Liberating the Habana Hilton: Architecture and Revolution in 1960s Cuba

Please join the Art History Department for this lecture about architecture and revolution in 1960s Cuba, led by Dr. Fredo Rivera. 

Nine months after its March 1958 opening, the Habana Hilton became the epicenter of the Cuban Revolution. First occupied by guerillas from the Cuban countryside, the hotel would eventually house leaders of the Cuban Revolution during its first year, including Fidel Castro and Che Guevara. Designed in hues of blue and white by Los Angeles-based architect Welton Becket and Havana-based architects Lin Arroyo and Gabriela Menéndez, the hotel represented the height of North American commercial modernity. At 27-stories it was the tallest hotel in Latin America, and infused designs by local artists. Built as a model of luxury and diplomacy at the end of the Batista regime in Cuba, the hotel would become a symbol of the new socialist revolution by the time of its formal expropriation in 1961. This talk traces this history of the Habana Hilton Hotel, from its design to its role in 1960s Cuba. Looking at themes of architectural appropriation and modern design, the Hilton is a prominent example for considering the role of modern architecture in a moment of political transformation. 

This event is presented with support from the Clarence Ward Visiting Lectureship in Architectural History.