# Mario Girona

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**Mario Girona** ([né](/source/N%C3%A9) **Mario Miguel Girona Fernández**; January 13, 1924 – August 26, 2008) was a Cuban architect and educator. He received a Cuban national award for his architecture in 1996, from the National Union of Construction Architects of Cuba. Girona taught for many years at the [University of Havana](/source/University_of_Havana).

## Life and career

Mario Miguel Girona Fernández was born on January 13, 1924, in [Manzanillo](/source/Manzanillo,_Cuba).[1] His older brother was painter [Julio Girona](/source/Julio_Girona) (or Julio Girona Fernández; 1914–2002).[2] In his youth, he was in support of the [Cuban Revolution](/source/Cuban_Revolution).[3]

In 1940, Girona began his studies at the "Fernando Aguado y Rico Higher School of Trades" in Havana.[1] In 1945, he entered the faculty of architecture at the University of Havana, where he graduated in 1953.[1]

In the 1960s Girona was appointed to carry out an architectural project to design the [Coppelia](/source/Coppelia_(ice_cream_parlor)) ice cream parlor in the Vedado district of Havana.[4][5][6] He participated in the [Expo 67](/source/Expo_67) in Montreal in 1967, with his design of a boutique-ice cream parlor. He also became faculty at his alma mater, the University of Havana.[3]

The National Union of Construction Architects of Cuba (Spanish: *Unión Nacional de Arquitectos Constructores de Cuba*; now *UNAICC*) awarded him the "National Prize for Life and Work" in 1996.[2][3][7]

## Death and legacy

On August 26, 2008, Girona died at the age of 84 in Havana.[2][8][9] His remains were buried in the [Colón Necropolis](/source/Colon_Necropolis) in Havana.[3]

In 2015, his work was included in the group exhibition, *Latin America in Construction: Architecture 1955–1980* at the [Museum of Modern Art](/source/Museum_of_Modern_Art) (MoMA) in New York City.[10][11]

## List of works

- 1957, [Hotel Capri](/source/Hotel_Capri), Havana, Cuba[2]
- 1966, [Coppelia](/source/Coppelia_(ice_cream_parlor)), [Vedado](/source/Vedado) district, Havana, Cuba[12]
- 1966, "Pío Lindo" Country Restaurant, [Ciénaga de Zapata](/source/Ci%C3%A9naga_de_Zapata), Cuba
- 1974, Hotel MarAzul, Havana, Cuba[13][14]
- 1975, Las Terrazas, , Habana, Cuba; coffee workers housing[2]
- 1998, Terminal 3, [José Marti International Airport](/source/Jos%C3%A9_Mart%C3%AD_International_Airport), Havana, Cuba[2]

## See also

- [Max Borges Jr.](/source/Max_Borges_Jr.)

## References

1. Cárdenas, Eliana (2008). ["Mario Girona: Una Rica Vida Profesional"](https://rau.cujae.edu.cu/index.php/revistaau/article/view/166) (in Spanish). *Revista Científica de Arquitectura y Urbanismo*. **29** (2–3): 77–78. [ISSN 1815-5898](https://www.worldcat.org/issn/1815-5898)

1. ["Fallece Mario Girona, arquitecto de la heladería Coppelia"](https://www.newspapers.com/article/el-nuevo-herald-fallece-mario-girona-ar/161160893/) [Mario Girona, architect of the Coppelia ice cream parlor, dies] (Obituary) (in Spanish). *[El Nuevo Herald](/source/El_Nuevo_Herald)*. August 29, 2008. p. 13. Retrieved 2024-12-19. – via [Newspapers.com](/source/Newspapers.com)

1. ["Sepultado Maestro de la Arquitectura Cubana"](https://www.juventudrebelde.cu/cuba/2008-08-28/sepultado-maestro-de-la-arquitectura-cubana) (in Spanish). *Juventud Rebelde*. August 28, 2008. Retrieved 2024-12-19.

1. "Coppelia cumple 50". *[The Miami Herald](/source/The_Miami_Herald)*. June 4, 2016. pp. [B1](https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-miami-herald-coppelia-cumple-50/161166500/), [B4](https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-miami-herald-coppelia/161160968/). Retrieved 2024-12-19 – via [Newspapers.com](/source/Newspapers.com).

1. ["Muestra de arquitectura Cubana en Nueva York"](https://www.newspapers.com/article/el-nuevo-herald-muestra-de-arquitectura/161162419/) (in Spanish). *[El Nuevo Herald](/source/El_Nuevo_Herald)*. 2004-11-08. p. 25. Retrieved 2024-12-19. – via [Newspapers.com](/source/Newspapers.com)

1. Mosquera, Gerardo; Herrera, Liliana; Segre, Roberto; Cardet, Ernesto; Gutiérrez, Rebeca; Aguilera, Marta (2003). ["Cuba, Republic of"](https://www.oxfordartonline.com/groveart/display/10.1093/gao/9781884446054.001.0001/oao-9781884446054-e-7000020510). *[Grove Art Online](/source/Grove_Art_Online)*. Oxford University Press. [doi:10.1093/gao/9781884446054.article.t020510](https://doi.org/10.1093/gao/9781884446054.article.t020510). ISBN 978-1-884446-05-4. Retrieved 2024-12-19.

1. ["Entregará la UNAICC Premio Nacional Vida y Obra de Arquitectura 2024"](https://www.radioprogreso.icrt.cu/entregara-la-unaicc-premio-nacional-vida-y-obra-de-arquitectura-2024/) (in Spanish). *[Radio Progreso](/source/Radio_Progreso)*. 2024-03-06. Retrieved 2024-12-19.

1. Gavin, Catherine Elizabeth (2008-10-01). ["Obituary: Mario Girona, 1924-2008"](https://www.archpaper.com/2008/10/obituary-mario-girona-1924-2008/). *[The Architect's Newspaper](/source/The_Architect's_Newspaper)*. Retrieved 2024-12-19.

1. Desdin, Manuel (August 28, 2008). ["Falleció Mario Girona, arquitecto de la heladería Coppelia"](https://www.cubaencuentro.com/cultura/noticias/fallecio-mario-girona-arquitecto-de-la-heladeria-coppelia-108161) (in Spanish). *Cubaen Cuentro*. Retrieved 2024-12-19.

1. ["Cuban Architecture in MoMA's Latin America in Construction"](https://cubanartnewsarchive.org/2015/03/31/cuban-architecture-in-momas-latin-america-in-construction/). *Cuban Art News*. March 31, 2015. Retrieved 2024-12-19.

1. Latin America in Construction: Architecture 1955–1980, Edited by [Barry Bergdoll](/source/Barry_Bergdoll), Carlos Eduardo Comas, Jorge Francisco Liernur, and Patricio del Real, 2015

1. ["The land of ad-lib-it yourself"](https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-toronto-star-the-land-of-ad-lib-it-y/161161281/). *[The Toronto Star](/source/The_Toronto_Star)*. June 7, 1966. p. 25. [ISSN 0319-0781](https://www.worldcat.org/issn/0319-0781). Retrieved 2024-12-19. – via [Newspapers.com](/source/Newspapers.com)

1. Chaffee, Wilber A. & Prevost, Gary (1992). [*Cuba: A Different America*](https://books.google.com/books?id=9CJec-NWjS0C&pg=PA84). [Rowman & Littlefield](/source/Rowman_%26_Littlefield). p. 84. ISBN 978-0-8476-7694-1.

1. Cuadra, Manuel (2019-09-15). [*Aspiraciones Y Espacios De Una Revolución: Arquitectura y Urbanismo en Cuba 1959–2018*](https://books.google.com/books?id=cqqwDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA122) (in Spanish). [Kassel University Press](/source/Kassel_University_Press) GmbH. p. 122. ISBN 978-3-7376-5090-8.

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