HAVANA GATE

Year: 2017 - 2018  

Location: Vía Blanca & 4th Street, Havana, Cuba  

Plot area: 180 m2 

Explanation of the project:

The sculptural ensemble has the function of announcing the entrance to Havana and San Miguel del Padrón.  

The ensemble is composed of a slab on the lawn, above which there is a garden that snakes between three walls. The garden, in its form, refers to a river and is a container of vegetation, elements that are very present in the municipality. The walls embody the gradual growth of new buildings in the municipality and, in conclusion, continuous progress.  

The ensemble is also divided into two sections: the first one with a sculptural recreation of El Morro as an identity image and another larger one dedicated to symbols of the Municipality. In the part of San Miguel, an investigation has been conducted that led to the synthesis of the most identity-related elements. Each element is related to a wall. The first wall is dedicated to the international figure of Ernest Hemingway, who settled in San Francisco. The second wall houses a recreation of replica machetes found in the municipal museum as a tribute to our tobacco farmers, independence fighters, and revolutionary warriors; the territory's shield was also placed here. The third wall contains the Butterfly by the international artist Antonia Eiriz, representing all the artists like Ignacio Piñeiro, Benny Moré, and El Indio Naborí, some residents and others born in the municipality.  

The materials were preferred to be produced in the territory, such as adobe, to dignify and provide more durability to the elements.

My role in the project:

In this project, I was the lead designer. I was responsible for site visits to conduct surveys and take photographs. I was in charge of defining the entire project and subsequent adjustments with the structural engineer. I was responsible for overseeing the structural work. I handled the procurement of ceramic and metal materials. I executed all the sculptures together with three sculptors. I delivered the finished work to the client.

Software:

Revit, SketchUp, Photoshop, Excel, and Word were used for the project.