Hotel Palacio Viena in Havana

by RicardMN Photography

Title

Hotel Palacio Viena in Havana

Artist

RicardMN Photography

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Photograph

Description

Hotel Palacio Viena in Havana, Cuba, 2000.
Film photography. Leica M3 single stroke 1957. Summicron f5cm 1:2. Ilford FP4 Plus

The Hotel Palacio Viena has always been one of the least known in the country and one of the fewest references; perhaps for the short time it functioned as such, between the 1920s and 1930s.

Located at the intersection of Muralla and Inquisidor streets, the hotel began operating during Cuba's first hotel boom in the 1920s, when José Cueto acquired the monumental building built in 1906 by the architect Arturo Marqués to dedicate it to the business of the hospitality and baptized it as Vienna Palace. Strategically located in an angle of the Old Square, the building, one of the best representatives of art nouveau on the island, used to be the headquarters for several warehouses and a hat factory.

The strong influence of Gaudi is noticed at times throughout the complex: Its facade, which is its main attraction, is profusely carved and its balconies resemble waves, while the Telamons stand out from the main arcade.

After ceasing to function as a hotel, the building was dedicated to tenancy and little by little it deteriorated until finally its residents were evicted and the interior of the building collapsed. As the façade suffered little damage, the Office of the Historian of the City of Havana decided to start an investment process to recover the building as a hotel with the name of Palacio de Cueto. (Description from historiacuba.wordpress.com/)

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November 27th, 2020

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