CARTAGENA - HAVANA. PORT, WALLS AND ARCHITECTURE

In this exhibition , architect and researcher Javier Olmos delves into the study of the architecture of Havana and Cartagena, which 150 years ago were not so different. Throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries, both cities underwent very similar transformations with the demolition of their walls and the opening of the city to the sea. Added to this was the impact of the emergence of an eclectic and modernist architecture that endowed both historic centers with a compositional, material, and ornamental unity. All these similarities are based on the connection between these two port cities, through artists, architects, and master builders, and also thanks to the magazines of the time, which exerted a great influence.

The exhibition illustrates the urban transformations of both cities with a series of pen drawings by the Cartagena artist Juan Martínez Pedrero , which reflect these architectural parallels between Cartagena and Havana.

Finally, the evolution of these cities up to the beginning of the 21st century is shown, focusing on the conservation of architectural heritage and policies to improve the quality of urban public space, such as the 1994 Havana Master Plan or the pedestrianization plan for Cartagena. All of this allows us to establish a reciprocal learning process, which will help us achieve better urban strategies in the future.

The exhibition is accompanied by Javier Olamos' book, "The Impact of 20th Century Architecture in Old Havana (Cuba) and its Comparison with Cartagena (Spain) ," which was published in collaboration with UCAM, the College of Architects and Olmos Arquitectos.

Javier Olmos Mañes graduated from the Higher Technical School of Architecture of Valencia (2011), completed a Master's degree in Analysis, Theory and History of Architecture at the Polytechnic University of Madrid (2014), and earned his PhD from the Catholic University of San Antonio of Murcia (2017), receiving the highest distinction (Summa Cum Laude) and an International Mention for a six-month research stay in Havana. He currently combines research with his work as an architect, where he designs and restores single-family homes and high-rise buildings.

Museum of the Roman Theatre of Cartagena

From January 24 to April 13, 2026,
Museum of the Roman Theatre of Cartagena,
Plaza del Ayuntamiento, 9,
30201 Cartagena, Murcia (Spain),
Telephone: (+34) 968 504 802
, www.teatroromanocartagena.org
 

Roman Theatre Foundation of Cartagena:
Cartagena City Council,
Autonomous Community of the Region of Murcia,
Caja Murcia Foundation

Collaborate

Iberdrola Foundation