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Havana Study Tour: Cuba, 26 February-3 March 2012 |
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INTBAU Cuba and INTBAU Scandinavia, in partnership with C.E.U. (Council for European Urbanism), invite you to join a one-week tour of Havana. The tour will run from 26 February to 3 March 2012 and will give an introduction to the history of the urbanism and architecture of Havana.
- ‘INTBAU’s 2010 Cuba tour was easily one of the most memorable trips I’ve ever participated in for a number of reasons. Audun Engh, the tour coordinator, is excellent, and is highly knowledgeable about Cuba. Julio Cesar Perez, the Cuban tour guide, a planner and scholar by trade, has connections and knowledge no foreigner (and very few Cubans) would have, and is delightful and inspiring. He got us in to see things no ordinary tour would have reached. Simply put, this isn’t a tour for tourists; this is a tour for people who want a deeper understanding of the architecture and urbanism of Cuba.’ -
– Steve Mouzon, INTBAU USA Board Member, author of The Original Green
Steve Mouzon's pictures from the 2010 Havana Tour: http://samouzon.zenfolio.com/f1005587785
Our expert guide will be Professor Julio Cesar Perez, who has been a speaker at several INTBAU and C.E.U. conferences, and at the 2010 Congress for the New Urbanism in Atlanta. A Loeb Fellow at the Harvard Graduate School of Design 2001-2002 and an Adjunct Professor at the School of Architecture in Havana, Perez has lectured widely in the US, Europe, Canada and Bermuda about Cuban architecture. He is the author of a major book about Cuba entitled “Inside Cuba”, and also of a Masterplan for a 21st century Havana, comprising a comprehensive urban plan aimed at the preservation of heritage values and the creation of new urban and economic qualities.
The tour will be suitable for architects, planners, art historians, antiquarians, writers, students and anyone with an interest in the history of Cuban architecture, urbanism and culture, and anyone wanting to discover better ways to make cities for people. A full outline of the tour programme is available at the bottom of this page.
Registration
To register, please contact Audun Engh, INTBAU Scandinavia, on
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.
The cost of the tour programme is as follows:
Single room accommodation: 900 US $, 700 Euro, 590 GBP £ including one week’s accommodation, all guiding, and bus transportation for tours. Meals not included.
Twin share accommodation: 840 US $, 650 Euro, 550 GBP £.
A few places will be available for students at a reduced rate. We can also arrange accommodation for additional nights in Havana if you arrive early or would like to stay longer. Please contact Audun Engh for details.
The registration fee includes:
• 7 nights accommodation in hotel or Casa Particular (rooms for rent in private apartments)
• bus and walking tours of Havana
• expert guiding by Prof. Julio Cesar Perez
• additional guiding by Audun Engh
The registration fee does not include:
• international travel to Havana
• meals
• museum tickets
Hotel Nacional, and old American car.
Travel to Cuba
Participants are asked to arrange their own travel to Havana. Airlines with connections from Europe include Air France, British Airways, Iberia, and Virgin Atlantic (from London). There are also flights to Havana from the US (Miami, New York), Canada, Mexico and other Latin American countries.
Some ATMs can be found, but they are rare compared to other countries. No cards issued by US banks will work in Cuba. It is recommended to bring cash for the trip. Euros, UK Pounds and Dollars are accepted in any currency exchange shop. US Dollars will be subject to a 10% tax when exchanged.
Visas
You will need a visa to visit Cuba. Please contact your local Cuban embassy. A tourist visa will be the simplest to obtain. New regulations require you to submit the name of the hotel or the address and registration number of the Casa Particular. We will provide you with this information.
Accommodation
‘Casa Particular’ (rooms for rent in private houses and apartments) is a uniquely Cuban form of accommodation. Most of the rooms are in apartment buildings from the 1950s, and all are located in the El Vedado area of Havana, just a few blocks from the famous Hotel Nacional. The living and dining rooms are shared with the Cuban family. If you wish, the family will provide you with breakfast and other meals (against a surcharge). All guests will have single rooms unless otherwise agreed. Some bathrooms might be shared with other guests. The buildings are just five minutes away from the Malecón waterfront.
Please contact us if you would prefer hotel accommodation (at an additional cost). We can recommend Hotel Nacional: http://www.hotelnacionaldecuba.com/en/home.asp
US participants
We have had US participants for the previous tours and workshops. Due to the US trade embargo, US citizens will have to travel under either a general or a specific licence. For further information, please go to the website of the United States Department of the Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control.
You may email us or contact one of the travel agencies listed below for additional information on licences.
• Common Ground Education & Travel Services – www.commongroundtravel.com
• Marazul – www.marazul.com
You may also contact the Center for Constitutional Rights in New York on
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
.
A previous US participant Michael Mehaffy suggests looking at the link below, and to referring to the bottom of page 10.
http://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/Programs/Documents/cuba_tr_app.pdf
Mr Mehaffy also has the following advice for interested US participants:
‘You will need to make your own specific determination, but in my case I went under a "general licence", no pre-application required, under the provisions of an international professional meeting in my professional area. I brought with me: a letter of invitation from the Scandianvian organizers; a print of this OFAC document with relevant sections highlighted; my CV; and my itinerary, making it clear this was a professional and international event. I had no problems whatsoever, and I am not aware that anyone else from these events has either.
The intent of the licence is to avoid penalising American professionals who might otherwise benefit from an international professional event in Cuba.'
Havana Urban Design Charrette
The preceding week, 19-25 February, we will also arrange an urban design charrette in Havana. You are welcome to join one of the events, or both. For more information on the charrette, please click here to visit the Havana 2012 Charrette page.
The organisers
The tour is organised by INTBAU Cuba and INTBAU Scandinavia, in partnership with the Cuban and Norwegian chapters of the Council for European Urbanism. We have organised similar events in Norway, Germany, the UK, Romania and Italy.
Prof. Julio César Pérez Hernández will be the expert guide. He was a Loeb Fellow at Harvard Graduate School of Design 2001-2002 and adjunct professor at the School of Architecture in Havana (1998-2006), and has lectured widely in the US, Canada and Europe about Cuban architecture. He is a member of the Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba and the recipient of several international and national awards. His writings have been published in the New York Times, Arquitectura Cuba and Arquitectura y Urbanismo.
Pérez Hernández is the author of a major book on Cuban architecture and culture, Inside Cuba, published by Taschen. He is the president of the Cuban chapters of INTBAU and C.E.U. and the author of A Masterplan for 21st century Havana.
INTBAU Scandinavia will be represented by Audun Engh, INTBAU Scandinavia Secretary, and also a member of the INTBAU College of Chapters.
The Malecon waterfront, Centro Havana
Tour Programme: An Introduction to the History of Cuban Architecture and Urbanism
The tour will provide an introduction to the history of Havana’s urbanism and architecture, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Our expert guide will be Prof. Julio Cesar Perez, who has been a speaker at several INTBAU and C.E.U. international conferences across Europe. A Loeb Fellow at Harvard Graduate School of Design 2001-2002 and Adjunct Professor at the School of Architecture in Havana from 1998 to 2006, he has lectured widely in the US, Europe, Canada, and Bermuda about Cuban architecture. He is also the author of the major book “INSIDE CUBA”, published by Taschen in 2006 and of “Inside Havana” also published by Taschen in October 2011. He’s the author of “A Master Plan for 21st Century Havana” registered at the Library of Congress in Washington DC for copyright and also of many articles edited by professional journals.
Julio Cesar Perez has led and organised the International Havana Charrette on Urban Planning and Urban Design every spring since 2007 and he is currently writing the book “The Magic Landscapes and Urban Design of Havana”, a comprehensive essay on Havana’s urban history and evolution. He has led numerous tours for international institutions and VIP along many years that include Harvard Alumni Association, The National Trust for Historical Preservation, The NYC Museum of Contemporary Art, The Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC, The Cigar Club of Luxembourg, Vassar College, USC, The Fogg Museum Fellows, the Newark Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art of New York, The US Association of Museum Directors, Princeton University Art Museum, Exeter Museum, The Norwegian Ministry of Culture, and UCLA and Dartmouth College Alumni.
Who is it for
Architects, planners, art historians, antiquarians, writers, students and others with an interest in the history of Cuban architecture, urbanism and culture.
DAY 0 Saturday 25 February (or Friday 24 February) Afternoon arrival in Havana. Accommodation. Audun Engh will meet participants when they arrive, Friday or Saturday, and organise meals.
Suggested dinner the first evening: Hotel Nacional, El Vedado district.
DAY 1 Sunday 26 February. Morning Walking tour 9.30 am- 12.30 pm led by Prof. Julio César Pérez. Visit the 4 oldest squares of Old Havana and the most representative colonial buildings.
Plaza de Armas, XVI century with Royal Force Castle by Sánchez and Calona (1558- 1577); the Palacio del Segundo Cabo or Royal Post Office (1770- 1791); the Palacio de los Capitanes Generales (1776- 1791) by Antonio Fernández Trevejos and Pedro de Medina; the beautiful Santa Isabel hotel where US President James Carter stayed when he visited Cuba in 2002; the former residence of Count of Santovenia from 1784; and El Templete from 1828 by Antonio M. de la Torre.
Plaza de San Francisco de Asís from 1628 with the baroque church and convent of Saint Francis of Assisi from 1735 and the 1908 Stock Exchange of Havana by Tomás Mur built by the famous US company Purdy & Henderson in a record time of only 16 months; the Custom House of Havana by US firm Barclay, Parsons and Klapp from 1914.
Plaza Vieja where the restoration process is best explained with a stop at a special corner restaurant which is the museum of beer in Havana. Visit the 1735 Casa de Condes de Jaruco with the most beautiful stained glass windows in Havana and walls with the original friezes and a wonderful central inner courtyard.
Plaza de la Catedral. Casa de Condes de Bayona from 1725, currently the Museum of Colonial Art of Cuba; Casa del Marqués de Arcos; Casa del Conde de Lombillo; and Casa del Marqués de Aguas Claras, all from XVIII century; and the Cathedral, the greatest example of Cuban Baroque from 1777.
Lunch: 1.00- 2.30 pm at Café del Oriente at Plaza San Francisco de Asís.
Afternoon 3.00 – 5.00 pm: Visit led by Audun Engh to the Museum of the City of Havana (Museo de la Ciudad), located in the Governors’ Palace (Palacio de los Capitanes Generales). It houses exhibitions of art and historical artefacts and many of the rooms are preserved with their original colonial decoration.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palacio_de_los_Capitanes_Generales
DAY 2 Monday 27 February. Morning Walking tour 9.30 am- 12.30 pm led by Audun Engh: the back streets of Old Havana, visit to the Havana Club Rhum Museum, the Malecon waterfront.
Lunch: 1.00- 2.30 pm
Afternoon 2.30 – 5.00 pm: Havana on your own, or tour organized by Audun Engh, to The Museum of the Revolution, in the former presidential Palace.
DAY 3 Tuesday 28 February. Morning free, or optional tour organized by Audun Engh to The National Museum of Fine Arts of Havana (Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes de La Habana) in Havana, Cuba – a museum of fine art that exhibits Cuban art collections from colonial times up to the contemporary period.
Lunch: 1.00- 2.30 pm
Afternoon: Walking tour 2.00 am- 4.30 pm led by Prof. Julio César Pérez. The Walls District (XIX century/ early XX century).
Visit The Parque Central of Havana where the 1879 England hotel is located; the Neo- Moorish 1908 Seville Hotel; the 1914 Casino Español; the 1915 Great Theatre of Havana by Belgian architect Paul Belau who also designed the former Presidential Palace in 1920, currently the Museum of the Revolution; the 1925 Centro Asturiano designed by Spanish Architect Manuel del Busto, currently the Fine Arts Museum.
Walk along the world famous 1929 promenade El Paseo del Prado, inspired by the elevated plaza concept and considered one of the best open spaces in the world, by French Landscape designer J.C. N. Forestier who also designed the nearby Park of Fraternity and Avenida del Puerto (Harbor Avenue) and also the 1929 Capitolio gardens.
Visit the former home of President José Miguel Gómez from 1915 designed by Cuban architect Hilario del Castillo. Visit the former Bacardi Headquarters Building from 1930 (the Jewel of Art Deco in Cuba).
Evening suggestions: Live Jazz Music at “La Zorra y El Cuervo” Night club in La Rampa, El Vedado. Coppelia Ice Cream Parlor, the hottest place in town where youngsters hang out. Watching the old traditional ceremony of the 9.00 o’clock canyon shooting at the Fortress of San Carlos de la Cabaña across the bay. El Gato Tuerto bar.
DAY 4 Wednesday 29 February. Morning bus & walking tour 9.30 am- 12.30 pm led by Prof. Julio César Pérez.
The Garden City of El Vedado, planned in 1859-60 but not developed until early in the XX century, according to modern planning principles that introduced green space in the city for the first time. It is still considered the most important urban initiative since colonial times. Laid out by Spanish Engineer Luis Yboleon, it represents the birth of modern planning in Cuba as it provided a very effective model for separating the private and the public realms. El Vedado is a perfect grid rotated 45 degrees to the North to better catch the prevailing breezes and avoid the sun. It contains two minor grids within its fabric: a small one for the University of Havana campus (1905-1940) and another one where the Christopher Columbus Necropolis has sat since 1871, which was laid out according to Medieval trends based on the five wounds of Jesus Christ, meaning two main axes that further subdivide the land into four crosses and four quadrants.
Visit the 1905-1940 Universtity of Havana Campus and walk along La Rampa district, the very heart of modern Havana where the famous 1966 Coppelia Ice Cream Parlor is located as well as the1950s hotels, such as the former Havana Hilton Hotel designed by California architectural firm Welton Becket & Associates in 1958, Art Deco and Streamile Modern-style apartments influenced by South Beach in Miami, and modern cinemas like the 1947 Radiocentro building designed by Junco, Gaston and Dominguez, night clubs, restaurants and shops. Admire Havana’s tall office buildings such as the award winning 1953 Odontological Building and the 1958 Ministry of Public Health, both designed by late Cuban architect Antonio Quintana Simonetti. See the 1956 FOCSA building designed by Ernesto Gomez Sampera and Martin Dominguez. Visit the iconic Riviera Hotel on the waterfront, a 1957 building financed by mobster Meyer Lanski whose first design was commissioned to New York architect Philip Johnson. Hear the story of the meeting of the architects with the developers in Havana (like a black and white film with Johnson wearing an impeccable black suit and the mobsters wearing white linen suits and Panama hats). Drive along the tree lined Paseo Street to the appealing and unique 1926 Casa de la Amistad, former Baro-Lasa mansion, designed by Cuban firm Govantes and Cabarrocas with Art Deco interiors and exquisite glass works by French designer René Lalique, the first Arte Deco piece in Cuba and Lalique’s only design in Latin America. Listen to the wonderful and passionate love story of Catalina Lasa and Juan Pedro Baro, a loan shark and a beauty contest winner, narrated by architect Julio Cesar Perez as it appears in his two books Inside Cuba (Taschen 2006) and Inside Havana (Taschen 2011).
Drive along Paseo Street to the so-called Plaza de la Revolucion, former Civic Square, an unfinished project from 1958 where a white marble monument to our National hero Jose Marti stands with other landmarks such as the 1953 former Office of the Comptroller that shows the big metal sculpture of Che Guevara, the 1957 National Library designed by Cuban firm Govantes and Cabarrocas, the 1958 National Theatre by Arroyo and Menendez, and other significant buildings. Visit the 1930 National Hotel designed by US architects McKim, Mead & White designated best hotel in the world in 2006, and have a look at the Florida straits while having a drink at the hotel gardens.
Afternoon 1.00 pm – 6.00 pm: Afternoon on your own, or tour organized by Audun Engh to one of the beaches close to Havana.
Several beautiful Havana beaches named Playas del Este are located 20 km east of Havana. The best beaches are at Santa Maria del Mar, this is the most tourist-oriented and the busiest of the Havana beaches.
DAY 5 Thursday 1 March. Morning Bus tour of West Havana.9.30 am- 12.30 pm. The US influence on Havana’s urbanism and architecture. Modern and International Style architecture, the suburbs and the new hotels.
Visit the Miramar District (planned in 1911 by Cuban architect Leonardo Morales, a Columbia University graduate) and the big colour-coded model of the city. Learn about the negative impact on Havana’s urban fabric of the Miramar Trade Center office park and the new hotels area where the 1980 Soviet Embassy, the tallest building in Miramar, overwhelms the district with its imposing presence. From the bus, see the Bauhaus like 1949 house of Max Borges Jr. and Art Deco apartment buildings and former private clubs. From the bus see the westernmost suburbs inspired by the City Beautiful Movement (Frederick Law Olmstead’s influence) with isolated villas in ample lots with huge gardens and eclectic and modern houses.
See the campus for the famous Schools of Art of Havana that were built (1961 -1965) in the exclusive area of the former Golf Course of the Country Club of Havana, now Cubanacán area where Eclectic and International styles mansions fit within ample gardens. Visit the impressive and appealing 1953 Nautical Club designed by Max Borges Jr., the designer of the famous open air Cabaret Tropicana whose thin concrete shells weave within the lush vegetation of the site.
Lunch suggestion: 1.30- 2.30 pm Paladar VistaMar, a 1950s architect’s home by the sea, in the very exclusive district of Miramar.
Afternoon 2.30- 5.00 pm
On the way back, drive along the tree lined avenues of Paseo and G Street (Avenue of the Presidents) and visit the 1957 Riviera Hotel originally designed by Philip Johnson and formerly owned by mobster Meyer Lansky.
Dinner suggestion: Dinner at Paladar La Cocina de Lilian in Playa district.
Evening suggestion: Optional drinks at the Hotel Nacional gardens and terraces.
Late evening suggestions: Discotech at the Havana Café of the Melia Cohiba Hotel or Nightclub at the Riviera Hotel or Jazz café at Galerias Paseo.
DAY 6 Friday 2 March. Day on your own. Alternatively, visit to one of the museums of Havana, the cigar factory, or the Playas de Este beaches, organised by Audun Engh.
DAY 7 Saturday 3 March: Morning on your own. Afternoon departure from Havana airport.
DAY 8 (optional): If you extend your stay until Sunday 4 March, Audun Engh will organise additional tours on 3 and 4 March, as agreed with the participants. Afternoon departure from Havana airport.
Contacts
Audun Engh
INTBAU Scandinavia
St Olavs Gate 9
N-0165 Oslo
NORWAY
Tel: +47-92-62-26-26
Email:
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Julio Cesar Perez
INTBAU Cuba
Email:
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Havana Urban Design Charrette: Cuba, 19-25 February 2012 |
INTBAU Cuba and INTBAU Scandinavia invite you to join the 2012 Havana Urban Design Charrette.
The 2012 International Charrette will take place from 19-25 February 2012 and will build on work completed at the charrettes held annually from 2007. International architects and planners are invited to join Cuban experts and local communities for a one-week charrette to develop proposals for the regeneration and development of the waterfront area of Centro Havana.
The charrette will fit both educational and professional purposes and will give participants an introduction to the history of Havana’s cultural heritage through close contact with its traditions, architecture and urbanism. The charrette seeks the participation of individuals who share a respectful attitude to new interventions in historical contexts, and who value the creation of places where humans can enjoy living and working.
Tour of Havana, 26 February–3 March 2012
A study tour of Havana will take place following the charrette, entitled "An introduction to the history of the urbanism and architecture of Havana". You can register for one or both of the events. For more information on the tour, please click here.
Charrette Objectives:
• Elaborate ideas for the development of the waterfront sectors of the district of Centro Habana.
• Promote an integrated vision between the natural condition and the built environment.
• Promote and highlight the importance of the Malecon for the new image of Havana and for social and cultural integration.
• Evaluate the benefits of the transformation of the district of Centro Habana for the future of Havana in economical and urban terms.
• Improve the quality of life of the inhabitants of the district of Centro Haban, preserving its Mediterranean image and getting advantage of its privilege site.
• Propose the increase of urban open space, housing and commerce in the area and its impact at city level.
• Turn the current dilapidated image of the district of Centro Habana into a contemporary and joyful one.
• Reshape the urban landscape of an area currently dilapidated and lacking character by increasing the green areas.
• Reinforce the cultural identity of the district of Centro Habana within the city of Havana.
What is a charrette?
A charrette is an intensive planning session where citizens, designers and others collaborate on a vision for development. It provides a forum for ideas and offers the unique advantage of giving immediate feedback to the designers. More importantly, it allows everyone who participates to be a mutual author of the plan.
Registration & costs
The registration fee for international participants is 300 CUC (Cuban Convertible Peso), approx. 240 EUR, GBP £200, or USD $330. This fee goes exclusively to covering expenses during the charrette, such as studio equipment, transportation costs for Cuban participants, and renting the venue.
Further information and registration:
Julio Cesar Perez, INTBAU Cuba
Email:
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and
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(use both)
Audun Engh, INTBAU Scandinavia
Email:
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Who is it for?
The charrette is designed for architects, planners, art historians, antiquarians, writers, students and anyone with an interest in the history, traditions and culture of Cuba. The full charrette programme and a description of the Centro Habana area are included at the bottom of this page.
US participants
We have had US participants for the previous tours and workshops. Due to the US trade embargo, US citizens will have to travel under either a general or a specific licence. For further information, please go to the website of the United States Department of the Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control.
You may email us or contact one of the travel agencies listed below for additional information on licences.
• Common Ground Education & Travel Services – www.commongroundtravel.com
• Marazul – www.marazul.com
You may also contact the Center for Constitutional Rights in New York on
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
.
A previous US participant Michael Mehaffy suggests looking at the link below, and referring to the bottom of page 10.
http://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/Programs/Documents/cuba_tr_app.pdf
Mr Mehaffy also has the following advice for interested US participants:
‘You will need to make your own specific determination, but in my case I went under a "general licence," no pre-application required, under the provisions of an international professional meeting in my professional area. I brought with me: a letter of invitation from the Scandianvian organizers; a print of this OFAC document with relevant sections highlighted; my CV; and my itinerary, making it clear this was a professional and international event. I had no problems whatsoever, and I am not aware that anyone else from these events has either.
The intent of the licence is to avoid penalising American professionals who might otherwise benefit from an international professional event in Cuba.'
A visa to Cuba will be issued upon arrival at Havana airport. US passports are not stamped by Cuban authorities.
Travel
Participants are responsible for their own travel to Cuba, accommodation and meals. We can assist with arranging accommodation for you, either in private apartments (Casa Particular) or in an international-style hotel.
Airlines with connections from Europe include Air France, British Airways, Iberia, and Virgin Atlantic (from London). There are also flights to Havana from the US (Miami, New York), Canada, Mexico and other Latin American countries.
No credit cards issued by US banks will work in Cuba. It is recommended to bring cash for the trip. Euros, UK Pounds and Dollars are accepted in any currency exchange shop. US Dollars will be subject to a 10% tax when exchanged.
Visas
You will need a visa to visit Cuba. Please contact your local Cuban embassy. A tourist visa will be the simplest to obtain. New regulations require you to submit the name of the hotel or the address and registration number of the Casa Particular when applying for a visa. We will provide you with this information with sufficient time if you prefer Casa Particular accommodation.
We can on request arrange Casa Particular (rooms in private houses and apartments) accommodation in the Vedado district for 50 CUC, Cuban Convertible Peso per night (approx, $55, 35 Euro, £30). This price is per room, single or double occupancy. Most of our participants at the previous charrettes chose this option, although some preferred to arrange for their own accommodation. We can make some suggestions if you prefer hotel accommodation.
Previous Havana charrettes
Our previous charrettes have brought together participants from Cuba, the UK, the USA, Canada, Norway, Sweden, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Slovakia, Argentina, Mexico and other countries. You can read reports on past charrettes online on John Pilling’s website.
John H. Pilling's report from the 2011 INTBAU Charrette in Centro Havana: http://www.johnpilling.net/2011-havana-urban-design-charette/summary_files/2011-havana-urban-design-charrette.pdf
The New York-based website Cuban Art News published an article about the 2011 charrette:
http://www.cubanartnews.org/can/post/charrette_2011_envisioning_the_future_of_havana/
Cuban Art News interview with Prof. Julio Cesar Perez:
Part 1: http://www.cubanartnews.org/can/post/julio_cesar_perez_the_city_must_be_dreamed_designed_and_conceived_for_the_f/
Part 2: http://www.cubanartnews.org/can/post/julio_cesar_perez_part_2_i_feel_very_proud_very_happy_when_i_speak_about_ha/
The organisers
The charrette is organized by INTBAU Cuba and INTBAU Scandinavia, in partnership with the Cuban and Norwegian chapters of the Council for European Urbanism. We have organised similar events in several countries, including Norway, Germany, the UK, Romania and Italy. In September 2008 C.E.U. Norway organised the Third International C.E.U. Congress – Climate Change and Urban Design – in Oslo, Norway.
Professor Julio Cesar Pérez Hernández
Julio Cesar Perez is responsible for the academic and professional programme in Havana and the Cuban participation. He was a Loeb Fellow at Harvard Graduate School of Design 2001-2002 and adjunct professor at the School of Architecture in Havana (1998-2006), and has lectured widely in the USA, Canada and Europe about Cuban architecture. He is a member of the Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba and the recipient of several international and national awards. His writings have been published in the New York Times, Arquitectura Cuba and Arquitectura y Urbanismo.
Pérez Hernández is the author of a major new book on Cuban architecture and culture, Inside Cuba, published by Taschen. He is the president of the Cuban Chapters of INTBAU and the C.E.U. and the author of A Masterplan for 21st century Havana.
John H. Pilling, AIA has been an instructor at the Boston Architectural College since 1993. His studies, which focus on cities of Mexico and the Caribbean, have been done with the friendship of the Faculties of Architecture at CUJAE in Havana and campuses of Tec. de Monterrey (ITESM) in Guadalajara and Mexico City. He has traveled regularly to Cuba since 2001 to do research on its architecture and urban design. In addition to his academic work he practises full time in metropolitan Boston.
Audun Engh is from Oslo, Norway. Education in law. Project manager for conferences, workshops and charrettes held in several countries, including the Climate Change and Urban Design conference in Oslo, 2008, and INTBAU Scandinavia workshops in Transylvania, Romania. Member of the INTBAU College of Chapters, representing INTBAU Scandinavia. Board member of CEU – Council for European Urbanism.
Cuban Supporting Organizations
• Office of the Historian of the City of Havana
• UNEAC (National Union of Artists and Writers of Cuba)
• UNAICC (National Union of Architects and Engineers of Cuba)
• National Physical Planning Institute
• Faculty of Architecture of Havana / CUJAE
• Fundación El Hombre y la Naturaleza
• Instituto Nacional de Geofísica y Astronomía
6th Havana Waterfront Charrette Programme, 19-25 February 2012
Day 1 SUNDAY 19 February
Evening 5.30 -7.00 pm. Hotel Condes de Villanueva. Mercaderes Street, at corner of Lamparilla Street. Old Havana.
Welcome and introduction by Dr. Eusebio Leal Spengler, Director of the Office of the Historian of the City of Havana (to be confirmed); Prof. Julio César Pérez, INTBAU Cuba; and Audun Engh, INTBAU Scandinavia. Followed by a buffet and drinks reception.
Day 2 MONDAY 20 February
Morning 10 am. Work Session. Tour of Centro Habana (charrette site). Introduction to the city, its history and evolution by Professor Julio César Pérez.
Lunch on your own or at the venue.
2.30-5.30 pm. Introductory lectures by both Cuban experts and foreign participants. Work in teams. Venue Hotel Condes de Villanueva, Mercaderes Street, corner of Obrapía.
Day 3 TUESDAY 21 February
9.30 am Work session – Discussion and organisation of preliminary ideas.
1.30- 2.30 pm Lunch
2.30- 5.30 pm Afternoon session. Studio work at the venue.
Day 4 WEDNESDAY 22 February
9.00 am Studio work – Public meeting /pin-ups of first ideas, led by Prof. J.C.Perez
1.30- 2.30 pm Lunch
2.30- 5.30 pm Studio work. Adjustments of proposals and ideas.
Day 5 THURSDAY 23 February
9.00 am Studio work.
1.30- 2.30 pm Lunch
2.30- 5.30 pm Studio work
5.30 pm Public presentation and discussion of first proposals
Day 6 FRIDAY 24 February
9.00 am Adjustments of proposals. Studio work.
1.30- 2.30 pm Lunch
2.30- 5.30 pm Preparation for the final presentation. Studio work.
Day 7 SATURDAY 25 February
10.00 am. Public presentation of final proposals for Centro Habana
Conclusions and announcement of follow up.
The 2012 Charrette Site, Centro Habana
Centro Habana was the first suburb of Havana and its origins date back from the early 1700s. The increase of the agricultural activity in the rural territories off the walls for granting the Spanish Fleet the necessary supplies and the expanding shipbuilding industry contributed to the birth of the first settlements. A small church devoted to the Virgin of Guadalupe in 1716 would define the so considered first neighbourhood (at Monte and Aguila streets) while the relocation of the Real Arsenal in 1734 to the South by the Atares area and the lay out of the Alameda de Extramuros (Off the Walls Promenade) by the Marquis de la Torre around 1772 also contributed to the expansion of the city. The first cemetery of Havana was built in 1804 – the Espada Cemetery, named after Bishop Espada, while the first hospital outside the walls was built in 1714 (San Lazaro hospital).
The Alameda de Extramuros established a significant urban axis and expressed an early assimilation of the new European trends about the appreciation and enjoyment of Nature in the cities. In 1817 a regulating plan – Plan de Ensanche, the first of its kind in Havana executed by a qualified group of engineers led by Colonel Engineer Antonio Maria de la Torre y Cardenas based on a grid – guided the expansion of the city beyond the walls in an orderly manner by using the existing layout of the roads that connected the walled city with the countryside. The plan established a hierarchy of streets where the main arteries called ‘calzadas’ would become the most distinctive feature of Havana’s new streetscape and stood in clear contrast with the character of Old Havana. The so called ‘calzadas’ turned into commercial axes later sheltered with Neoclassical porticoes and arcades that signalled the porches as Havana’s trademark. The famous Cuban writer Alejo Carpentier called Havana the City of Columns. This urban pattern can easily be recognized nowadays where the ‘calzadas’ play a role as linear axes that not only define different neighbourhoods but provide a variety of mixed uses.
Centro Habana is the most diverse district of Havana, the most densely populated and the most dilapidated one. Due to construction speculation during the first decades of the 20th century and neglect of almost half a century the district is currently decaying and many buildings have collapsed.
Centro Habana is located to the North and the center of Havana so that The Straits of Florida is the natural limit and The Malecon its physical border to the North while El Cerro district – also named after another ‘calzada’ – is the South border. Old Havana is to the East and El Vedado district is to the West.
For the Masterplan purpose – and also for the Charrette’s – the Centro Habana waterfront sector is defined by the presence of both colonial fortresses, La Punta (1589 -1600)and The Morro Castle (1589 -1630), the Paseo del Prado and the Torreon de San Lazaro (1665). This sector is quite different in character from the harbor and from East Havana in terms of environmental issues, urban landscape, heritage presence, urban and architectural typologies, urban design and architecture.
The challenges are many and huge but the most important one will be the integration of this territory as proposed in the Master Plan following its guidelines and design – urban, landscape and architectural – codes so that the whole waterfront is developed according to both its vocation and its potential to give Havana a new facade related to the sea, that orients new urban development to the sea and creates an urban realm according and a sustainable environment. Another major challenge will consist in the integration of this area with the rest of Havana in both physical and cultural terms so that it gives continuity to the tradition of excellence of Havana’s urbanism and architecture.
Due to the lack of open space and high density the current population of about 154, 000 is considered to live in extreme environmental conditions with 1.5 Centigrade degree above the average of the city. Green scarcity also contributes to the heat increase even though the breeze coming from the sea seems occasionally to alleviate the situation. |
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Paris Study Tour: 28 September–2 October 2011 |
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The Urbanism of Paris: Old and New Traditional Neighbourhoods is organised by INTBAU Scandinavia, in collaboration with CEU – Council for European Urbanism, Norway. Audun Engh will be tour leader, joined by local guides. During this four day tour, we will visit some of the most important historic neighbourhoods of Paris, including Île de la Cité, Marais and Quartier Latin, and will compare them with two recent developments based on traditional urbanism and architecture, Plessis-Robinson and Val d’Europe.
 Montmartre
Woody Allen’s successful movie “Midnight in Paris” has been criticised by some for presenting a “nostalgic” image of Paris, focusing on attractive historic neighbourhoods, and carefully avoiding modernist interventions like Tour Montparnasse and La Défense. Others will see the film as a celebration of the living traditions of Paris and its urban qualities. One example is this location from the film, Place de l’Abbé-Basset, where the main character is picked up by a veteran car at midnight and taken back to the Paris of the 1920s. We will visit the location on September 29. We will visit another location from the film "Midnight in Paris", close to Pantheon: Rue Saint-Etienne du Mont. Nostalgia for the past, or a model for good, contemporary urban design?
 Rue Saint Étienne du Mont
The French president and the Mayor of Paris are promoting new “business districts” with office towers, in an attempt to “modernise” Paris. However, Plessis-Robinson and Val d’Europe offer a different model for the future expansion of Paris and the urgently needed regeneration of “les banlieues”, the failed social housing projects surrounding the historic city centre.
An article about the skyscraper projects and the campaign to prevent them is available by clicking here
 Digital image of proposed Paris skyscraper
We will also meet members of the NGO “SOS Paris”, currently involved in a campaign to prevent several new skyscraper proposals, close to the historic centre of Paris. The SOS Paris events will be co-organised with CEU, Council for European Urbanism.
The CEU board will be represented by Michael Mehaffy, Peter Drijver, Susan Parham, Matthew Hardy and Audun Engh. The two recent and ongoing developments we will visit have learned from “best practice”, the well-functioning central parts of Paris, with traditional mixed-use urbanism, human scale, and high density provided by a low- and medium-rise block structure. Paris has the highest urban density in the world, with few buildings more than seven stories high. The city is loved by people from all over the world. The mayor of Plessis-Robinson saw every reason to use this urban model when planning a new town, after demolition of failed slab suburbs from the 1960s.
 Plessis-Robinson, an urban extension of Paris still under construction
Plessis-Robinson, 6 kilometres south of Paris. Masterplan and design by François Spoerry, Xavier Bohl, Marc & Nada Breitman and others.
 Val d'Europe, a new urban development
Val d’Europe, close to Euro-Disney. Masterplan by Cooper, Robertson & Partners, NY. Architects include Pier Carlo Bontempi, who designed the award-winning public space Place d’Toscane:
Further information on Val d'Europe is available on the following websites:
http://www.cooperrobertson.com/what_we_do/projecttype/cities/val.php
http://corporate.disneylandparis.com/CORP/EN/Neutral/Images/uk-2008-06-04-val-d-europe-award-for-excellence.pdf
Information on registering and attendance fees follows the Tour Programme.
DAY 1: Wednesday 28 September
Arrival in Paris (any time)
Accommodation: please book you own accommodation. We suggest that participants find a hotel in the Montmartre / Pigalla / Gare du Nord area. Please contact Audun Engh (
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
) for further information.
20.00: Optional dinner at a restaurant to be announced.
DAY 2: Thursday 29 September
09.00 - 18.00 (lunch 13.00 – 14.0): Walking tours: The origins and history of Paris.
Musee de Carnavalet (history of Paris) -http://goparis.about.com/od/parismuseums/p/Musee_Carnavalet.htm
The Marais area – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Le_Marais
Île de la Cité, the Island where Notre Dame is located. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%8Ele_de_la_Cit%C3%A9
Optional tour of the Gothic Sainte Chappelle - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sainte-Chapelle
The Left Bank and Latin Quarter – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latin_Quarter,_Paris
Visit to the legendary “Shakespeare and Company” English Bookshop - http://www.shakespeareandcompany.com/ .
Sorbonne, Pantheon and a visit to one of the key locations for Woody Allen’s film “Midnight in Paris”, Église Saint-Étienne-du-Mont, at Place de l’Abbé-Basset (see image above, and
http://littlebrownpen.blogspot.com/2011/07/midnight-in-paris-steps.html)
20.00: Optional dinner
DAY 3: Friday 30 September
09.00 – 13.00: Walking tour; the Paris of 19th century urban planner Baron Haussmann.- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georges-Eug%C3%A8ne_Haussmann
The grand boulevards – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boulevards_of_Paris
13.00 – 14.00 Lunch
14.00 – 17.00: Future urban development in Paris: a very different city? Meeting with “SOS Paris”, an NGO in opposition to several proposals for new skyscrapers, close to the historic city centre
http://www.planetizen.com/node/47061
http://sosparis.free.fr/p1_s.htm
Tour of urban development sites with proposed skyscrapers in the 13th arrondissement (left bank), and a visit to the SEMAPA company showroom: “Paris city government has contracted SEMAPA to carry out the largest urban planning operation in Paris since the work by Haussmann on Paris’s Left Bank in the 19th century” – http://gie-adefrance.fr/en/members-and-partners/semapa.html
20.00: Optional dinner.
DAY 4: Saturday 1 October
09-00 – 13.00: Tour of Plessis-Robinson, 6 kilometers south of Paris (travel by train). This is a recent urban development. Mixed-use quarters based on the traditional urbanism and architecture of Paris have replaced post-World War II slab suburbs and failed social housing projects. Masterplan and design by François Spoerry, Xavier Bohl, Marc & Nada Breitman and others.
http://www.ecocompactcity.org/Plessis-Robinson/New_Eco_Compact_City_Plessis_Robinson.html
13.00 – 14.00: Lunch
14.00 – 17.00: Tour with SOS Paris of proposed skyscraper sites in Batignolles, 17th Arrondissement. Visit to the developer’s exhibit building in 147 rue Cardinet.
DAY 5: Sunday 2 October
09.00 – 14.00 : Tour by train of Val d’Europe, close to Euro-Disney. This is a new, large urban extension based on traditional urban design and architecture. Masterplan by Cooper, Robertson & Partners, New York. Among the architects is Pier Carlo Bontempi, Italy, who designed the award-winning public space Place d’Toscane:
http://www.traditional-building.com/Previous-Issues-08/JunePalladio08Peoples.html
Val d’Europe web sites.
http://www.valdeurope.com
http://www.cooperrobertson.com/what_we_do/projecttype/cities/val.php
http://corporate.disneylandparis.com/CORP/EN/Neutral/Images/uk-2008-06-04-val-d-europe-award-for-excellence.pdf
14.00: Lunch, end of tour programme and departure for airport, or an optional afternoon / evening programme in downtown Paris, if your departure is Monday. For example a boat trip on the Seine – http://www.france4families.com/paris/RegionsParisAttractionsSeine.htm
Tour registration fee:
275 Euro, £250, 2200 NOK, for the 4 day tour programme (travel, accommodation and meals not included). Please contact us for payment details. The registration fee can be reduced for participants who will not attend the full programme.
Travel to Paris:
Recommended arrival in Paris is anytime on Wednesday 28 September, or arrival on Thursday 29th if you decide to skip the tours of the city centre on Thursday morning and afternoon. The registration fee can be reduced for participants who will not attend the full programme. Please contact us for schedule details if you will arrive on Thursday.
Recommended departure time is on the evening of Sunday October 2. We will be back at the hotels from the Val d’Europe tour by approximately 15.00. Your flight departure should be no earlier than 18.00.
Some participants may choose to stay until Monday 3 October.
Trains:
Eurostar from London: http://www.eurostar.com/dynamic/index.jsp
You will find train connections from all European cities on the Deutsche Bahn website: http://www.bahn.de/i/view/GBR/en/index.shtml
Flights:
All major airlines have connections to Paris, direct or via other European cities. Please note that Paris has several airports: http://www.discoverfrance.net/France/Transportation/Air/airports_Paris1.shtml
“Paris is principally served by two international airports: Roissy/Charles de Gaulle (CDG) to the north of the city, and Orly (ORY) to the south. Together, these airports welcome 75 million passengers annually, with flights to 500 cities in 132 countries. Most international flights arrive at Roissy/CDG, while domestic French flights generally arrive at Orly.”
Both CDG and Orly offer ground transport into the city center.
A third international airport, Beauvais-Tillé (BVA), has gained increasing popularity with some European travelers in recent years, handling over 2 million passengers during 2007. Located 84 km/52 miles from Paris in the department of Oise (province of Picardy), Beauvais primarily serves as a hub for budget airlines hailing from Ireland, the U.K., and a few other western European countries.
Easyjet has flights to both Charles de Gaulle and Orly: http://www.easyjet.com/asp/en/book/index.asp?lang=en
Ryanair – www.ryanair.com – has budget flights from many European cities to two airports, Beauvais and Paris-Vatry (close to Euro-Disney).
Beauvais http://www.ryanair.com/no/airport-transfer/BVA
“Beauvais Airport is located approximately 80 Km from the centre of Paris. There is no rail service from the airport but there is a bus service. Journey time is approximately 1 hour. Cost is €13.00.” – Paris-Beauvais Airport Shuttle
Vatry airport http://www.ryanair.com/no/airport-transfer/XCR
Travel from Paris-Vatry Airport to downtown Paris is rather complicated. “Vatry is located 20 km outside Châlons-en-Champagne. A bus connection called ‘Vatry Bus – Vatry Shuttle’ is available from the airport to Reims, Châlons-en-Champagne and Disneyland Paris. At Disneyland Paris you will be able to reach a number of hotels directly or connect via Chessy Rail Station. From the Chessy Rail Station you can reach central Paris via the RER rail network. Bus tickets for all destinations can be purchased online www.paris-vatry.com or in the passenger terminal.”
Hotels:
Please book your own hotel. We suggest to choose a hotel in one of these areas: Montmartre - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montmartre , Pigalle or Gare du Nord http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gare_du_Nord .
In the morning, we will meet at a Metro station in this area for tours. Optional dinners will also be in this area. Hotels can be booked via airlines, or from www.hotels.com and other online agencies.
Please contact Audun Engh (
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
) for further information.
History of Paris – Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Paris
Paris tourist information:
http://en.parisinfo.com/
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For information and registration, please contact:
Audun Engh
INTBAU Scandinavia / CEU Norway
Oslo, Norway.
Email:
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Mobile phone: +47 92622626
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