THE CUBAN SQUARE RENOVATION PROJECT - INTERSECTION FOR INTERACTION

Team members: Nina Avdalyan, Ivane Gventsadze Thought and imagined as the new heart of the Cuban capital, the current state of Plaza de la Revolución is way far from that reality. Nowadays, the whole context represents an isolated and underused area, lived only a few times per year. This immense concrete surface that was once a lively place, has neither been able to evolve in time, nor been capable of reinventing itself to host possible new urban programs. Laying inert and unused most of the time Plaza de la Revolución has become a sort of “public void” where tourists just step by to take the classic picture with Che Guevara’s mural on the background, to then go back to the beach. The conceptual integrity of the new square's role as a linkage between old and new Havana is based on the superimposition of the urban grids of both parts, creating a multidimensional system of paths connecting the three levels of the square and a complex of solids, two of which serve as a platform for hot air balloon trips to the historical and modern parts of the city and act as a metaphor for unity. By preserving some of its concrete surfaces as artifacts, Plaza de la Revolucion is being honored for its role as a spark for the reformatory era in Cuban history. The technique of using the descent to defamiliarize the public void and make visitors see the square in a new way, pointing out the hidden beauty of the plain surface previously neglected by everyone, solves the noise pollution problem of the area, alongside sheltering people in windy weather. The perimeter staircase serves as an observation belt, marking the original form of the plaza, navigating the shift from concrete jungle to the rediscovered oasis in the middle of the city. This greenery helps cool the area, reduce energy use, improve air quality, enhance the local biodiversity and serves as a shaded playground for all sorts of activities with the option of solid sites. Whereas, during the wet season, the focus shifts to the solids as a shelter from inclement weather with specific integrated activities and green surroundings, transforming the plaza into the primary public area of the city.