Puerto Rico 1900: Turn-of-the-century Architecture in the Hispanic Caribbean, 1890-1930

Between 1890 and 1930 Puerto Rico experienced a cultural transformation from an agrarian society to an industrial one. Accelerated growth and urban consolidation ensued, and architects borrowed from European classicism, Catalonian modernismo, the Spanish Revival, and Art Deco, among other styles, to forge evocative and unique Caribbean architecture. Puerto Rico 1900 is a detailed examination of the products and the influences of that rich heritage. Each heavily illustrated chapter is devoted to one important aspect of this period, including the new facade treatments, the spatial sequences, and the thematic links between architecture and Latin American and Puerto Rican literature of the period. This volume, the first major work devoted to Puerto Rican and Caribbean turn-of-the-century architecture, is a significant addition to the architectural history of the region.