Although Havana's eclectic architecture has been free from the urban developer's bulldozer, many of the neo-Baroque and Art Deco gems have fallen into disrepair.

Dozens of colonial buildings and beautiful squares in Old Havana have been restored since the U.N. cultural agency UNESCO designated it a world heritage site in 1982.

Leal hopes the prize will bring more funds for similar projects to cash-strapped Cuba.

The time-warp setting of Old Havana is magnet for tourists. The renovation should lead to more dollars for Cuba's growing tourist industry.

Editor:Liu Fang