Scale models are used all over the world in urban planning. They help the architectures and the urban planners, particularly of developing cities, to understand how the city with all its surrounding will look like in the future.

The scale models of Havana are on display at two different places: the first one is on the Mercaderes street in Old Havana and focuses on the Old Havana, and the other one is in Miramar and it covers all the city.

The 1:1000-scale model of Havana is the third largest scale model on the world, after New York and Shanghai respectively. It is about 22 meters long and 10 meters wide, spanning over about 144 square meters. It weighs about six tons. It was created by assembling 39 square boards, made of hardwood and plywood. They are mounted on a metal frame with wheels. On each board about 4 square kilometer of the city is reproduced. The buildings are made of cardboard and cedar wood; even cigar boxes are used.

It was created according the project of the Grupo para el Desarrollo Integral de la Capital (GDIC; Group for the Integral Development of the Capital) that was founded in 1987 to act as an advisory committee on urban policies for the authorities of Havana that would guide the development of Havana harmoniously and would contribute to the urban awareness of institutions and the population in general.

The project was carried out by a team, consisting of nine members like designers, model makers and architects. The team was led by Orlando Martorell that joined the group in 1988. He was the head of the model department of the Ministry of Construction for 25 years and had also created the Maqueta de la Habana Vieja, the 1:1500-scale model of Old Havana. The architect Josefina Rebellón and the model maker and sculptor Telmo Garcia took charge in the team. The first board that was completed in 1988, was that of the municipality of Plaza de la Revolución. They worked for eleven years to reproduce the capital in the room by showing great care not to miss any detail. Thus, they succeeded in creating something that looks like a map more than a simple model of a region on the world. The scale model was completed and inaugurated in 1995.

Strip barriers around the model restrict the approach less than 1 meter, but the best view can be obtained from the surrounding by proceeding on the ramp. It allows the panoramic view of the scale model. There are several binoculars, placed on the ramp, for the visitors that would like to have a closer look at the city or would search for a certain building or localization.

The model is also designed to give the visitor an idea of the evolution of Havana by using color codes. Consequently, the buildings that belong to the different historical period are displayed through use of different colors. Brown is used for the colonial period, ochre for the Republican period and ivory for the period of Revolution to the present day, whereas the sculptures, cemeteries and the constructions that did not start yet, are also incorporated into the model and represented in white. The scale model is also illuminated to reproduce the city as much as real.

The building of the Maqueta de la Habana, called as pabellón (pavillion), has a modern style. The façade is covered with jaimanite stone. The columns are forming geometric figures at the top. The building is accessed by a small bridge that reminds us the draw bridge of an old castle. The lobby welcomes you with a ceramic wall that simulates the waving of the Cuban flag, and the white bust of José Martí. The expressive ceramic mural, made by colored tiles, is the work of the Italian designer Stellana Paleli. The back surface of the ceramic mural is covered with the photos of some important buildings of Havana and with the photos, demonstrating some significant moments from the establishment of the GDIC and the intensive work in the pabellón. In one of the photos, Fidel Castro Rúz is visiting the GDIC.

The pabellón has a rather high ceiling inside, and it occupies an area of about 900 square meters. The space is utilized also for other permanent or temporary exhibitions, postgraduate courses, conferences and workshops, among others. Some regular activities are carried out in the pavilion, such as conservation with some personalities on city issues and competition among children.

The showcases of the permanent exhibition are placed close to the walls surrounding the model. They contain some interesting pieces. Short information about them can be find on the list, hung on the wall.

There are also the 1:60- scale models of the Castillo de la Real Fuerza and the Castillo de San Salvador de la Punta. Both are made by Javier S. Martinez Morell in 2007 and 2008, respectively.  Burgundy colored pouffes, used in the conferences, are rather pleasant. The walls are covered with the photos of Havana from old times and its maps of different scales.

The works of plastic art are scattered around. The metal sculpture of Caballero de París by Héctor Martínez Calá is one of the most attractive objects in the building. It was sculpted by the artist in 1971 and in 1981 it was placed in Havana City Museum.