The Edificio Bacardi is Havana's greatest Art Deco building — a 12-storey tower completed in 1930 as the headquarters of the Bacardi rum company and widely considered one of the finest examples of Art Deco architecture in Latin America. The façade combines pink granite, terracotta panels, and brass details, with a distinctive ziggurat-shaped crown topped by a bronze bat (the Bacardi company logo) and ornate metalwork that recalls the Chrysler Building in New York (completed the same year).
The building was built in just 14 months using materials imported from Germany, Italy, and the United States, and the interior of the ground-floor bar (a working bar restored to its original Art Deco splendour) is one of the most atmospheric places in Havana for a daiquiri or mojito. After the Bacardi family's assets were nationalised in 1960 and the family fled to the Bahamas, the building was used as government offices, but its architectural significance has been preserved.
Verified Facts
The Edificio Bacardi was completed in 1930
The building was constructed in 14 months
The bronze bat on top is the Bacardi company logo
Bacardi's Cuban assets were nationalised in 1960
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Avenida de Bélgica (Monserrate), La Habana Vieja, Havana, Cuba
