The Architecture of Late Socialism

The Architecture of Late Socialism: Ghosts of the Past or Endangered Heritage?

Post-Socialist countries inherited many characteristic and architecturally innovative buildings from the Soviet period. These monumental structures still stand today as ghosts from the past. Public buildings – for example, administrative, cultural or sport centers – are the manifestation of international styles in twentieth-century architecture such as Modernism or Brutalism and were often designed by prominent architects.

t is a challenge to equip them with a modern function, even if there is an intention for their adaptive re-use, and many of them were built with materials and technologies problematic for the environment. They occupy valuable urban space and dominate the cityscape. They also symbolize a controversial period in the past of all these states, represent contested memories and appear in manipulative and populist narratives. This event series is aimed to open a dialogue about the architectural legacy of the Socialist period, its significance in the context of cultural heritage, political and social history, urbanism, as well as its environmental and financial sustainability.

More information: https://goo.gl/XxdC7i