New lease on life for Capitol

Lawmakers to meet in replica of US building

Fidel Castro's rebels swept into Havana 56 years ago this month and went to work purging the US legacy from a capital that had been a virtual outpost of Washington.

The Havana Hilton became the Havana Libre. Neon Coca-Cola signs were torn down. And the new government moved Cuba's legislature out of the near-perfect replica of the US Capitol building that had loomed over Havana for 30 years, a reminder of American influence.

The 300-foot neoclassical white dome later housed the Cuban Academy of Sciences and the Ministry of Technology and then, like so much of Havana, it fell into disrepair. Drain pipes broke, paint yellowed and wide cracks opened in the gold-leafed dome, turning the building into an eyesore in the heart of historic central Havana.

But in March, Cuba's National Assembly of People's Power will move into the capitol thanks to the first phase of an extensive renovation project meant to restore the building to its former glory. The 600-member assembly, the nation's top legislative body, meets twice a year.

The reopening of the capitol to lawmakers carries a potent symbolism, coming as Cuba moves toward full diplomatic relations with the US. The timing of its reopening is coincidental, officials say.

In another coincidence, the US Capitol in Washington is undergoing a $60 million renovation of its dome.

"They're imitating us," joked city historian Eusebio Leal, whose office oversees restoration work in historic Old Havana. "I started first!"

Opened in 1929, the Cuban capitol is smaller than the US building overall, but it is taller and its dome is bigger. Inside are massive granite stairs and a gigantic Egyptian onyx statue of a maiden warrior that symbolizes the republic.

The first phase of the renovation required the repair or replacement of drain and water pipes and wiring and involved extensive architectural work because the original plans for the building were lost.

Mariela Mulet, an engineer at the city historian's office, said: "There's no point of comparison with anything we've done before. Full restoration will take a year or two more."

The partial relaxation of the US embargo on Cuba will allow Americans to travel here for "purposeful travel" that puts them in contact with ordinary Cubans.

(China Daily 01/10/2015 page10)