Havana: The Sleeping Beauty

Havana in the 40s and 50s was a gambling haven, much like Las Vegas. Today this pre-revolutionary boom still characterizes the city, which is a blend of much-photographed, colorful, colonial buildings and a sprinkling of internationally renowned Modernist architecture: Walter Gropius, Richard Neutra and Oscar Niemeyer all passed through Havana during this time. In 1956, The Edificio Focsa–a 35-storey complex containing 400 apartments, garages, a school and a restaurant–was built on the Corbusian principles of a self-contained city within a city. At the time, it was the world’s tallest concrete structure. Western influences set a standard, but the architects often worked with local artists to create a uniquely Cuban version of Modernism. For this volume, German-born photographer Bodo Tuengler has documented the rarely-seen architecture of Havana’s brief Modernist period.