Now let me get this out. I don’t profess to be architect, an engineer or any expert on buildings or construction. I am someone who just loves to see architecture with character & soul. I’m not into slap dash buildings for the sake of speedy construction. Here is my take on the architecture I found in Cuba.
I am though, a fussy pot who hates buildings where the gutters & downpipes are painted a different colour so they are a ‘feature’ & not plumbing. Sorry, if I have offended anyone’s house paint scheme.
I have been so surprised, as I mentioned in my first post Havana Times that there are so many 1950s style buildings to go with the 1940-50s cars. I’ll add a few photos below to show you some examples. I had known about the old peeling painted buildings & rubble but I hadn’t seen any photos in my research about these gorgeous 1950s buildings that are still standing. I love them.
Building found on Havana’s Malecon
Havana 1950s building suits the cars
Havana’s famous ice creamery Copellia
Cafe near El Morro in Santiago de Cuba
Park in Santiago de Cuba
The Spanish of course, have been a big influence on Cuba. So far many of the plaza’s churches are cookie cut. Unfortunately, though there is not enough money today to do them all up. Yet.
Museum Nacional de la Luncha Contra bandidos in Trinidad
Iglesia Parroquial de la Santisima Trinidad
Cathedral de San Cristobal de La Habana
I mentioned in my Cuban Storm post about the beauty of the Museum of Revolution. Some of the photos below would not be out of place in a French palace. We visited Versailles in Paris a few weeks back and I see lots of similarities.
Museum of Revolution Havana
Interior at the Museum of Revolution Havana
Dome in the Museum of Revolution Havana that leaked
Interior at the Museum of Revolution Havana
Interior at the Museum of Revolution Havana
Now to the French who built many of Cienfuegos buildings. I thought one actually had a middle eastern influence too. So beautiful.
Cienfuegos building
Cienfuegos building
Club Cienfuegos
Placio de Valle Parque de Esculturas Cienfuegos
Another angle of Placio de Valle Parque de Esculturas Cienfuegos
So much scaffolding around the place & it’s seems the touristy spots like Trinidad get more attention like more tourists. Makes sense I guess.
Street looking up to the Capitolio Nacional
Havana building
Castillo de la Real Fuerza Havana
Havana corner store
We were told this old building was to be a hotel in Trinidad funded by an Italian consortium but fell through, due to too much Cuban tape, we were told.
Trinidad building in scaffolding that an Italian consortium was going to renovate into a hotel
More of that Trinidad building in scaffolding that an Italian consortium was going to renovate into a hotel
Trinidad scaffolding
One Santiago de Cuba building not renovated
It’s neighbour renovated in Santiago de Cuba
Building waiting to be renovated in Santiago de Cuba
Close up of previous building waiting to be renovated in Santiago de Cuba
Renovated building in Santiago de Cuba
Cathedral de Nuestra Senora de la Asuncion in Santiago de Cuba
Dome being renovated at the Cathedral de Nuestra Senora de la Asuncion in Santiago de Cuba
Renovation inside the Dome at the Cathedral de Nuestra Senora de la Asuncion in Santiago de Cuba
Supporting the top floor on a building in Santiago de Cuba
Supporting the top floors & tenanted in Santiago de Cuba
Like the Lada, Russia did have an influence on architecture but it’s a bit slap dash concrete boxes. No pictures of beauty to include in this post, sorry. Talking about concrete, it appeared to us that there was a lot of concrete cancer about. Unfortunately, the buildings are still being used. Not like Australia.
Croissants & Cigars 
Some of the buildings remind me of buildings I saw in South America – Spanish influence again.
Amazing how the Spanish had so much influence over the world, not so now.