The building which houses this centre, located opposite a corner of the Cathedral, was once a palace belonging to the Peñalver family, and is typical of an old colonial residence. Some of the rooms on the ground floor, the library and the second floor are used for touring exhibitions by both contemporary artists as well as some of the big names in the arts world. This place also constitutes one of the venues for the Arts Biennials that are regularly held in Havana, the objective of which are to promote contemporary art stemming from developing nations.