Terminal La Habana Vieja - Proposed Regional and International Ferry Terminal

Before beginning any design work in the studio, our professors, Luis and Jorge Trelles of Trelles Cabarrocas Architects in Miami, lead us through the hot and busy streets of Havana, Cuba.  Our visit focused especially on a waterfront site on the east side of La Habana Vieja.  Here we proposed a ferry terminal project to renew Havana both architecturally and economically.  Once a great port, Havana's harbor is now lined with factories and refineries and dotted with derelict ships.  Architecturally, this terminal is a renewal of the Caribbean Neo-Classical style so gloriously seen throughout Havana, despite the state of neglect in which so many of the city's grand buildings are now found.  Economically, our proposal is a symbol of the hope for a more open Cuba, bringing travelers, both domestic and international, back to a city once known as the Rome of the Americas.