Post-war modernist architecture in Poland as part of the european heritage of twentieth- -century concrete-based architecture

Abstract

The architectural heritage of postwar modernism in Poland is often named a "dissonant" or "unwanted heritage". Its evaluation and interpretation is often ambiguous, whereas the social reception, in spite of the growing common awareness of the matter, very diversified. A proper assessment of the phenomenon requires analysis against the background of twentieth-century European architecture. The InnovaConcrete project is comprised of multidisciplinary studies on strategies for the preservation of concrete-based heritage which provide for identification of the most valuable assets in Europe. The aim of this paper is to place the local Polish cultural heritage of twentieth-century architecture against the broad context of global and universal values and to present the methodology of the research.

How Valuable is Architectural Heritage? Evaluating a Monument’s Perceived Value With the Use of Spatial Order Concept

“…The two diagonal vertices were lowered, while the other two were raised 8.34 m relative to the base of the structure. It is a relatively small structure, with a side of 17.25 m 2 (Ciarkowski, 2019). The station still serves its original function.…”

“…First, the station could be treated as an example of ambiguous heritage, whose value (esthetic or historical) is denied in many social circles. For the majority of society, especially among those with little knowledge of architecture and art history, the monument is perceived as a typical, unwanted relic of communism (Ciarkowski, 2019; Derek, 2020). At the same time, however, the monument is a tangible image of the city’s past and transformation, an important element of the city’s identity.…”

“…At the same time, however, the monument is a tangible image of the city’s past and transformation, an important element of the city’s identity. For architects and urban planners, it is a valuable part of architectural heritage, an example of modernist architecture of the socialist era, worthy of protection and valorization (Ciarkowski, 2019; Sokołowicz & Przygodzki, 2020).…”

Documenting Riyadh City’s Significant Modern Heritage: A Methodological Approach

“…Typically, documenting modern architectural heritage entails a dynamic interplay of documenting physical structures, comprehending their sociocultural significance, and preserving the knowledge and techniques used in their creation. Architectural drawings, photographs, and descriptions, for example, were used to capture the innovative design and craftsmanship of the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca, Morocco in 1993 [13]. Similarly, Australia's 1973 Sydney Opera House was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2007 [14].…”

Architecture and Politics in Africa

“…The main representation and the actual presence of these terrifying creatures in their midst; they are not meant to recognize that these creatures are human fabrications… Everyone acts as though the masks were real creatures, even though everyone knows it is a human production, and by virtue of that, the mask takes on real, non-human powers' (Newell, 2013: 143). We have explored how visibility and invisibility inform aesthetic appreciation in a comparison of state architecture in Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana (Gallagher et al, 2021) administrative and business centre of Abidjan, Plateau, showcases a collection of stunning modernist buildings, including the dramatic international-style Cité Administrative (the offices of most of the country's civil service), a daringly abstract cathedral, the tropical modernist City Hall (Kultermann, 1969: 43), the mysteriously hidden presidential complex with its green concave roof designed to represent a stool (Massire, 2018) and the iconic Pyramide covered market (Ciarkowski, 2015). Most of this can be viewed from the President's luxury modernist Hôtel Ivoire 11 which faces Plateau across the lagoon (Hertz et al, 2015).…”