Days ago, I've had to visit the former Commodities Market (la Lonja del Comercio) a few times for various reasons. Wanna know the place where all the city's business deals went down?
In this building, the "big-shot" merchants were born, and those who failed or played the game wrong ended up falling.
In this article, I'm sharing with you one of the most important buildings of the 20th century in my city.
If you just saw the cover photo, where do you think this building would be?
Maybe the US, Madrid, or even Rome, right? But the truth is, it's smack-dab in the heart of Old Havana.
The Commodities Market (Lonja del Comercio) of Havana, is located in the San Francisco de Asís's Square(we call it the Pigeon Square)
In Spanish, it's called the Lonja del Comercio (Commodities Market) because it used to house all kinds of merchants, legal offices, and the building's own administration. In Spanish, a "lonja" is a place that brings together an entire sector, like commerce, meat sales, or markets where only fruits and veggies were traded. (That term isn't used much these days)
It's a building that stands out from the rest in the square.
The others have a more colonial style, smaller in size, and even different construction techniques.
The Lonja is imposing, spotless, with its grand, arched windows. There's always someone who says this building doesn't fit the rest, though.
Until recently, I hadn't paid much attention to this building.
Its architectural beauty is undeniable, but since it's so huge, I never looked up to admire every single detail, all the way to the top floor.
Lately, I had the chance to study every nook and cranny, so I'm sharing it with you in this post 😉
The building, as you can see, has a rectangular shape, but it's slightly angled towards the Malecon of Havana. (Unlike the other buildings in this Square, which are facing or turned away from the bay)
When I went in, to take care of some paperwork, I realized why.
They designed it for better ventilation. The ground floor, despite being fully enclosed inside (besides the air conditioning), you can still feel the outdoor breeze.
According to one of the maintenance guys, when it was built, they used techniques that had never been used before in the country, and combined with the design, it made the building look futuristic. For many years, it was also the tallest building in Havana.
Back to the exterior...
From sea level to aerial views, this building is quite imposing.
The wide entrances give the impression of entering a US government building, or maybe a little further back in time.
The entrances (especially the main one) make you feel like you're crossing over in time, to when this place was bustling with commerce, and even further back, when the Romans were building their temples all over Europe. If you look at the balconies, this idea becomes even more real.
At first glance, what caught my attention the most are the windows.
Each floor has a different window style, and they don't repeat. I later learned that this is because each level represents a different architectural style.
If you can recognize the styles, leave it in the comments.
On one of my "visits," I ran into a tour guide who had quite a bit of knowledge about the place and shared some notes that got me thinking.
It's a building that hides several details on its facade. Even though they're a bit clouded by the dirt of the surrounding environment.
I have to say, though, that this doesn't detract from the beauty they have.
On the arches of the main entrance, we see two figures.
To me, they just looked like random snakes, but the guide explained that these figures represented Commerce and Health. (You can see it at the cover image)
Meaning, they were wishing good business and good health to everyone who entered the building.
Let's keep going up...
On the fourth floor, you can see some figures that are hard to tell if they're male or female (they seem to be both)
These sculptures represent various gods of commerce. (Neither my "newest friend" nor anyone in the area, knew exactly which belief they belong to)
And finally, we reach the top (visible) floor, where the clock is (which, on the day I visited, they were setting it in motion)
This floor was added many years after the construction, due to the need to expand the building. So they added another architectural style to the facade.
According to the guide, there are many more secrets that the architects took to their graves. Which is why there are plenty of conspiracies about them. So a touch of mystery is added to the beauty of the place.
Just walking around this building makes you feel like you're traveling to another country.
It's one of the most beautiful and well-preserved architectural structures in my city.
It's a shame there's so little information available.
Nowadays, it houses more legal offices than commerce, but the beauty of this building will endure, so that travelers and locals can continue to appreciate it. We're so fortunate!
TOP SECRET!
My "new friend" said goodbye telling me that the Commodities Market served as inspiration for other buildings in the city, and she'll be sharing that list with me soon and then me with you 🙂
You're probably wondering about the interior, and yes, it's just as beautiful as the facade. A completely white-covered interior, with modern panoramic elevators.
A few years ago, it was converted into a smart building, bringing it up to par with similar ones in America. Unfortunately, it's impossible to take photos inside.
I don't know if the interior is freely visitable. I was here taking care of some paperwork and had the chance to see it.
If you come to Havana, you absolutely have to visit San Francisco de Asis's Square. Look closely and study every inch of the buildings in this square, but pay special attention to the Commodities Market.
Tell me, is there a similar building in your city? And what do they use it for?
In this case, it went from being a commodities exchange to a legal office building, but its architectural beauty remains intact.
Feel free to comment on whatever you'd like, I'll be happy to read it.
Talk to you soon!
If you enjoyed this article, consider reading this recommendation:
[dahpilot]
All the images are my property for exclusive use in this post