The leading art academy in Cuba was established in the former Havana Country Club in 1961 and elevated to the status of institute in 1976. The cluster of buildings – some unfinished, some half-restored, but all gloriously graceful with their arches, domes and red brick – was the brainchild of Che Guevara and a team of architects.
Among the architects was Ricardo Porro, who designed the striking Facultad de Artes Plásticas (1961), which has long, curving passageways and domed halls in the shape of a reclining woman. Some 800 students study here, and foreigners can, too.
