Located along the Malecon in Havana, Cuba, the Torre Giron (Giron Tower) was conceived of as giving the middle finger to the bourgeois: it is sited right on the waters edge occupying a spot front and centre, infront of the homes of the wealthy and privileged.
At the time – 1967 – this represented a significant political and social statement.
Torre Giron was the first sliding-mould building in Cuba. Consisting of two main wings, connected by bridges with 66 apartments in each wing. Two lifts with connecting passages and bridges occur every three levels, meaning someone in between the lift level would walk up or down to their unit.
With Cuba’s warmer climate, all corridors, walkways and bridges were kept open and ventilated. They became places for social interaction, meeting, playing games, chess, lifting weights, kicking a ball, playing cards, reading…
It is considered one of the most complex and sophisticated designs and constructions of its time. with the entire skeleton, structure, and façade made from concrete – both precast and insitu.
Designed by architects Antonio Quintana, and Alberto Rodriguez Surribas.
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