The facade of the Higher Institute of Design (ISDi) in Havana partially collapses

HAVANA, Cuba. – The area of ​​the Higher Institute of Design (ISDi) in Havana that had been shored up and closed since mid-2022 collapsed on Tuesday, confirmed to CubaNet a student at the institution under conditions of anonymity to avoid retaliation.

The authorities of the educational institution disseminated the information through WhatsApp channels for students and teachers.

“As many of you already know, we had a partial detachment of a part of the affected facade of the building,” says one of the messages to which he had access. CubaNet.

Due to the collapse, ISDi authorities prohibited access to the building “until further notice” and indicated that “the two remaining weeks of classes, from now until July 19, will be held[rá]n in a non-face-to-face manner.”

They also reported that “during the course of this afternoon [martes 9 de julio] and tomorrow morning [miércoles 10] Students will receive information on how this process will unfold.”

In another message, the institution’s authorities asked for “great discipline and zero sensationalism.”

“It is a complex and dangerous problem, but we will find a solution. Stay tuned for future messages. ISDI will remain alive,” they said.

Back in March 2022, ISDi authorities had announced the closure of several teaching facilities due to “a complicated architectural failure.”

“The lack of a physical location should not overshadow our creative and excellence-oriented will. It is not an easy task to have a new headquarters, but we are sure that we will have one,” the institution itself posted on Facebook.

Originally a military hotel and officers’ club, the building only had two floors. Between 1874 and 1878, it was a Cadet School. After 1878, it was an Asylum for Widows and Orphans of Spanish officers killed in the Ten Years’ War.

During the First American Occupation of Cuba (1898-1902), the building served as the headquarters of the General Staff of the occupation troops. From 1913, it was the headquarters of the Secretariat of Health and Welfare.

The third floor of the building was built in the 1930s and later, in 1940, it became the headquarters of the Ministry of Health and Social Assistance.

Between 1965 and 1982, the building served as the headquarters of several educational institutions. In 1982, it became the headquarters of the Polytechnic Institute for Industrial Design (IPDI) and finally, on May 28, 1984, it was established as the Higher Institute of Industrial Design.

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