Semana Moderna

In March 2025, Friends of Havana joined Docomomo Cuba and the Ludwig Foundation of Cuba in organizing the first Semana Moderna, a week-long program celebrating Havana’s remarkable modern architecture and the cultural life that surrounds it.

The festival grew directly out of the Hablemos de Arquitectura Moderna symposium held in Havana in March 2024. That meeting brought together Cuban and international experts to discuss the future of modern architecture in the city and highlighted a key opportunity: Havana’s modern buildings are not only important heritage, but could also become a powerful cultural and economic asset if more widely appreciated and promoted.

One inspiration came from Modernism Week in Palm Springs, one of the world’s most successful festivals dedicated to modern architecture. Representatives from Modernism Week participated in the Hablemos symposium and shared their experience building an international event that combines architectural tours, lectures, cultural programming, and social events. Their example helped spark discussion about whether Havana might develop its own festival celebrating modern architecture.

Semana Moderna was conceived as an early step in that direction. The program brought approximately 40 visitors from the United States, organized in partnership with Modernism Week and Docomomo US, to Havana for a series of architectural tours, presentations, and cultural events. These visitors joined a much larger Cuban audience: more than 150 Cuban architects, students, artists, and cultural leaders participated in the talks, dinners, and celebrations held during the week.

The program combined architectural exploration with cultural exchange. Visitors toured important modern sites across Havana—including neighborhoods such as Vedado, Nuevo Vedado, and Playa, as well as the Instituto Superior de Arte (ISA)—while evening events created opportunities for dialogue between Cuban professionals and international guests.

For Friends of Havana, Semana Moderna demonstrated the potential of modern architecture to serve as a platform for cultural exchange, tourism, and civic pride. By connecting the preservation of modern buildings with public programming and international attention, the festival helped begin a conversation about how Havana’s modern architectural heritage can become a visible and celebrated part of the city’s future.