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Miami- Havana Ferry, designing two Marine Terminals

INTRODUCTION
Until October 31, 1962, it was possible to travel by overnight ferry from Miami, Florida to Havana, Cuba. The end of this service, and other tourist-related industries in Cuba marked the closing of an era which saw rapid expanses in hotel, shopping and entertainment establishments. The effects of this tourism were two-directional and profoundly affected the fabric of both cities. While North-American tourism to Cuba has been frequently highlighted, the steady stream of Cuban middle class tourism to Miami was also a significant component of the development of a sustainable industry in Southern Florida.

The physical connection between the cities of Miami and Havana via ferry was crucial for the tourism business, and also of important cultural significance in contributing to the impression of a seamless cultural continuity across the sea. The objective of this project, which I titled “The Miami-Havana ferry connection,” the designing of two marine terminals began with the collection of data on the previous marine ferry-link between Miami and Cuba, and accounts of how the impending exchange would affect the two cultures in which the terminals would be located. My examination of several case study buildings on each side provided the main data of which I would then design the new terminals with key focus on climate and humidity. Then through individual experience and travel to and from the isle between 2008 and 2010, I began to establish how a reconnection of the ferry service and its public exposure would act upon the collective mind in strengthening the link between the two cities, and a gained understanding of their reciprocities in tourist culture, history, art and architecture. The project; to design two separate terminals, one in Havana Vieja in a historic district called Alameda de Paula and a Miami terminal located within Miami’s historic FEC port of marine entry, now proposed Museum Park. I also used period photographs and original construction drawings from the mid-century to analyze how Cuban and American tourism impacted the architecture and presence of buildings during the era. On the Miami side specifically, an emphasis on the power of iconic images produced by the pre-conditioned mid-century architecture that was prevalent in South Florida during that time.

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