The porch of a pink and yellow house built in the middle of an arena in San Juan, Puerto Rico, has been the who’s who spot for the summer.
On that porch, part of the stage of Bad Bunny’s sold out 30-day residency to celebrate his latest album, “Debí Tirar Más Fotos”, the musician has extended his hospitality by welcoming stars like the N.B.A. great LeBron James and the Oscar-winning actress Penélope Cruz. Each night, celebrities and many others dance there in a sort of mid-concert house party or party de marquesina, as they’re known in Puerto Rico.
The house, La Casita, not only offers the best view of the concert, but it also represents a cultural emblem found across the archipelago’s urban and rural landscapes — a much-recognized construction style that emerged as a combination of the traditional wooden houses of the 19th century and the workings of a modern, postindustrial society.
For Héctor Berdecía-Hernández — heritage conservator and adjunct professor at the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras — the house is worthy of museum preservation after the residency ends on Sunday.
“What’s happening is historic,” he said. “This is part of a representation, and it’s a work of art because it was made by an artist. It’s a space that a lot of people would consider part of Puerto Rico’s cultural legacy.”
