Daniel Taboada Espiniella

Daniel Medardo Taboada Espiniella was born on June 8, 1931, in Regla, Havana. He graduated in architecture from the University of Havana in 1955 and, from 1964 on, devoted his career to conserving and rehabilitating historic buildings, starting with Cuba's National Monuments Commission.

He worked on the restoration of landmarks such as the Convent of Santa Clara, the Basilica and cloisters of San Francisco de Asís, the Casa de la Obrapía and the Aldama Palace in Havana, as well as the Sauto Theater, the Junco Palace and Fort El Morrillo in Matanzas and Jagua Castle in Cienfuegos.

He founded the National Center for Conservation, Restoration and Museology (Cencrem) in 1980, advised the Office of the Historian of the City of Havana, held the Gonzalo de Cárdenas Chair of Vernacular Architecture and was honorary president of ICOMOS Cuba. His honors included the Distinction for National Culture (1983), the National Architecture Prize (1998), the National Cultural Heritage Prize for Lifetime Achievement (2015) and an honorary doctorate from Spain's University of Alicante (2022).

He died in Havana on October 13, 2026, at age 95.