Havana Revisited: An Architectural Heritage

Synopsis

This beautifully illustrated book documents the history, preservation and present uses of Havana's most important buildings and urban spaces. Interpreting the present in light of the past, eleven renowned architects, historians, scholars, preservationists and urban planners provide a rigorous examination of Havana old and new that provokes exploration of the ways we look at all cities. They raise issues of how the most important city in Spanish colonial America developed and changed over several centuries and the extent to which it is being restored and preserved today. Historical colored postcard images of Havana are juxtaposed with recent digital color photographs of the same views. The imagery draws from Cathryn Griffith's collection of more than 600 postcards of Havana from 1900 to 1930, over 3,000 photographs taken since April 2003 and extensive interviews with experts.