Bacardí building.
The Bacardí building, a very unique, 8 story building, is located at calle Monserrate # 261 between San Juan de Dios and Empedrado in old Havana. It’s an Art Deco structure, begun in 1925 as the headquarters of Bacardí Rum. The company was founded in Santiago, Cuba in 1862 by the Catalan immigrant Don Facundo Bacardí Massó. It was designed by the architects Esteban Rodríguez Castells, Rafael Fernández Ruenes and José Menéndez.
The owner at the time of the building’s construction, Emilio Bacardí, envisioned a magnificent site for his company, but he didn’t find any existing buildings that fit his ideal, so he decided to build something entirely different.
The first floor was built using imported red marble from Norway, and the top floor with bright yellow paving stone- both of which are colors that call to mind the different stages of rum production.
A bat made of metal, the symbol of Bacardi, crowns the building’s dome, which for many years was the tallest point in all of Cuba.
When it was first built, the building had fierce critics, who disliked the newfangled architecture. It became known as the “Havana Lollipop”.
The Bacardi building is currently used as office space, with 2,281 meters for the use of lcoal businesses, and is very accessible for its proximity to Parque Central, several hotels, and many shopping centers, cultural and historic sites in Havana.
If you’re a lover of architecture or rum, don’t miss this building!
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