Social media and numerous residents of Havana have witnessed with sorrow how, day after day, what once was a hub for professional design training in Cuba, the former Higher Institute of Design (ISDI) in Havana, continues to crumble, now reduced to rubble and neglect.
Information about the new collapse was spread by residents of the area and users on social media, who confirmed that the building's collapse occurred in the old ISDI building, located in Centro Habana, between Belascoaín, Maloja, and Estrella.
This sad sequence added a new chapter on Tuesday when another part of the structure collapsed, highlighting the advanced state of deterioration of a building that housed one of the country's most important academic institutions in the field of design and visual arts for decades.
The ISDI, which has trained generations of artists and designers recognized both in and outside of Cuba, has over the years become a symbol of neglect of educational and cultural heritage, with no effective solution achieved for its preservation or restoration.
The collapse of the building once again highlights the housing and construction crisis facing Havana, where historically and socially significant properties continue to deteriorate due to a lack of maintenance and structural responses from the authorities.
In December last, a partial collapse shook the building of the old ISDI, just days after architects warned about its imminent collapse.
Filed under: