Architect Segundo Cardona dies at 76 in Barcelona
The designer of the Coliseo de Puerto Rico José Miguel Agrelot and other landmark projects is mourned by Puerto Rico’s architecture organizations, which will dedicate an upcoming convention to his memory.
File photoThe short version
- El Nuevo Día reports that Segundo Cardona died today at age 76 in Barcelona, Spain, from a heart attack
- A SCF Arquitectos statement says his death is a great loss for his family, the firm and Puerto Rican architecture after more than four decades of work
- CAAPPR president Olga Angueira told reporters that Cardona’s legacy and contributions to architecture in Puerto Rico leave an indelible mark
- AIAPR president Mariela Bravo announced that the organization’s November convention, marking its 60th anniversary, will be dedicated to Cardona’s memory
Death and immediate reactions
Puerto Rican architect Segundo Cardona died on Friday in Barcelona, Spain, at the age of 76. A spokesperson for his firm SCF Arquitectos confirmed the news to El Nuevo Día and said the cause was a heart attack. Details about funeral arrangements and repatriation of the body remain unknown.
Both the Colegio de Arquitectos y Arquitectos Paisajistas de Puerto Rico (CAAPPR) and the Puerto Rico chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIAPR) issued statements lamenting the sudden death. CAAPPR president Olga Angueira said the organization thanks Cardona for his invaluable legacy and contributions to the development of architecture in Puerto Rico. AIAPR president Mariela Bravo said she was “consternada” by the news and noted that Cardona was the only graduate of the University of Puerto Rico’s School of Architecture to be named a Fellow of the AIA.
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What the sources posted
Posts and statements below are the sources' own words, quoted as published. They are not independently verified.
Agradecemos su invaluable legado y sus aportaciones al desarrollo de la arquitectura en Puerto Rico. Su trayectoria y compromiso con la profesión dejan una huella imborrable en nuestra historia.
Our translation: We thank him for his invaluable legacy and his contributions to the development of architecture in Puerto Rico. His career and commitment to the profession leave an indelible mark on our history.
The source's own statement, as quoted by El Nuevo Día. Not verified by PuertoRico.com.
Con profundo pesar, SCF Arquitectos anuncia el fallecimiento de su socio fundador, el arquitecto Segundo Cardona, FAIA. Su partida representa una gran pérdida para su familia, para la firma y para la arquitectura puertorriqueña.
Our translation: With deep sorrow, SCF Arquitectos announces the passing of its founding partner, architect Segundo Cardona, FAIA. His departure represents a great loss for his family, for the firm and for Puerto Rican architecture.
The source's own statement, as quoted by El Nuevo Día. Not verified by PuertoRico.com.
Career and recognitions
Cardona belonged to the first graduating class of the University of Puerto Rico’s School of Architecture in 1972. He taught design at the school from 1974 to 1984, then co-founded the firm Sierra Cardona Ferrer—now known as SCF Arquitectos—with Luis Sierra and Alberto Ferrer. El Vocero reported that he also served on the UPR Board of Trustees from 2001 and presided over it from 2004 to 2007.
Among his best-known works in Puerto Rico are the Coliseo de Puerto Rico José Miguel Agrelot, the Paseo de Puerta de Tierra, the Supreme Court Library, the Museo de Arte y Diseño de Miramar and the BPPR Urban Hub. He received the Henry Klumb Award from CAAPPR in 1992, was elevated to AIA Fellow in 2006, received the CEMEX Lifetime Achievement Award in 2016 and won the UIA Public Space Award in 2017 for the Paseo Puerta de Tierra project. Both El Nuevo Día articles and El Vocero list these honors.
Where the sources differ
All three reports agree that Segundo Cardona died in Barcelona on Friday, October 23, 2026, that he designed the Coliseo de Puerto Rico José Miguel Agrelot, Paseo Puerta de Tierra and the Supreme Court Library, that he graduated in the first UPR architecture class of 1972, taught until 1984, co-founded Sierra Cardona Ferrer that year, received the Henry Klumb Award and became an AIA Fellow. El Nuevo Día’s second article states he was 76 and died of a heart attack, information absent from the other two. El Vocero and the first El Nuevo Día piece give slightly different years for the Henry Klumb Award (1992 versus 1984 in one passage of the second article, which appears to be a typographical error). The AIAPR convention dedication is mentioned only by El Vocero and the first El Nuevo Día report.
What the reports do not say
The reports do not specify the exact time or circumstances of the heart attack, whether Cardona was traveling for professional or personal reasons, the precise date the body will return to Puerto Rico, or any planned public memorial events beyond the November AIAPR convention. No family members are quoted directly.
Sources
Every link below was opened and checked when this story was published. Official means a government body, agency or the organization itself; Reporting means a news outlet.
- Reporting Gremios del diseño lamentan la súbita muerte del arquitecto Segundo Cardona
- Reporting Fallece Segundo Cardona, arquitecto que diseñó el emblemático Coliseo de Puerto Rico
- Reporting Fallece Segundo Cardona, arquitecto detrás del Coliseo de Puerto Rico y el Paseo Puerta de Tierra
How we checked this
El Nuevo Día and El Vocero reported the death, with El Nuevo Día publishing two separate articles that include statements from CAAPPR, AIAPR and SCF Arquitectos. All details about Cardona’s education, firm, projects and awards rest on these three sources; no independent verification or additional official statements appear in the coverage.
Compiled by the PuertoRico.com News Desk from the reports and statements listed above, and checked against them before publishing. It does not include original interviews. Spot an error? Email support@puertorico.com with a link to this story.