Edificio López Serrano

CA3
General sightseeing
Architectural style: Art Deco
CA Ranking: 3
13 esquina a L
  • It is considered the first Cuban skyscraper as it reproduces, on a modest scale, the model of tall New York buildings, conceived with layered fittings in order to let air and light in. The linear and geometric lines of the façade are enhanced by the Moroccan red marble of the interior, the decorative large flowerpots, ceiling lamps and doors to lifts and apartments, and “Time,” a relief sculpture made in nickel silver by Cuban artist Enrique García Cabrera, whose home at 22nd St. in El Vedado is also a beautiful example of Art Deco style. The López Serrano Building was the property of the heirs to José López Serrano, owner of the La Moderna Poesía bookstore, who committed suicide in 1921 because he felt he was bankrupt regardless of having eleven million dollars in his personal bank account.

    
  • Hotel Santa Isabel (Palacio del Conde de Santovenia)

    Hotel Santa Isabel (Palacio del Conde de Santovenia)  LH 4-

    The grandiose palace overlooking the broad cobbled plazuela to the southeast side of Plaza de Armas is the deluxe Hotel Santa Isabel, with its entrance at the corner of Baratillo and Obispo. The hotel …

    Calle Mercaderes

    Calle Mercaderes  LH 3

    One of the busiest streets in Old Havana, second only to Obispo, Mercaderes runs north-south parallel to and two blocks inland of Avenida del Puerto, linking Plaza de la Catedral with Plaza Vieja. The …

    Convento e Iglesia de Santa Clara de Asís

    Convento e Iglesia de Santa Clara de Asís  LH 3

    The concern of Havana’s best families over the fate of their unmarried daughters led to the construction of this convent, which would eventually become the first nunnery in Cuba. Construction works be …

    Hotel Inglaterra

    Hotel Inglaterra  LH 3

    The original nucleus of the hotel dates back to 1856 and was later expanded in 1891 with the addition of two adjacent properties. The last floor was built in 1915. This is Cuba’s oldest hotel and has …

    Casa de los Árabes

    Casa de los Árabes  LH 3

    This ethnographic museum dedicated to Islamic cultures founded in1983 displays modest exhibitions on Islamic textiles, carpets, clothing, weapons, ceramics and furniture. The museum is housed in two e …

    Droguería Johnson

    Droguería Johnson  LH 3

    Tragically, after being beautifully restored by the City Historian’s Office, this pharmacy caught fire on March 16, 2005. Shelves, counters, the façade woodwork, porcelain ornaments and laboratory app …

    Hotel Habana Libre

    Hotel Habana Libre  LH 3

    Located on the famous corner of 23 and L streets, the Habana Libre Hotel, with its 25 floors and 630 spacious rooms, stands majestically and offers an incomparable view of the bay. The building occupi …

    Parque y Casa Alejandro de Humboldt

    Parque y Casa Alejandro de Humboldt  LH 3

    In this 19th-century house, the scientist Alejandro de Humboldt installed his instruments and botany and mineral collections while ensconced here 1800-1801. Restored as a museum in 1997, the five exhi …

    Hotel Ambos Mundos

    Hotel Ambos Mundos  LH 3

    This 1920s eclectic hotel is best known for being described by Hemingway as “a good place to write.” He stayed here during the 1930s and this is where he wrote his chronicles on fishing and the first …

    Casa de Los Pelícanos

    Casa de Los Pelícanos  LH 3

    Although modified by later reconstructions, this Art Nouveau apartment building has preserved its beautiful wooden door carved with floral motifs and flanked on both sides by two slender stone pelican …

    « 12 of 22 pages »