Looking over the list of art galleries, one uniquely caught my eye; The Elmhurst Art Museum located in Elmhurst IL. Wandering through the museum's website, I stumbled upon an article that stated that David Wallace Haskins, a Chicago-based artist of the Skycube would be making an appearance on Sunday, November 29th. I thought that was interesting, so I decided to check it out.
When I arrived, I was greeted by a thin older woman who smiled at me warmly. Right away, she asked me if I was a student, I smiled and told her that I was. She informed me that admission for students was free, and then pointed me in the directions of the different exhibits. The exhibit that caught my interest, in particular, was the architecture exhibit. The room was …show more content…
It was called the School of plastic arts located in Havana Cuba. Reading the poster provided, I learned that it was designed by a young Cuban architect by the name of Ricardo Porro in 1961. Porro was commissioned by Fidel Castro, who quoted that “Cuba will count as having the most beautiful academy of arts in the world.” - Fidel Castro (1961). Since steel and reinforced concrete was scared due to the trade embargo the U.S imposed on Cuba. The medium consisted of locally produced material, such as salmon-colored bricks for the walls and terracotta tiles for the dome-shaped roofs; inspired by Catalonian domes. Construction began in 1961 however, due to the start of the Cuban missile crisis in 1962; enthusiasm for the school soon faded causing construction to come to a halt in …show more content…
The Soviet Union preferred more practical and functional architecture. Porro was accused of promoting the ideals of individual expression, branded as “bourgeois,” he was compelled to leave the country. However, in 1999, American architect and historian John Loomis published a book titled Revolution of Forms, which brought the story of Cuba’s forgotten schools to international awareness. Castro invited Porro and many other architects discuss the plans of finally restoring/finishing their old
When I arrived, I was greeted by a thin older woman who smiled at me warmly. Right away, she asked me if I was a student, I smiled and told her that I was. She informed me that admission for students was free, and then pointed me in the directions of the different exhibits. The exhibit that caught my interest, in particular, was the architecture exhibit. The room was …show more content…
It was called the School of plastic arts located in Havana Cuba. Reading the poster provided, I learned that it was designed by a young Cuban architect by the name of Ricardo Porro in 1961. Porro was commissioned by Fidel Castro, who quoted that “Cuba will count as having the most beautiful academy of arts in the world.” - Fidel Castro (1961). Since steel and reinforced concrete was scared due to the trade embargo the U.S imposed on Cuba. The medium consisted of locally produced material, such as salmon-colored bricks for the walls and terracotta tiles for the dome-shaped roofs; inspired by Catalonian domes. Construction began in 1961 however, due to the start of the Cuban missile crisis in 1962; enthusiasm for the school soon faded causing construction to come to a halt in …show more content…
The Soviet Union preferred more practical and functional architecture. Porro was accused of promoting the ideals of individual expression, branded as “bourgeois,” he was compelled to leave the country. However, in 1999, American architect and historian John Loomis published a book titled Revolution of Forms, which brought the story of Cuba’s forgotten schools to international awareness. Castro invited Porro and many other architects discuss the plans of finally restoring/finishing their old