, David Bigelman

5

An Architectural Dialog:

The Pursuit of Lo Cubano within the Architectural Styles and Urbanism of Havana, Cuba

Cronk Duch Architects

8

Dialog The intent of this study is to analyze intervention within historical contexts

during periods of architectural, social, and economic change and to start a dialog as to

what extent architectural style could define a post-transition architectural identity. The

essay will examine case studies within Venice, Italy, and Havana, Cuba, cities that have

both experienced defining transitions in the past, to determine how their architectural

character was ultimately affected. The conclusion is to create a conceptual project so-

lution within Havana that responds to a modern set of influences and frames the argu-

ment for 1) how the idea of architectural style plays a role in the development of the

design solution and 2) how the idea style could potentially contribute in defining a new

architectural identity for Havana as it moves through a period of significant change.

Figure 4:Obispo Street: the Urban fabric

of Old HavanaFigure 5:

The Rome of the Caribbean: View of the Prado from the

Hotel Sevilla with The Castillo el Morro in the background

4

10

Introduction

What does the future hold for the architectural identity of Havana? This

question has been posed during various periods of social and academic interest in

the city over the last two decades and is currently more relevant than ever—it seems

certain that this period will be different for a number of reasons. Unprecedented ac-

cess to outside information, global political change, and a recognition of the neces-

sity of tourism through its national patrimony have urged the Cuban government to

reassess certain traditional strongholds, such as business and property ownership.

These changes, formally presented in the fourth quarter of 2011, will likely acceler-

ate the current efforts of various organizations within Cuba and abroad to address

the eminent “growth pains” that occur in periods of significant political, social, and

economic transition, and specifically, how they will affect the critical areas of archi-

tecture and urbanism. The policies created from these efforts will set the foundation

Figure 6:Adaptive stairs through Zaugán

into Patio of a SolarsFigure 7:

Restoration of colonial colonnade Figure 8:

Republican era facade await-ing in-fill intervention

6

11

7 8

12

for Havana’s architectural identity in the future. Looking to the past, there are many

lessons to be learned from other historic contexts in which cities faced similar change.

These lessons could benefit Havana as it positions its resources to address the future.

The city of Havana is familiar with significant historical events

shaping its architectural identity. As the new republic was formed at the turn of the

century, architecture and urbanism were at the forefront in defining the growth and

identity of the new Havana. The “Pearl of the Antilles” was experiencing an expan-

sion unseen since Havana’s colonial dominance of the Caribbean in earlier centu-

ries. It used architecture and urbanism to convey a new attitude about the Cuban

culture. In this early search for a style that captured the new republic, Cuban and

American architects created various hybrid styles utilizing the elements of neo-

classical, Baroque, Art Nouveau, and Colonial Revival to craft a message of their

own. Havana also experienced the post-WWII transition and its influences on the

city’s architectural identity along with many other European and Latin American

Figure 9:Facade detailing of residences

along the PradoFigure 10:

Havana’s “Wall Steet”, Royal Bank of Canada

Figure 11: A fabric of contrast - Plaza Vieja:

Arte Nouveau Palacio Cueta, Arturo Marquez (1906) overlook-

ing colonial era buildings

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13

10 11

14

historic centers. Cuban architects and students of the ‘50s and early ‘60s sought

a national identity based on both the past and the promise of the future. While

classical architects urged a strict traditional aesthetic, and modernists pressed for a

new identity that distanced itself completely from the past, a middle ground to this

polemic existed in urban historic centers like Venice, Italy, and Havana, Cuba, where

architecture was developed regionally, and spaces and tectonics were based on cul-

ture, climate, and other influences. These aesthetic, programmatic, and spatial funda-

mentals, reinterpreted into a new “language” (not style), could reconcile the old with

new and begin to develop a new identity for the future.1 In post-WWII Venice, for

example, the adaptation of the fundamental organizing elements of the palazzo facade

in new ways that convey the original intent have added to the evolution of the histori-

cal fabric, at the same time professing a new identity. In Cuba, this middle ground

was forged by architects of Cuban Regional Modernism, such as Leonardo Moráles

and Eugenio Batista, among many others.2 The concepts and tectonics used to rein-

Figure 12:In-fill sites exposing the common walls of the residential structures

Figure 13: Common structural system of

republican era buildings - steel, brick, and stucco

Figure 14: Solar adjacent to free-standing

facade on the Prado

12

15

1413 5

16

Figure 15:Plaza Vieja, laid out in 1559,

as a militay plaza without a cathedral as an anchor

Figure 16: Street fabric of Habana Vieja

15

terpret the idea of the essence of Cuban architecture, or “Lo Cubano”, were based

on specific cultural and climatic influences, which were not addressed by the strict

modern movement on the far extreme.3 Although this architectural middle ground in

the debate has made significant contributions to the new post-war identity of Havana,

further significant transitions in its history in 1959 and in 1968 may have curtailed

its ultimate expression and impact. What does the future hold for the architectural

future of Havana? Will the architects of the current transition conceptualize the es-

sence of “Lo Cubano” in a unique and positive way that allows Havana to develop

a new identity for the future, or will the overwhelming influences of such a transi-

tion produce the developer-driven aesthetic that is occurring in areas like Varadero.

The opportunities to explore the direction that Havana will take on its quest

for a new architectural identity will most likely occur in the adaptive reuse of exist-

ing buildings and in-fill sites within the urban historic cores of La Habana Vieja, or

Old Havana, and the predominantly Republic-era Central district. As new buildings,

17

16

the in-fill solutions will be forced to take an architectural position closely aligned

with the Masieri polemic: “What is the appropriate language for La Habana Vie-

ja?” Should it be an authentic re-creation of the architecture of a particular period,

a new character that arises from the influences of, and respect for, the surround-

ing context, or a statement of individuality seeking to establish an identity of its

own, without regard to its surroundings? Herein lies the foundation for the study,

analysis, and design for a new project in the transitional urban fabric of Havana.

Predominantly residential, there are approximately 4,000 historic structures

within the district. According to the Office of the Historian for the City of Havana

(OHCH), approximately fifteen buildings per day in greater Havana, including the

Centro and Vedado areas, experience a significant structural failure, four within the

Habana Vieja district alone, likely rendering the buildings beyond restoration/reno-

vation. 4 Another category of buildings in need of study, according to the city, are

the solares, tenement structures that have evolved through the significant modifica-

18

Figure 17:Roof pavilion along the Prado

Figure 18:Architectural typologies of La Habana Vieja from Regulacio-nes Ubanisticas, OHCH, 2009. white represents in-fill parcels

Figure 19: Conceptual section indicaing

colonization of residential structures

17

tion and colonization of the building rooftops, galarias, and patios, as a result of

increased density within the city. Approximately half of the residents of these so-

lares, or apartments in older buildings, have built barbacoas, or makeshift mezza-

nines, to increase available usable floor space. Current indications are that Old Ha-

vana (80 percent of the buildings are residential according to OHCH) has as many

as 1.5 million units less than what is needed for the current population, with the

Cuban government stating the figure is closer to three-quarters of a million. These

solares, currently defined internationally as slums, present a unique vernaculariza-

tion of the both colonial and Republican era structures. In Central Havana, home to

some of the city’s most important republican era and Art Deco buildings, is especial-

ly vulnerable. It is Cuba’s most densely populated district, with more than 160,000

people living in 1.3 square miles.5 The in-fill sites and existing solares will provide

the context to study the solution for a new building within La Habana Vieja and

analyze the influences that have, and will have, an effect on its architectural identity.

19

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174

8. Tablas y normas gráficas

8.4 Tipologías arquitectónicas

18

19MODERN URBAN COLONIZATION

ORIGINAL

20

Foundation Why Havana?

In an effort to better understand our professional desire to study the subject

of how architecture style has historically been utilized in the past and how it could

be implemented in practice to craft the future, it is important to describe how this

subject became a significant area of question and concern in my professional devel-

opment. On a trip to Havana, Cuba with the development team for an oceanfront

resort in the Florida Keys, our goal was to “capture the essence of Havana” for the

design of the project and create a “style” that represented the city. During the study, it

became evident that Cuba, and more specifically the complex city of Havana, would

not be so easily understood. Unfamiliar with Cuba at the time, our expectations for

the trip were little more than another journey to an island in the Caribbean to study

a prototypical colonial settlement. The aesthetic and creative diversity of this living

city, vastly more sophisticated than the staged tourist destination as often described,

Figure 1:Galaría & Patio inside the

OHCH officeFigure 2/3:

Post card images of O’Reilly street at the turn of the century

Figure 4:Water’s edge looking west to

the Capital along the Prado

1

21

3

2

4

22

was significant. From the layers of its architectural styles to the passion of its diverse

people, Havana would change my perception of the importance of architecture and

urbanism in the culture of a place. We would not be able to capture, stylistically, the

“Lo Cubano”, or Cuban essence, of this city and apply it like a veneer to our Key’s

resort project. The impact of this realization and the importance of Havana as a place

of architectural study provided the foundation for the further study this topic. In ad-

dition, as a partner in a firm that primarily practices classical, traditional, and coastal

vernacular architecture, and as a closet modernist, I realized that an internal dialogue

was developing on what the evolving identity of Havana should be and how the influ-

ences of style would define it. Through professional and academic efforts, the process

of studying Havana and its architectural, aesthetic, and political complexities began.

During a meeting of the Institute for Classical Architecture & Art (ICAA),

a professor and practicing architect was interested in our travel to Havana and asked

us to describe our true impression of the city. The response was that “it was a life

Figure 5:Colonial Galaría with Portal

below Figure 6:

Solar along the MaleconFigure 7:

Facade awaiting an in-fill structureFigure 8:

Prado looking east to Castillo San Felipe del Morro

5

23

6 8

7

24

and career changing experience.” We were drawn to this vibrant city and its people

in a way that we did not fully expect—not out a sense of nostalgia for its cultural and

architectural past, but a call to understand its architectural future and the influences

that would define it. Our firm and colleagues had been seeking a way to participate in

the current dialogue of architecture and urbanism in Havana, on an academic level,

so the ICAA created a committee to head up the effort. After significant planning,

and through contacts from the academic, professional, and humanitarian communi-

ties, the ICAA presented a detailed proposal to Dr. Eusebio Leal Spengler and the

staff of the Office of the Historian for the City of Havana (OHCH). The program

is to study and document turn-of-the-century Republican period financial buildings

in Havana’s “Wall Street,” culminating in the creation of a manual of details based

on the “Manuale del Recupero del Comune di Roma.” During the visit, while tour-

ing current and completed projects of the OHCH, it became evident to all of us that

the program could be much more than a documentation program and could be one

Figure 9:View of the Prado from the


Figure 10-13: Images of The Royal Bank of

Canada and other Republican era bank buildings

9

25

10

26

with a greater purpose and impact. Even in light of the significant preservation un-

derway by the OHCH, there was an interest in dialogue with outside professionals

to discuss intervention and urbanism within La Habana Vieja. During discussions

on the affects of intervention with colleagues, Frank Lloyd Wright’s proposal for

a Grand Canal in-fill site in Venice, Italy, was proposed as a model to study the ar-

chitectural influences that Havana may face in the near future. The Wright project,

more than any other during Italy’s post-WWII transition, became a standard for the

international preservation discussion, ultimately establishing preservation guidelines

around the world. Studying the specific cultural, political, and economic influences

surrounding the project during the post-WWII transition in Venice would provide a

foundation for the study of, and solution for, an in-fill project in Havana. The cur-

rent environment in Havana has strong parallels to Venice after the war and provides

valuable insight into the issue of intervention within transitional historic fabrics.




14

27

15 16

28

Analysis Case Study: Venice

In an effort to define how political, cultural, and economic influences

could affect the architecture of Havana during, and after, the current transition, a

study of areas affected by similar influences in the past will provide valuable in-

sight. The analysis will focus on post-WWII Venice, in particular three interven-

tion projects on the Grand Canal—The Hotel Bauer addition, The Hotel Danieli

addition, and The Masieri Memorial. The analysis will also discuss the percep-

tion of style and “appropriateness” of architectural change in the city, specifically

the integration of contemporary and abstract forms in Venice’s historical fabric.

To better position the primary case study in the analysis, the Masieri Memorial,

we will first review the Hotel Bauer-Grünwald and Hotel Danieli additions. These

interventions to the existing 17th century palazzo were used as arguments to bol-

ster both sides of the early preservation debate and became precedent examples for

1

Figure 1:Basilica San Giorgio Maggiore,

Andrea PalladioFigure 2:

Masieri Memorial site on theGrand Canal

Figure 3:Hotel Bauer-Grunwald

Figure 4:Hotel Danielei

29

2 4

3

30

many proposed projects. The Hotel Bauer-Grünwald addition (Marino Meo, archi-

tect. 1949–54) is a postwar intervention for an entry facade and hotel rooms on a

canal site between the edge of Campo San Moisé and the Grand Canal. The mod-

ern five-story front façade of the addition penetrates into the campo, then recesses

back, and rises to seven stories, meeting the original historic palazzo. A bird’s eye

perspective of the site indicates that the massing of the new addition violates the

original edges of the rectangular campo and has pushed into the space considerably,

specifically beyond the eastern edge of the Church of San Moisé. This penetration

into the space partially obscures the balanced, framed view of the church façade

from the axis approaching the campo on a primary street along the Grand Canal.

The significance of the Bauer addition is that it is recognized as one of the initial

interventions of the Modern architectural language in the historic fabric of Venice

and that it allows an early insight into the city’s varying and ambiguous position on

preservation.6 In fact, at the time of the Bauer project, no formal preservation codes

5

Figure 5:Venetian detailing derived from

Byzantine influence Figure 6:

Venice - Case Study sites

31

6 5

32

outlining a clear methodology existed for Venice.7 Earlier projects of the 1920s and

1930s by prominent architects were ultimately rejected, and most examples of mod-

ern interventions occurred at the periphery and were associated with travel-related

infrastructures The Bauer addition provides an architectural reference point for jus-

tification or rejection of the Masieri proposal, as it encompasses an intervention in

plan and elevation, space, and skin. This case study allows for an understanding of the

external influences placed on the project—specifically how the project was driven by

both the programmatic need for an increase in upscale hotel rooms to increase tour-

ism, a high priority of the ruling party, and by the US Marshal Plan pressures, but also

by the culture’s desire to create a new identity after the war through the use of archi-

tecture. The Bauer study also provides a contrast to the Masieri proposal in that public

reaction was less of an influence on the approval process due to the strong-willed

political climate, in comparison to the post-fascist political and cultural environment

that easily sparked the more public architectural polemic of the Wright solution.

7

Figure 7:Juxtaposition of classical and

contemporary detailingFigure 8:

Hotel Bauer site on Campo San MoiséFigure 9:

Facade of addition projecting into original campo edges

33

8 9

FIGURE 1 - SITE PLAN

34

In terms of the perceived appropriateness of the Bauer solution, the façade of the

addition that projects into the façade of the San Moisé (fig. 9) is in stark contrast ma-

terially and stylistically to the adjoining buildings, but is compositionally organized

in the historical manner of the typical Venetian palazzo. The prototypical Venetian

palazzo façade—from its origin in the 13th century as working maritime houses to the

more ornate 17th century Gothic/Byzantine palaces—consists of a tripartite composi-

tion of the elevation on the street, canal, or piazza, consisting of a center bay with en-

try at the lower level, a bank of doors accessing the balcony on the second level, and

an attic level above for access to grain storage (fig. 11). This center bay is flanked on

both sides with pairs of aligned windows separated by a non-protruding chimney flue

on the inside of the spaces. This chimney zone separating the windows on the exterior

facade pushes the outside window close to the corner of the building on both sides,

creating a unique, naturally lit space on the corners. Period artists of the city often

capture the uniquely Venetian quality of this space.9 In plan, the tripartite elevation

10

Figure 10:Street level door detailing of

addition facadeFigure 11:

Interpretation of a traditional Venetian tripartite facade (using

two bays)Figure 12:

Interpretation of venetian gal-leria (colonnade)

35

11 125

36

composition establishes the center, public hall on all floors—the androne on the lower

floor, the pòrtego on the second (and often third floor), and the attic in the uppermost

floor for grain or storage.10 The spaces on either side of the center bay are the allas,

which are used for the private zones of the house. This tripartite organization often

evolved due to site, program, and financial abilities to form a new typology utilizing

the central bay plus only one of the allays. This variation is the basis for the compo-

sition of the Bauer addition (fig. 11) and allows the façade, in light of its intrusion,

to become a contributing, though unique, component to the fabric of the square. The

sensitivity to scale, material, and detail at the pedestrian level engage the participant,

and the intrusion into the plaza is minimized. The Bauer addition is an example of a

solution to architectural intervention in an urban historic fabric that seeks to create

a new identity, which at the same time, shows respect for the surrounding context.

The second case study of historic urban intervention is the 20th century in-fill

building to expand the Hotel Danieli at the mouth of the Grand Canal. The original Palazzo

13

Figure 13:Soffit crown detail in gold leaf

Figure 14: Facade articulation illustrating the flair of the outside corner to

perhaps emphasize the intru-sion into the original campo

boundariesFigure 15:

Canal facade of Addition with tripartite composition

37

14 15

38

building was constructed in 1600 by the Dondolo family (fig. 16). This project was also a

significant contributor to the early preservation debate in postwar Venice and was also

seen as a product of the political pressure to increase tourism in Venice and greater Italy.

The composition of canal façade for the new 1948 design deviates from the prototypical

Venetian palazzo within the historic fabric (fig. 17). In contrast to the typical Venetian

palazzo order or even the Hotel Bauer’s gesture, the façade has chosen to deviate from

the tripartite order and appears to react only to the space provided and to the density re-

quired. No relationships to horizontal datum lines or vertical bay proportions have been

established. Leaving the topic of decoration, detail, and articulation aside, and compar-

ing simply the order, scale, and composition between the facades, it is clear that there

was minimal attempt to integrate with the past or create a new statement. In the final

analysis, the Danieli hotel addition succeeds only in achieving an expansion to overall

room count and fails to contribute to the fabric of the important Grand Canal front site.

16

Figure 16:Venetian tripartite facade of Pala-zzo Dondolo (now Danieli Hotel)

Figure 17: Hotel Danieli addition /in-fill

(1946-48) Virgilio Vallot

39

1720th century In-fill building 17th century Palazzo 19th century Palazzo

5

40

The Masieri Memorial proposal by Frank Lloyd Wright, presented initially

in 1953, represents the final, most substantive case study in the analysis of archi-

tectural intervention projects within the urban historic fabric of Venice. The project

proposed the demolition of a 17th century palazzo, owned by the family of architect

Angelo Masieri, for a new in-fill building to act as a housing and studio facility for

traveling architecture students. The project was conceived as a memorial to the ar-

chitect by his wife Savina after Angelo was killed in an automobile accident in the

US while seeking to meet with Mr. Wright to secure his services for the project. The

memorial site is adjacent to a prototypical but significant 16th century palazzo, the

Palazzo Balbi (1582–90), designed by Alessandro Vittoria (fig. 18). Visually fram-

ing the memorial building on the approach of the Grand Canal but across canal Rio

Nuovo is the late Venetian Gothic Palazzo Ca’ Foscari (fig. 19). The duration of the

polemic caused by the proposal began in June 24, 1951—with the opening of the

“Sixty Years of Living Architecture” exhibit at Palazzo Strozzi in Florence, where Mr.

18

Figure 18:Palazzo Balbi, Alessandro

VittoriaFigure 19:

Masieri Memorial within its context (IUAV, Scarpa)

41

19 5

42

Masieri first met Mr. Wright—and ended with Mr. Wright’s death on April 9, 1959.

11 The Masieri palazzo occupies a significant site on the Grand Canal between Pala-

zzo Foscari and Palazzo Balbi at a primary node and visual axis termination on the

Grand Canal (fig. 21). The site also allows for views to both the Rialto and Acca-

demia bridges which is no small wonder on the winding Canal. The modest height

of the existing three-story Masieri palazzo compared to its neighbor, the Palazzo

Barbi, at almost twice its height (fig. 19), allows for a view of the tower of Santa

Maria Gloriosa dei Frari on axis with the Grand Canal from the approach to the

building. Politically, the proposal was seen as a turning point in the debate of mod-

ern intervention within historical contexts and delineated three groups within the

argument—traditionalists, moderates, and modernists.12 The project was also seen

as both an opportunity to examine the larger question of Italian urbanism and to

curb the threat of uncontrolled speculation on the rise in Italy after the war. It cre-

ated both a regional and international polemic on the issue of interventions in the

20




Figure 22:Rendering of Wright’s proposal

by Dionisio Gonzales15

43

21 22

44

fabric of Venice and subsequently in other areas of Italy and Europe. The Masieri

Memorial also brought renewed attention to modern interventions completed earlier

within the historic core (the Hotel Bauer addition and the Hotel Danieli addition, for

example). From a legislative standpoint, after the project was ultimately rejected,

the project became a catalyst for the creation of The Interventions for the Protec-

tion of Venice, which became instrumental in preservation ordinances around the

world, including the United States and Havana, Cuba.13 The proposal is also sig-

nificant in that it allows an opportunity to study the influences that affected the de-

cisions of Venice’s Municipal Building Commission in comparison to the current

political influences of Cuba affecting the decision making of the Office of the His-

torian City of Havana (OHCH). Culturally, during the debate, the proposal became

a symbol that represented a generation of young Italian students and architects who

were on the threshold of a new direction in their nation’s architectural development.

Although Mr. Wright’s proposal was rejected for many reasons, rightfully or wrong-

23

Figure 23:Reverse bay window on the

interior court allows light into the floor below

Figure 24: Angled facade transition

between Masieri and Balbi cre-ates unique spatial qualities on

the interior

45

24

fully depending on which position one takes, the memorial was ultimately completed

for its original purpose by Mrs. Masieri and the firm headed by Carlos Scarpa. The

canal front, three-story exterior façade of brick was restored without a new stucco fin-

ish, as would have been the case in its original construction, and a new interior space

was created from within, using a steel and concrete frame. Although the unaltered

original composition of the Masieri Memorial is atypical of the Venetian palazzo—

like that of its neighbors, as it lacks a portego, or center bay, comprised of a grand

bank of windows—the original facade contributes to the fabric of this important vi-

sual termination on the Grand Canal by contrasting the Palazzo Balbi and not com-

peting for importance. Carlos Scarpa completed the design for the student housing

and architecture studio after an extensive and rigorous review process, but died prior

to its completion. His office completed the project interiors and the street-side exte-

riors according to his design. 14 On a research visit to Venice, I was able to tour the

project, which is now an architecture studio of the Istituto Universitario di Architet-

46

2826

2725

Figure 25:Cylinders of Venetian plaster en-

close the rest rooms Figure 26:

New exposed structural system Figure 27/29:

Floor plates are separated from original facades to create light

wells between floors Figure 28:

Open canopy at Castelvecchio - Scarpa

47

tura di Venezia (IUAV), which originally commissioned

the work with Mrs. Masieri. The entrance to the palazzo is

a nondescript portal off of a narrow pedestrian street. Once

through the gate, you are led through an alley leading to an

intersection of several building corners. The entry door to

the memorial is situated at the obtuse corner of the build-

ing through a glass, metal, and wood frame and provides a

glimpse of what the occupant is to experience in the space.

Having the opportunity to visit and study the completed

Masieri Memorial by Scarpa, along with other success-

ful historic interventions in Italy, such as the Museo di

Castelvecchio (fig. 29), has had a profound effect on

my internal debate on the appropriateness of contem-

porary, but compatible architecture in historic contexts. 29

48

1

Analysis Case Study: Havana

The case studies in Venice were selected to analyze completed or pro-

posed projects in historical contexts during transitional periods that raised the de-

bate on what is architecturally appropriate to define a new identity. The case stud-

ies within Havana will be framed within a similar context. Two projects—the

adaptive reuse for San Jeronimo University, completed in the “special period” dur-

ing the post-Soviet transition into an economy of tourism, and The Parque Cen-

tral Hotel Annex, completed in 2010 during the current transition into a qua-

si-capitalist environment—will provide an insight into the direction of current

intervention projects and how they will define the architectural identity of Havana.

San Jeronimo University sits on the east end of O’Reilly Street on the original

site of a Catholic convent and one of Cuba’s first universities. After the relocation of

the convent and several subsequent occupations of the original building, the structure




49

2 3

Parque Central Hotel Annex

SanJeronimoUniversity

50

4

was demolished for the construction of a new parking structure during the commu-

nist expansion. In the post Soviet era known as the “special period,” Cuba looked to

its national patrimony to increase tourism and spark economic growth. The park-

ing structure was selected as the site for San Jeronimo University and became the

center of preservation education and training for the city. During the design process

for the new university, it was determined that due to the cost of demolition (approxi-

mately US$3 million in the early 1990s), the super structure would need to remain

in place. and the new structure would be constructed within. According to faculty at

San Geronimo, the original design intent to draw from the architectural components

of the convent would remain but would have to be adapted to the existing conditions

of the concrete super structure. The juxtaposition between the massing and scale of

the structure and the desire to draw from the architectural past, created a new build-

ing type and style within the historic district of La Habana Vieja. The design incor-

porates a reproduction of the original bell tower and entry portale (the entry portal




51

5 6

SanJeronimo

Park

Cen

tral

Hot

el An

nex

52

7

surround was an exact reproduction of the original and was cut from the original

quarry in Mexico) and utilizes a free-standing stone facade to address the street edge

and the adjacent palazzo, similarly to the original building. Another feature derived

from its colonial past was an internal patio, which was cut into the super structure

to create a traditional Spanish court between the original chapel location, now used

as a gathering space, and the educational spaces. The reference to the past stops here

though, and the remainder of the building appears to react solely to the necessities of

the restrictive budget through reflective curtain wall systems and stark finishes, creat-

ing a very cold transition to the vibrant streetscape at its perimeter. The end result, as

a space created to represent the new academic identity of the city, is best described by

a former student, “Many people consider San Jeronimo to represent one of the most

favorable educational settings for making good use of the learning and teaching day,

perhaps because they confuse enclosures and confinement with peace and tranquility.

Perhaps the intention of the promoters of the school in constructing privilege and euro-




53

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9

54

11

centric luxury transformed the erudite and epoch-making spirit of the Colegio San Je-

ronimo, producing a graveyard effect where it should have upheld birth and seedlings, as

occurred with that effervescent university which in the middle of the colonial age promot-

ed independence from the classrooms of that same university, which no longer exists”. 16

This appears to be a harsh critique of the building in light of the difficult physical

and economic conditions that affected the design, but it does offer an insight into

how these influences affect the decisions surrounding a project and its final solution.

It also illustrates the impact that an architectural project can have not only on the

fabric of a street, but also on the identity of the occupant and the use of the building.

The transitional influences affecting the second case study, The Parque Cen-

tral Torre, are different than those that influenced San Jeronimo. The project, by

architect José Antonio Choy and Julia León Lacher in collaboration with Langdon

Associates, is an annex to the existing Hotel Parque Central, which was one of the

initial joint ventures between the Cuban government and outside investors in his-

Figure 11:West facade of the

Hotel continuing the urban Colonnade at the street edge

Figure 12: South entry facade. Early 1990’s era Parque Central

Hotel in backgroundFigure 12:

Building corner and facade articulation

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toric Havana. The recent annex project represents the current model for collabora-

tion between the government and international business and is an indication of the

position the OHCH has taken on its architectural identity. The base of the building,

while contemporary in its detailing, respects the monumental scale and density of

the urban neighborhood and draws from the rhythms and horizontal emphasis of

the adjacent facades. Beyond the neoclassical reference at the base, the project ex-

presses a verticality in its setback massing (a requirement of the 2009 urban code in

Havana) and utilizes architectural components and materials that suggest both inno-

vation and sustainability (large overhangs for shade and louvers for screening). These

references draw from the fundamentals of Cuban architecture that reflect a response

to the culture, climate, and urban conditions of the past and allow for a new identity

for Havana to emerge out of the past, while at the same time embracing the future.

Choy’s project may attempt to represent a renewed version of “Lo Cubano,” which ear-

lier architects like Batista sought in creating a new architectural identity for Havana.

Figure 14:Elevation indicating heavy base

to relate to existing fabricFigure 15:

The upper tier of the Hotel emerges out of the base to project

a new image for the building

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Site & Context O’Reilly Street

The proposed project site is a 120-foot (street front) by 56-foot assembly of

parcels on the south side of O’Reilly Street between San Ignacio Street on the east and

Cuba Street on the west. The intersection of O’Reilly and San Ignacio ties the impor-

tant axis linking Plaza Cathedral to Plaza Vieja (north to south) and Castillo Fuerza to

Parque Central (east to west). The parcels of the project site represent three conditions

prevalent in the La Habana Vieja fabric. The west parcel is an existing 25-foot-wide,

four-story Republican era residential building (solare) with all fenestrations opening

only to the front (common walls to the previous buildings remain solid with only lim-

ited ad hoc openings added out of necessity). The middle parcel is a vacant 50-foot-

by-50-foot lot (in-fill) with a four-story rear common wall to the Lobo complex that

once held a four-story building (portions of the architectural detailing of the facade

remain). The east parcel (partial building) is occupied by a two-story 45–foot-by-45-

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MACRO SITEHABANA VIEJA

SAN IGNACIO

PLAZA VIEJA

PLAZA CATHEDRAL CASTILLO

FUERZA

PARKCENTRAL

CASE STUDY #1 SAN

JERONIMO

O’REILLY STREET

PARK CENTRAL

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3

4

Figure 3:Facade connection between

Lobo and O’Reilly Cafe Figure 4:

Area Nolli map for the project site

Figure 5:Block map of project site

Figure 6:Facade of Solar building

PLAZA CATHEDRAL N

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5 6

SAN

JERO

NIM

OU

NIV

ERSI

TY

SOLA

R

SOLAR

JULI

O L

OBO

BU

ILD

ING

LA F

LORI

DA

HO

TEL

BANK OFNOVA SCOTIA

O’BISPO STREET

PROPOSED PARKINGSTRUCTURE SITE

IN-FILLSITE

ROOF

O’REILLY STREET

N

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foot building, with a unique 10-foot-by-12-foot open patio, which hosts a café, en-

closed by louvers for light and ventilation. The building is what remains of the lower

section of an original four-story building. The overall block is completed by a four-

story building at the east end, originally occupied by the sugar baron Julio Lobo and

currently under restoration by OHCH as an education and government building. The

west end cap of the block is a vacant lot that spans between O’Reilly and prominent

O’Bispo Street. There is an existing two-story colonial, mixed-use building between

this vacant corner lot and the solare on the project site. The significance of this area

of La Habana Vieja, and of the project site in particular, lies in many important fac-

tors and allows for an appropriate study of the thesis. First, O’Reilly Street has a long

history of transition in its urban fabric, beginning with the Republican era expansion

of “Havana’s Wall street” and later with the movement to a larger residential use after

the exodus of Habana Vieja businesses to the new retail growth in the Central and

Vedado areas of Havana. The residential trend increased even further after the 1959

Figure 7:SW Corner of O’Reilly and San Ignacio: Lobo Building

Figure 8: Site looking east along

O’Reilly to San JeronimoFigure 9:

Site looking west on O’ReillyFigure 10:

Diagram of site components

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10

9

8

IN-FILLSITE

ROOFTERRACE

SOLA

R

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revolution, with the immigration from rural areas of Cuba to the urban centers greatly

increasing the density. As one of the primary streets of colonial Havana, O’Reilly was

one of the early areas for the Neoclassical Republican era bank buildings at the turn

of the century, which represented a bold transition from the colonial massing of the

street in both terms of scale and style. This new style and scale, fueled by US invest-

ment and the significant sugar boom, were seen as a “modern” departure from the

old and represented one the many new architectural identities developed through the

late 1920s. Politically, East O’Reilly Street is an important locale, as it is the location

of San Jeronimo University and is currently targeted as one of the main focuses of

research and intervention by the OHCH, with projected projects ranging from restora-

tions to new parking structures. The concentrated number of vacant lots on O’Reilly

in the area of the project site also made it an appropriate canvas to test the thesis for

intervention. The site allows for the integration of all three prevalent urban condi-

tions and a consideration of the influences of these conditions on the project solution.

Figure 11:Diagram of open Zaguán


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N

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66

Contextual elements & spatial influence

Portáles -openings to streetPatios - open wellsPercianas - louvers/screensZaguán-vestibuleToldos-awanings/shadeEntresuelo-mezzanineGallería - colonnade space

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Figure 1:New free-standing facade

engages the street edge and restores the fabric

Figure 2: Concept sketch of proposed in-fill/adaptive re-use project

Program to Project An Architecture Studio

Drawing from the successful elements of the case studies from both Ven-

ice and Havana, along with an understanding of the past and current influences

that will affect the proposed project, a program was created to best test the anal-

ysis of intervention within La Habana Vieja—a program that creates a place and

space that strives to capture both the elements of “Lo Cubano” and the “erudite

and epoch-making spirit of the (original) Colegio San Jeronimo,” as stated by

Mr. Rodriguez. Similar to the Masieri Memorial program of an architectural stu-

dio for visiting students, the proposed project is an architectural studio for visit-

ing architectural professionals. The project program creates an opportunity of col-

laboration between the students of San Jeronimo and visiting professionals from

around the world to engage in dialogue of architecture and urbanism in Havana.

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Figure 3:Diagram of void between solar and new tower for ventilation

Figure 4: Bird’s eye view showing Patio

and Roof Garden. The tower pulls away from the exist-

ing solar facade to allow new fenestrations /ventilation

The program is within three zones: the rehabilitation and restoration of the

existing solare building (to be used for student housing and administrative spaces on

the ground floor), the vacant in-fill site (to house a new four story structure for the

public gallery with exhibit spaces on the ground floor and studio spaces on the upper

floors), and the roof terrace of the adjacent building (to provide exterior gathering

space and opportunities for urban gardens). The schematic diagram for the concept

was developed with a vertical spine (fig. 4) that would integrate the components of

the program into the zones of the project. This spine would serve as vertical circula-

tion for both the new and the existing so as to provide a safe means of egress and

minimize the reduction of valuable floor space in the housing building. The diagram

would be zoned horizontally by program to make connections to the adjacent com-

ponents. Working from the ground up, the lower level creates an exterior spatial con-

nection to the street through the traditional use of the portal and the zaguán, or transi-

tion space (vestibulum), through to the open patio. Many of the vacant in-fill lots in

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Havana have been used as respites from the urban street, and the open connection to

the public space and patio within the project allow for a continuity of use and engage-

ment. An arched colonnade at the edge of the patio and louvers at the street facade

provide controls to the open-air gallery and exhibit space, which utilize the existing

common walls of the adjacent buildings as the backdrops for display. The mezza-

nine, or antresuelo, above the gallery provides horizontal circulation between the

studio above the housing. This is similar to the function of the colonial mezzanines

that crossed the large two-story entry portals to bridge the merchant storerooms. The

third floor becomes the enclosed conditioned studio space surrounding the internal

patio. The entire envelope of this third floor space is controlled by a combination of

sliding glass partitions and operable louver panels so that circulation and light can

be controlled through the day. All circulation, horizontal and vertical, occurs in open

covered colonnades to allow for ventilation through all of the buildings. This concept

of minimizing and focusing the conditioned zones of a building to primarily the office

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8

7




Diagram Spatial Integration

OPEN NON-CONDITIONED STUDIO

CONDITIONEDSTUDIO

OPENGALLERY

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HORIZONTAL CONNECTION TO SOLARES THRU OPEN COVERED BREEZEWAY

OPEN CONNECTION TO STREET THRU PORTAL AND ZAGUAN INTO PATIO

VER

TIC

AL

CO

NN

ECTI

ON

TO

AD

JAC

ENT

PATI

O

HORIZONTAL CONNECTION TO GARDEN ROOF TERRACE

SHADE/WATER COLLECTION/PHOTOVOLTAICS

TOW

ER F

OR

VER

TIC

AL

CIR

CU

LATI

ON

AN

D B

UIL

DIN

G S

YSTE

MS

FAC

AD

E RE

MA

INS

OPE

N

FOR

VEN

TILA

TIO

N

OPENGALLERY

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Figure 10:Diagram of open Zaguán

Figure 11: Gallery and Patio of Ground

Floor open into and make spatial connection to O’Reilly Street

and sleeping spaces is consistent with most of the office, restaurant, and hotel build-

ings in Havana. The public zones remain open and connected with the street through

the open-air zaguáns and patios and conceptually “widen” the streetscape to include

these spaces. The width of the streets, originally planned to provide shade from the

sun, and the density of the buildings provide the required cover to these spaces and

allow breezes to flow through the buildings, in most cases from block to block by

interconnected patios. Separate businesses and residential buildings frequently have

large openings, secured with iron gates, at the internal party walls to allow for this

common ventilation. The patios then provide the vertical ventilation needed to con-

tinue the rising air cycle. Both the open stair and the stair tower create edges for this

vertical circulation in the project, while at the same time, they allow light to penetrate

deep into the studio and gallery spaces below. The open studio spaces occupy the

fourth floor and become an extension of the roof terrace on the east through a series

of operable louver sliding panels. The fourth floor also connects to the residential

7711 S T R E E T L E V E L

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S E C O N D F L O O R

T H I R D F L O O R

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F O U R T H F L O O R

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Figure 13:Section at Zaguán into open

GalleryFigure 14:

Building Elevations of exist-ing and proposed north west

building by open covered walkways that overlook the patio and the Zaguán below

from cantilevered balconies to encourage vertical interaction between spaces. The

roof of the open studio projects over a large portion of the roof terrace on the east

to provide shade from the early afternoon sun and on the west becomes a series of

aluminum beams covered in fabric panels, leaving the patio opening shaft uncovered.

The fabric awning can be drawn over the patio opening to provide shade and cover,

as did the retractable awnings that spanned O’Reilly Street at the turn of the century.

In addition to the necessity of providing safe egress for the existing residen-

tial buildings that the new tower component will provide, the vital issue of building

systems can also be addressed by the new components of the project. Plumbing, elec-

trical, HVAC, and fire protection systems could be placed in vertical chases for both

efficient initial installation and long-term maintenance. By separating this tower ele-

ment from the existing building facade, it both frees up valuable original floor space

and allows for the once common interior wall to become an opportunity for light and

8114

E X I S T I N G E L E V A T I O N

P R O P O S E D E L E V A T I O N

83E A S T W E S T S E C T I O N

N O R T H S O U T H S E C T I O N

O’ R E I L LY S T R E E T

G A L L E RY

G A L L E RY

M E Z Z

S T U D I O

S T U D I O

S T U D I O /R O O F

S T U D I O

OP

EN

PA

TIO

OP

EN

PA

TIO

R O O F T E R R AC E

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ventilation to the residential spaces. In terms of sustainable components to the proj-

ect, the flat cantilevered roof provides not only shade, but the opportunity for photo-

voltaic panels and rainwater collection systems for the roof garden. Urban gardens

in vacant lots and on rooftops have had significant success in Havana and provide a

public connection to the life occurring on the street and to other rooftop spaces. The

garden could also be used to grow produce and herbs for the Cafe O’Reilly below.

The existing open two-story patio of the Cafe O’Reilly will then be designed into

the new roof terrace space by a covered pergola, which provides a sense of con-

nection to the restaurant, further integrating all the components of the intervention.

Through case studies to understand how architectural solutions were used

as instruments of change during transitional periods, it was eveident that those proj-

ects that derived inspiration from the surrounding context had the most long term

impact on the evolving identity of the place. As in the hotel Bauer and the Parque

central, where inspiration originated in the spatial and organizational qualities of

Figure 15:Roof Garden balcony engages

the street activity Figure 16:

Interior perspective of the Pa-tio looking towards entry Portal

Figure 17:Section detail through Zaguán

showing separation of new street facade with the inner core

of spaces

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Figure 18:View of O’Reillystreet looking

west from the balcony of the Café O’ReillyFigure 19/20:

Views of O’Reilly street looking west across facade of

proposed intervention

the context and not in stylistic re-interpretations, the projects continue to contribute

to the place in a positive way. Those projects that either neglected to seek inspi-

ration from their context or merely make symbolic gestures to the past, have be-

come dated symbols of self expression. In Havana specifically, the inspiration from

the past must embrace the essential qualities of the colonial Cuban precedents in

terms of its cultural and climatic responses. There will be pressure from outside

forces to return to the nostalgic interpretations of various periods of Havana’s past

that will not address the important needs of the city as it transitions into the future.

The proposed intervention for La Habana Vieja provides insight in

how future projects can address the needs of a growing environment, better in-

tegrate the projects into the existing infrastructure, and most importantly, de-

fine a new architectural expression for the city. This exercise has been a career-

changing experience and is only the beginning of a long and hopefully productive

study on how to assist in achieving these goals for the beautiful city of Havana.

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90

References Cited

1 Fuentes, Gabriel. Between History and Modernity: Searching for Lo Cubano in Modern Cuban Architecture.

2 Ibid.

3 Ibid.

4 Office of the Historian for the City of Havana. Regulaciones Ubanisticas, OHCH, 2009.

5 “Havana’s Historic Architecture at Risk of Crumbling into Dust.” South Florida Sun-Sentinel.com. Web. 29 Apr. 2012. <http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nationworld/sfl-cuba-historic-houses-o050309sbmay03,0,5943223.story>.

6 Ainsworth, Troy Michael. Modernism Contested: Frank Lloyd Wright in Venice and the Masieri Memorial Debate. Dissertation Texas Tech. May 2005

7 Ibid.

8 Ibid.

9 Concina, Ennio. A History of Venetian Architecture. Judith Landry, trans. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1998

10 Ibid.

11 Scudo, Gianni and Paolo Donadini. Pains in Venice. Architectural Design 45, no. 6 (June 1975): 351-355. (cited in Ainsworth, Troy Michael. “Modernism Contested: Frank Lloyd Wright in Venice and the Masieri Memorial Debate”)

91

12 Ibid.

13 Ibid.

14 “International Students - UniversitÃ IUAV Di Venezia.” International Students. Web. 29 Apr. 2012. <http://www.iuav.it/English-Ve/About-Iuav/maps/in-Venice/Masieri/index.htm>.

15 Rodriguez, Yenisel. Order and Luxury: Slogans of the New Cuban University. Havana Times, 2011

16 Gonzalez, Dionisio. “’The Light Hours’” - Real Venice. Ivory Press Venice in Peril. Web. 29 Apr. 2012. <http://www.realvenice.org/pg/the-light-hours>.

Other Materials Reviewed

Menéndez, Madeline. La Casa Habanera - Tipología de la Arquitectura Doméstica en el Centro Histórico. 2007

Carley, Rachel. Cuba - 400 years of Architectural Heritage. Whitney Library of Design, 2000

Rossi, Aldo. The Architecture of the City. 1966

Davis, Robert C. and Garry R. Marvin. Venice, The Tourist Maze: A Cultural Critique of the World’s Most Touristed City. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2004.

Williams Jr., Norman, Edmund H. Kellogg, and Frank B. Gilbert, eds. Readings in Historic Preservation: Why? What? How? New Brunswick, New Jersey: Center for Urban Policy Research, 1983.

Tafuri, Manfredo. History of Italian Architecture, 1944-1985. Jessica Levine, trans. Cambridge: Massachusetts Institute of Technology Press, 1989.

92

Soroka, Ellen. Restauro in Venezia. Journal of Architectural Education 47, no. 4 May 1994

Carlo Scarpa in Venice. Process: Architecture 15, no. 75. October 1987

Zevi, Bruno. Towards an Organic Architecture. London: Faber and Faber Ltd., 1950 (cited in Ainsworth, Troy Michael. “Modernism Contested: Frank Lloyd Wright in Venice and the Masieri Memorial Debate”)

Goy, Richard J. Vernacular Architecture: Traditional Housing in the Venetian Lagoon Cambridge: Cambridge Univer-sity Press, 1989

Sammartini, Tudy. The Masieri Story. Architectural Review 174, no. 1038 (August 1983): 61-64.

Rowe, Peter G. Building Barcelona - A Second Renaixenca: Barcelona Regional Actar

an architectural dialog:

Documents

periods of architectural

architectural styles

new architectural identity

architectural character

havanas architectural

idea of architectural

extent architectural

urbanism of havana