An Architectural Dialog: by Cronk Duch Architecture

Intervention in Transitional Historic Fabrics

The Pursuit of Lo Cubano within the Architectural Styles and Urban Fabric of Havana

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

An Architectural Dialog: The Pursuit of Lo Cubano within the Architectural Styles and Urbanism of Havana, Cuba Cronk Duch Architects 5

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 4

both experienced defining transitions in the past, to determine how their architectural character was ultimately affected. The conclusion is to create a conceptual project solution within Havana that responds to a modern set of influences and frames the argument for 1) how the idea of architectural style plays a role in the development of the Figure 4: Obispo Street: the Urban fabric of Old Havana Figure 5: The Rome of the Caribbean: View of the Prado from the Hotel Sevilla with The Castillo el Morro in the background

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.

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 access 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 Figure 6: Adaptive stairs through Zaugán into Patio of a Solars Figure 7: Restoration of colonial colonnade Figure 8: Republican era facade awaiting in-fill intervention

reassess certain traditional strongholds, such as business and property ownership. These changes, formally presented in the fourth quarter of 2011, will likely accelerate 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 architecture and urbanism. The policies created from these efforts will set the foundation

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 expan9

sion unseen since Havana’s colonial dominance of the Caribbean in earlier centuFigure 9: Facade detailing of residences along the Prado Figure 10: Havana’s “Wall Steet”, Royal Bank of Canada Figure 11: A fabric of contrast - Plaza Vieja: Arte Nouveau Palacio Cueta, Arturo Marquez (1906) overlooking colonial era buildings

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 neoclassical, 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

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 culture, climate, and other influences. These aesthetic, programmatic, and spatial fundamentals, 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 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

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 historical 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-

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 essence 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 transiFigure 15: Plaza Vieja, laid out in 1559, as a militay plaza without a cathedral as an anchor Figure 16: Street fabric of Habana Vieja

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 existing 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,

the in-fill solutions will be forced to take an architectural position closely aligned with the Masieri polemic: â&#x20AC;&#x153;What is the appropriate language for La Habana Vieja?â&#x20AC;? 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 surrounding 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/renovation. 4 Another category of buildings in need of study, according to the city, are the solares, tenement structures that have evolved through the significant modifica16

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 solares, or apartments in older buildings, have built barbacoas, or makeshift mezzanines, to increase available usable floor space. Current indications are that Old Havana (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 Figure 17: Roof pavilion along the Prado Figure 18: Architectural typologies of La Habana Vieja from Regulaciones Ubanisticas, OHCH, 2009. white represents in-fill parcels Figure 19: Conceptual section indicaing colonization of residential structures

some of the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most important republican era and Art Deco buildings, is especially vulnerable. It is Cubaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;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.

8. Tablas y normas gráficas 8.4 Tipologías arquitectónicas

19 18

ORIGINAL

MODERN URBAN COLONIZATION

174

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 development. 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 Figure 1: Galaría & Patio inside the OHCH office Figure 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

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,

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 addition, as a partner in a firm that primarily practices classical, traditional, and coastal 5

vernacular architecture, and as a closet modernist, I realized that an internal dialogue Figure 5: Colonial Galaría with Portal below Figure 6: Solar along the Malecon Figure 7: Facade awaiting an in-fill structure Figure 8: Prado looking east to Castillo San Felipe del Morro

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

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 communities, 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 Figure 9: View of the Prado from the Hotel Sevilla with The Castillo el Morro in the background Figure 10-13: Images of The Royal Bank of Canada and other Republican era bank buildings

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 touring 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

with a greater purpose and impact. Even in light of the significant preservation underway 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 Wrightâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s proposal for a Grand Canal in-fill site in Venice, Italy, was proposed as a model to study the architectural influences that Havana may face in the near future. The Wright project, more than any other during Italyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s post-WWII transition, became a standard for the international preservation discussion, ultimately establishing preservation guidelines 14

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 curFigure 14: View of the Prado from the Hotel Sevilla with The Castillo el Morro in the background Figure 15: Street fabric of Habana Vieja

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.

Analysis

Case Study: Venice

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 insight. The analysis will focus on post-WWII Venice, in particular three intervention projects on the Grand Canal—The Hotel Bauer addition, The Hotel Danieli

addition, and The Masieri Memorial. The analysis will also discuss the percepFigure 1: Basilica San Giorgio Maggiore, Andrea Palladio Figure 2: Masieri Memorial site on the Grand Canal Figure 3: Hotel Bauer-Grunwald Figure 4: Hotel Danielei

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

many proposed projects. The Hotel Bauer-Grünwald addition (Marino Meo, architect. 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 modern 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, 5

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. Figure 5: Venetian detailing derived from Byzantine influence Figure 6: Venice - Case Study sites

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

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 modern interventions occurred at the periphery and were associated with travel-related infrastructures The Bauer addition provides an architectural reference point for justification 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 projectâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;specifically how the project was driven by 7

both the programmatic need for an increase in upscale hotel rooms to increase tourism, a high priority of the ruling party, and by the US Marshal Plan pressures, but also Figure 7: Juxtaposition of classical and contemporary detailing Figure 8: Hotel Bauer site on Campo San MoisĂŠ Figure 9: Facade of addition projecting into original campo edges

by the cultureâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s desire to create a new identity after the war through the use of architecture. 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.

FIGURE 1 - SITE PLAN

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 materially 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 composition of the elevation on the street, canal, or piazza, consisting of a center bay with en10

try at the lower level, a bank of doors accessing the balcony on the second level, and Figure 10: Street level door detailing of addition facade Figure 11: Interpretation of a traditional Venetian tripartite facade (using two bays) Figure 12: Interpretation of venetian galleria (colonnade)

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

composition establishes the center, public hall on all floorsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;the androne on the lower floor, the pĂ˛rtego 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 composition of the Bauer addition (fig. 11) and allows the faĂ§ade, in light of its intrusion, Figure 13: Soffit crown detail in gold leaf Figure 14: Facade articulation illustrating the flair of the outside corner to perhaps emphasize the intrusion into the original campo boundaries Figure 15: Canal facade of Addition with tripartite composition

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

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 faĂ§ade 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 Bauerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s gesture, the faĂ§ade 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 comparFigure 16: Venetian tripartite facade of Palazzo Dondolo (now Danieli Hotel) Figure 17: Hotel Danieli addition /in-fill (1946-48) Virgilio Vallot

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.

20th century In-fill building

17th century Palazzo

19th century Palazzo 39

The Masieri Memorial proposal by Frank Lloyd Wright, presented initially

in 1953, represents the final, most substantive case study in the analysis of architectural 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 architect 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 Figure 18: Palazzo Balbi, Alessandro Vittoria Figure 19: Masieri Memorial within its context (IUAV, Scarpa)

memorial site is adjacent to a prototypical but significant 16th century palazzo, the Palazzo Balbi (1582–90), designed by Alessandro Vittoria (fig. 18). Visually framing 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.

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 Accademia 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 20

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 modFigure 20: View of the Prado from the Hotel Sevilla with The Castillo el Morro in the background Figure 21: Street fabric of Habana Vieja Figure 22: Rendering of Wright’s proposal by Dionisio Gonzales15

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

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 Protection of Venice, which became instrumental in preservation ordinances around the world, including the United States and Havana, Cuba.13 The proposal is also sig23

nificant in that it allows an opportunity to study the influences that affected the deFigure 23: Reverse bay window on the interior court allows light into the floor below Figure 24: Angled facade transition between Masieri and Balbi creates unique spatial qualities on the interior

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 Historian 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-

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 faĂ§ade of brick was restored without a new stucco finish, 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 palazzoâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; like that of its neighbors, as it lacks a portego, or center bay, comprised of a grand bank of windowsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;the original facade contributes to the fabric of this important visual termination on the Grand Canal by contrasting the Palazzo Balbi and not competing 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 exteriors 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- 24

25 Figure 25: Cylinders of Venetian plaster enclose 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

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 building 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 successful 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 contemporary, but compatible architecture in historic contexts. 29

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 debate on what is architecturally appropriate to define a new identity. The case studies within Havana will be framed within a similar context. Two projects—the adaptive reuse for San Jeronimo University, completed in the “special period” during the post-Soviet transition into an economy of tourism, and The Parque Central Hotel Annex, completed in 2010 during the current transition into a qua-

si-capitalist environment—will provide an insight into the direction of current Figure 1: View of the Prado from the Hotel Sevilla with The Castillo el Morro in the background Figure 2: Street fabric of Habana Vieja

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

San Jeronimo University

3 Parque Central Hotel Annex

was demolished for the construction of a new parking structure during the communist expansion. In the post Soviet era known as the â&#x20AC;&#x153;special period,â&#x20AC;? Cuba looked to its national patrimony to increase tourism and spark economic growth. The parking 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 (approximately 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 Figure 4: View of the Prado from the Hotel Sevilla with The Castillo el Morro in the background Figure 5: Street fabric of Habana Vieja

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 building type and style within the historic district of La Habana Vieja. The design incorporates a reproduction of the original bell tower and entry portale (the entry portal

San Jeronimo

5 6

Park Central Hotel Annex

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 7

the restrictive budget through reflective curtain wall systems and stark finishes, creating 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 Figure 7: View of the Prado from the Hotel Sevilla with The Castillo el Morro in the background Figure 8: Street fabric of Habana Vieja

a former student, â&#x20AC;&#x153;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-

centric luxury transformed the erudite and epoch-making spirit of the Colegio San Jeronimo, 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 promoted 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

11 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 background Figure 12: Building corner and facade articulation

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-

toric Havana. The recent annex project represents the current model for collaboration 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 expresses a verticality in its setback massing (a requirement of the 2009 urban code in 14

Havana) and utilizes architectural components and materials that suggest both innovation and sustainability (large overhangs for shade and louvers for screening). These Figure 14: Elevation indicating heavy base to relate to existing fabric Figure 15: The upper tier of the Hotel emerges out of the base to project a new image for the building

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. Choyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s project may attempt to represent a renewed version of â&#x20AC;&#x153;Lo Cubano,â&#x20AC;? which earlier architects like Batista sought in creating a new architectural identity for Havana.

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 important 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, 1

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 limFigure 1: View of the Prado from the Hotel Sevilla with The Castillo el Morro in the background Figure 2: Street fabric of Habana Vieja

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

PLAZA CATHEDRAL

CASTILLO FUERZA

CASE STUDY #1

SAN JERONIMO ILLY

CIO IGNA

PARK PARK CENTRAL CENTRAL

EET

STR

SAN

E Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;R

PLAZA VIEJA

MACRO SITE HABANA VIEJA

PLAZA CATHEDRAL

3 Figure 3: Facade connection between Lobo and Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Reilly Cafe Figure 4: Area Nolli map for the project site Figure 5: Block map of project site Figure 6: Facade of Solar building

BANK OF NOVA SCOTIA

PROPOSED PARKING STRUCTURE SITE

SAN JERONIMO UNIVERSITY

IN-FILL ROOF SITE JULIO LOBO BUILDING

LA FLORIDA HOTEL

SOLAR

O’REILLY STREET

O’BISPO STREET

6 SOLAR

foot building, with a unique 10-foot-by-12-foot open patio, which hosts a café, enclosed 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 fourstory 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 7 Figure 7: SW Corner of O’Reilly and San Ignacio: Lobo Building Figure 8: Site looking east along O’Reilly to San Jeronimo Figure 9: Site looking west on O’Reilly Figure 10: Diagram of site components

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

ROOF TERRACE

IN-FILL SITE

SOLAR

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 investment 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 11

research and intervention by the OHCH, with projected projects ranging from restoraFigure 11: Diagram of open Zaguán Figure 12: Street fabric of Habana Vieja

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

N 12

Contextual elements & spatial influence Portáles -openings to street Patios - open wells Percianas - louvers/screens Zaguán-vestibule Toldos-awanings/shade Entresuelo-mezzanine Gallería - colonnade space

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 analysis 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 stuFigure 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

dio for visiting students, the proposed project is an architectural studio for visiting architectural professionals. The project program creates an opportunity of collaboration between the students of San Jeronimo and visiting professionals from around the world to engage in dialogue of architecture and urbanism in Havana.

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 circulation for both the new and the existing so as to provide a safe means of egress and Figure 3: Diagram of void between solar and new tower for ventilation Figure 4: Birdâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s eye view showing Patio and Roof Garden. The tower pulls away from the existing solar facade to allow new fenestrations /ventilation

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 components. Working from the ground up, the lower level creates an exterior spatial connection to the street through the traditional use of the portal and the zaguĂĄn, or transition space (vestibulum), through to the open patio. Many of the vacant in-fill lots in

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 engagement. 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 mezzanine, or antresuelo, above the gallery provides horizontal circulation between the studio above the housing. This is similar to the function of the colonial mezzanines 5

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 Figure 5: View of the Prado from the Hotel Sevilla with The Castillo el Morro in the background Figure 6: Street fabric of Habana Vieja

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

Diagram

Spatial Integration

OPEN NON-CONDITIONED STUDIO CONDITIONED STUDIO Figure 7: View of the Prado from the Hotel Sevilla with The Castillo el Morro in the background Figure 8: Street fabric of Habana Vieja

OPEN GALLERY

FACADE REMAINS OPEN FOR VENTILATION HORIZONTAL CONNECTION TO SOLARES THRU OPEN COVERED BREEZEWAY

VERTICAL CONNECTION TO ADJACENT PATIO

HORIZONTAL CONNECTION TO GARDEN ROOF TERRACE

TOWER FOR VERTICAL CIRCULATION AND BUILDING SYSTEMS

SHADE/WATER COLLECTION/ PHOTOVOLTAICS

OPEN CONNECTION TO STREET THRU PORTAL AND ZAGUAN INTO PATIO

and sleeping spaces is consistent with most of the office, restaurant, and hotel buildings 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 con10

tinue the rising air cycle. Both the open stair and the stair tower create edges for this Figure 10: Diagram of open Zaguán Figure 11: Gallery and Patio of Ground Floor open into and make spatial connection to O’Reilly Street

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

STREET LEVEL

SECOND FLOOR

THIRD FLOOR

FOURTH

FLOOR

building by open covered walkways that overlook the patio and the ZaguĂĄn 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 Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Reilly Street at the turn of the century. 13

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, elecFigure 13: Section at ZaguĂĄn into open Gallery Figure 14: Building Elevations of existing and proposed north west

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 element 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

E X I S T I N G E L E VAT I O N

P R O P O S E D E L E VAT I O N

STUDIO/ ROOF

STUDIO MEZZ G A L L E RY

Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; R E I L LY STREET

O P E N PAT I O

ROOF TERR ACE

STUDIO

O P E N PAT I O

NORTH SOUTH SECTION

G A L L E RY

EAST WEST SECTION

ventilation to the residential spaces. In terms of sustainable components to the project, the flat cantilevered roof provides not only shade, but the opportunity for photovoltaic 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 Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Reilly below. The existing open two-story patio of the Cafe Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Reilly will then be designed into 15

the new roof terrace space by a covered pergola, which provides a sense of conFigure 15: Roof Garden balcony engages the street activity Figure 16: Interior perspective of the Patio looking towards entry Portal Figure 17: Section detail through ZaguĂĄn showing separation of new street facade with the inner core of spaces

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 projects 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

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 inspiration from their context or merely make symbolic gestures to the past, have become 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.

Figure 18: View of O’Reillystreet looking west from the balcony of the Café O’Reilly Figure 19/20: Views of O’Reilly street looking west across facade of proposed intervention

The

proposed intervention for La Habana Vieja provides insight in

how future projects can address the needs of a growing environment, better integrate the projects into the existing infrastructure, and most importantly, define a new architectural expression for the city. This exercise has been a careerchanging 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.

References Cited 1

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

Ibid.

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

“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>. 5

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

Ibid.

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

Ibid.

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”) 11

Ibid.

“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>. 14

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

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

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.

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. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Modernism Contested: Frank Lloyd Wright in Venice and the Masieri Memorial Debateâ&#x20AC;?) Goy, Richard J. Vernacular Architecture: Traditional Housing in the Venetian Lagoon Cambridge: Cambridge University 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