The appearance of modern Trnava is the joint work of many important Czech, Moravian, and Slovak architects. The building of the District Health Insurance office is a national heritage monument also listed in the DOCOMOMO register, and there are many more buildings constructed in Trnava in the 1918 – 1945 period that deserve national heritage […]
Category: Forum
Architecture Without Architects. Informal Redevelopment of Late-Modern Prefabricated Housing in Tbilisi, Georgia
Unplanned architecture was a phenomenon that occurred in the former Eastern Bloc Countries, particularly in Georgia, Armenia, and Ukraine, mainly in the 1980s. The term describes self-build architecture and additional extensions to existing buildings, created by the inhabitants themselves as non-architects. After the fall of the Soviet Union, the lack of social housing and regulations […]
The Concept of Homage in VAL’s E-temen-an-ki Project
The text is devoted to one of the eight projects of the Slovak art-architectural group VAL, active in the 1970s through the 1990s, the work of which falls into the category of visionary architecture. The following study is part of a broader historical-architectural research project involving VAL, one of the aims of which is an […]
From Kraus to Orbis: The Two Window Designs of Armin Kraus between Vision and Practicality
In the late 1920s, the Bratislava company of the metalsmith Armin Kraus produced an intriguing window design. Unique for its folding opening mechanism and an unusual combination of wood and steel, it represents one of the most original examples of windows produced in inter-war Czechoslovakia. Although the window was well received by the avant-garde, it […]
Schubart Park: A South African Experiment in State-Sponsored Social Housing Concepts and the Urban Renewal of Pretoria
Issue:
2022, Volume 56, Number 3-4
Schubart Park (1965 – 1976) was a South African state-sponsored mass housing project, initiated by the Nationalist government (1948 – 1994) and the city council of Pretoria, in the zeitgeist of post-war housing solutions. This scheme was partly influenced by British legislative practices and inspired by various international examples of welfare-state responses to urban housing […]
The Pavilion Plan and Harminc – The Interwar Architecture of the Martin Hospital
Issue:
2022, Volume 56, Number 3-4
The health and social policies of the First Czechoslovak Republic and the modernization of healthcare facilities in Slovakia are closely linked to the work of both Michal M. Harminc and his son Milan A. P. Harminc. The latter’s life and works are almost completely unexplored within Slovak architectural historiography, even in reference to his contribution […]
Social Housing of 1950s in Tlemcen (Algeria): An Architectural View
Issue:
2022, Volume 56, Number 3-4
The French administration had manifested its interest for social housing since the centenary of the French invasion in Algeria, in 1930, this period was characterized by the strong demographic growth and the rural exodus towards urban centers, and it intensified in the 1950s. It aimed to house both European and Muslim citizens, adopting different housing […]
The Mountain Lodge Téry Hut Innovations in Alpine-Zone Architecture
Issue:
2022, Volume 56, Number 1‒2
The text maps the process of the architectural design of Téry Hut in the High Tatras. It l examines this mountain shelter in the context of the work of the architect Gedeon Majunke, the construction activities in the Tatra region, architectural innovations at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries and the immediate circumstances […]
Project Institutes in Czechoslovakia in the 1970s
Creation in the Conditions of a Centrally Planned Economy during the Normalisation Period in Czechoslovakia
Issue:
2022, Volume 56, Number 1‒2
The majority of architectural realisations currently standing date from after 1945. In Czechoslovakia, in the period between 1948 and 1989 this production emerged in the context of socialist central planning, to which all architectural, urban, design and construction activity was subjugated. In the background of creative work lay the government bodies making essential decisions related […]
Branding ‘New Istanbul’s’ Residential Real Estate: A Thematic Analysis of Residential Real Estate Ads for ‘Canal Istanbul’ and Environs
Issue:
2022, Volume 56, Number 1‒2
This paper attempts to uncover and analyze the dynamics of residential urban transformation in the vicinity of the controversial Istanbul mega-project, Canal Istanbul. The planned urban fabric along the prospective shores of Canal Istanbul is largely residential, and many of the projects are large-scale, ‘branded’ projects. Unoficially termed ‘New Istanbul’, this area was promoted heavily […]
Inconspicuous Modernism in the Handlová Church
Issue:
2022, Volume 56, Number 1‒2
The Church of St. Catherine in Handlová makes no pretence of surprising us with anything special at the first sight. When inspecting from the exterior, we can easily classify this building as a representative of Slovakia’s Gothic architecture. And to some extent it is. However, the truth is that the church’s current state is the […]
The Prior Department Store in Košice in the Context of History, Current Structural Alterations and Engaged Preservation
Issue:
2021, Volume 55, No. 3 - 4
The Prior department store (OD Prior) was constructed in the historic centre of Košice according to the design of Czech architect Růžena Žertová in the 1960s. Not only is it a significant landmark, is also an example of post-World War II architecture that harmoniously coexists with the surrounding historical buildings. During the course of its […]
Community Engagement in the Revitalization Process of Elevated Walkways in Petržalka through Prototyping Solutions for Public Spaces
Issue:
2021, Volume 55, No. 3 - 4
The present article draws attention to the topic of terrace structures in Petržalka and identifies the reasons behind their current condition. It also maps previous activities in their reconstruction and at the end presents two case studies of community-based projects as an alternative approach. The specific case studies point out opportunities and possible solutions with […]
Campaigning for Postwar Modernist Housing Estates in the Frankfurt Rhine-Main Area
Issue:
2021, Volume 55, No. 3 - 4
Most German large-scale postwar housing estates suffer from a negative image. While many individual buildings from the era are part of the listed cultural heritage today, the estates usually have escaped formal listing even as conservation areas, despite their historic significance being obvious. Although in theory, listing does not depend on public opinion, in practice, […]
Under Threat: The Metastadt Building
Issue:
2011, Volume 45, No. 1 - 2
Until recently the Metastadt building system was considered among the failed architectural ideas of the 20th century. This utopian architectural concept attempted to introduce pioneering changes in modern urban planning and to test in practice the possibilities of industrialized building. Its innovation consisted of combining engineering solutions with the newly possible computer-based methods for statics […]
The Spa Chapel in Vyhne an Early Work of Ladislav Hudec
Issue:
2011, Volume 45, No. 1 - 2
The forested surroundings of the tiny spa town of Vyhne hide among themselves a small, almost unassuming chapel, constructed shortly before the outbreak of World War One and its ensuing seismic changes in the fates of so many individuals, nations and political entities. The chapel was the first completed architectural work of its designer, the […]
Conservation of Architecture in the Country of Alvar Aalto
Issue:
2011, Volume 45, No. 3 - 4
In the heritage theory and practice a certain considerate and rational approach to renovation is recently more present, the one focused not only to materiality but also to immaterial values. The intense one month-long „colloquia of preservationists“ of modern architecture in Finland, MARC2011 (Fourth International Course on the Conservation of Modern Architecture) was in many […]
Bratislava and the Planned River: Mapping the Impact of the Danube Regulations between 1772 and 1896 on Urban Development
Issue:
2021, Volume 55, No. 1 - 2
The current pattern of the Danube is a result of human activity as well as natural changes. Throughout history, different riverine transformations have affected the urban structure of Bratislava. The paper deals with the period of regulations between the years 1772 and 1896. To analyze the river as a natural and cultural phenomenon, a hybrid […]
The Work of Karel Boublík
Issue:
2021, Volume 55, No. 1 - 2
The article presents the first detailed examination of the life and work of Karel Boublík (1869 – 1925), a Lviv architect of Czech origin, who from 1897 to 1914 designed many residential buildings in the city. Boublík also headed the Czech Conversation Club (Česká beseda) in Lviv – the oldest Czech association in the world […]
The Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Košice
Issue:
2021, Volume 55, No. 1 - 2
The year 2020 saw the 90th anniversary of the construction of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry building in Košice, as well as the 125th anniversary of the birth of its designer, the Košice architect Ľudovít Oelschläger. These commemorations lead us to consider the fate of this remarkable multifunctional structure, a listed cultural monument and […]
The Addition to the Kežmarok State Boys’ School and Commercial Academy
Issue:
2017, Volume 51, No. 1 - 2
An extensive process of school building at the turn of the 19th and 20th century occurred in tandem with the development of the educational system within the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Beside increasing the level of education, the state aimed to achieve the transformation of the multilingual multiethnic Hungarian Kingdom into a homogenous, unified Hungarian nation. By […]
Revitalisation of the Roof Terraces of the Slovak Radio Building: A Contribution to the Improvement of its Image
Issue:
2016, Volume 50, No. 1 - 2
Since its completion, the Slovak Radio Building has been struggling with notable unpopularity; however, the situation is now changing. Responsibility for this shift has been due to the actions of Slovak Radio and Television (RTVS). In cooperation with the Faculty of Architecture of the Slovak Technical University (STU) and the Department of Architecture at ÚSTARCH […]
Notes on the Bratislava Activities of the Architect Emil Brüll´s Construction Company
Issue:
2016, Volume 50, No. 1 - 2
The architect Emil Brüll was a member of the group of Slovakia’s Jewish architects who died or were executed during WW II. He worked in Bratislava, mostly in the 1920s and 1930s. This contribution aims to clarify and complete our information about his work. Many buildings that have been the subject of study for architecture […]
A Recollection of the Department of Architectural Theory
Issue:
2016, Volume 50, No. 3 - 4
The ‘Department of Architectural Theory and Creation of the Living Environment’ of the Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences (ČSAV) was founded in 1964. In the spirit of the then-pervasive political programme of the Communist state, it was intended to use scientific means to develop methods towards the creation of an ideal architectonic and natural environment for […]
Hans Karl Stark Notes on the Interwar Aarchitectural Work
Issue:
2017, Volume 51, No. 3 - 4
The article deals with the work of a less-well- known functionalist architect, Hans Karl Stark, a graduate of the Technical University in Brno. An important creator of the modern Functionalist architecture of Bratislava, he belonged to the cultural circuit of German architects living and working in Slovakia. Information derived from archival documents brings new knowledge […]
The Acoustical Qualities of Baumhorn’s Synagogues in Slovakia
Issue:
2017, Volume 51, No. 3 - 4
The buildings designed by Leopold Baumhorn in Slovakia are unique not only for their architectural but also their acoustic features. As synagogues in post-totalitarian Europe, these buildings no longer serve their original intended function and host mostly various cultural and social events. As a result, it is important to investigate their acoustic characteristics. The current […]
Adaptive Reuse of Zagreb Tobacco Factory Buildings in the Context of Contemporary Urban Regeneration
Issue:
2019, Volume 53, No. 1 - 2
This paper focuses on the paradoxical failure of the contemporary city to realize the regeneration of an industrial building for museum purposes, in contrast to avant-garde conversion of a tobacco factory into a university building in the late 19thcentury. In addition to the former tannery conversion in today’s Glyptotheca of the Croatian Academy of Sciences […]
Bratislava the (Un)Planned City: the Impact of 20th Century Urban Planning on the Urban Structure of the Slovak Capital
Issue:
2019, Volume 53, No. 3 - 4
Bratislava is a characteristic example of a city decisively shaped by the ideas of the 20th century. Over two-thirds of its current area was built in the spirit of the principles of modern architecture and urban planning across the 20th century. Yet these town planning or architectonic conceptions, paradoxically, largely formulated the urban structure of […]