Architect Hermes Mallea will discuss his most recent book, chronicling the visual history of the Caribbean’s outstanding getaways and their transformations from pristine idyllic settings to personalized retreats. Among these idealized settings blossomed the resort lifestyle of international celebrities, from Marjorie Merriweather Post to Babe Paley, Princess Margaret to David Bowie. Mallea will share how talented designers relied on regional traditions to express the spirit of places like Antigua, Barbados, Cuba, and Jamaica, and sometimes invented a new vernacular using fantasy imagery to emphasize the notion of escape from the pressures of urban living. Mallea is a principal at Manhattan’s (M) Group design firm and the author of Great Houses of Havana. Copies of his books will be available for purchase and signing. A reception with the speaker follows the lecture. Limited space; advance registration is requested.

This is the second talk in The House Beautiful Lecture Series presented by Evergreen Museum & Library.