Shrouded by time and tile: a structural investigation for preservation of Cuba’s historic School of Ballet classroom and theatre domes

Vittorio Garatti’s School of Ballet in Havana, Cuba, is internationally acknowledged as a signifi cant architectural and cultural icon whose survival is even now jeopardized by degradation such as moisture encroachment and corrosion, excessive defl ections, and cracking of primary elements. While Garatti’s vaulted forms symbolize the idealistic egalitarianism and free expression of their time of origin (1961-1964), their current state bears the story of the ensuing decades, in which practical, social, and environmental mechanisms have each played a part. This work comprised a multi-stage structural investigation aiming to elucidate the theatre and classroom domes’ authentic structural condition and assess the behaviour and effi ciency of these unique structural systems. Archival research and site investigations supplied the domes’ construction techniques, geometry, and properties, which informed geometric and mechanical models. Detailed inspection disclosed their condition and behaviour. Then, non-linear fi nite element analysis with a concrete damaged-plasticity model simulated structural damage, yielding conclusions about their current condition.