Architecture with a Red Star - Without Stigmas and Prejudices

(Czechoslovak Architectural Creation from 1948-1989)
5th Year of the Professional Conference

The era of socialism, that is, the years 1948-1989, left a legacy of architecture in our country as well. It is a stylistically very diverse collection of buildings, often marked by the negative stigma of the period and unjustly evaluated solely from a political perspective. Frequently, these are buildings that are undoubtedly valuable in their own right and also serve as important historical testimonies.

The years 1948-1989 left us with both excellent and poor buildings

The notion or construct that, like in fine arts, there are progressive and regressive epochs in architecture has long been abandoned by the history of art. No one today claims that Gothic is worse than Renaissance, or that our interwar architecture is better than that of the years 1948-1989. Buildings from all periods represent cultural heritage, evidence of the life and thinking of society, and for that reason alone they deserve protection – says Jakub Potůček, curator of the National Gallery. 

How should we approach this heritage? Is it worth reconstructing these objects or should some be demolished? How does heritage protection view "socialist" architecture? And why is it mostly perceived negatively by the lay public? These are primarily the issues that this year's 5th edition of the Architectural Crossroads Conference will address, this year under the title “Architecture with a Red Star without Stigmas and Prejudices”. The conference is organized by the program council led by the General Director of the National Heritage Institute, Nadějda Goryczková, in cooperation with the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic. It will take place on June 13 at the building of the former Federal Assembly in Prague (New building of the National Museum). The program will also include case studies and discussions. A guided tour of the public and non-public spaces of the New building of the National Museum is planned as part of the accompanying program. The conference is primarily intended for representatives of state administration and self-government, as well as for heritage specialists, architects, urban planners, designers, academia, students, developers, and builders. More information can be found at www.krizovatkyarchitektury.cz

Block: ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE OF THE SOCIALIST ERA
“Czech Architecture 1948 - 1989 and the European Context” (Mgr. Jakub Potůček, National Gallery in Prague)
“Values of Architecture in the 2nd Half of the 20th Century” (prof. PhDr. Rostislav Švácha, CSc., Institute of Art History, Czech Academy of Sciences)
“Where Does the 'Ugly' Architecture of the Socialist Era Come From?” (Mgr. Slavomíra Ferenčuhová, Ph.D., Faculty of Social Studies, Masaryk University in Brno)
“Protection and Restoration of Late Modernist Architectural Monuments” (Mgr. Martin Strakoš, Regional Office of the National Heritage Institute in Ostrava, Ing. arch. Naďa Goryczková, General Director of the National Heritage Institute)
“Heritage Protection of 2nd Half of the 20th Century Buildings” (Ing. Jana Dvořáková, Department of Heritage Care, Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic, PhDr. Anna Matoušková, Deputy Minister of Culture of the Czech Republic)
“Monuments of the 2nd Half of the 20th Century in Slovakia and Attitudes Toward Them” (prof. Ing. arch. Matúš Dulla, DrSc., FA CTU in Prague, Institute of Construction and Architecture in Bratislava)

Block: PROTECTION, RECONSTRUCTION, CONVERSION – CASE STUDIES
“Presentation of Beton Brož” (Ing. David Hajíček, Product Advisor Beton Brož s.r.o.)
“Experience of Self-Government in Caring for Architecture of the 2nd Half of the 20th Century in the Context of General Protection” (Ing. Miroslav Křídlo, Heritage Care Department, Municipality of Ostrava, Ing. arch. Cyril Vltavský, Urban Planning Authority of the Municipality of Ostrava)
“Hotel International and Its Reconstruction” (Ing. arch. Michal Šourek, MS Architects)
“Department Store Uran, Česká Lípa: Protection vs. Owner's Intentions” (Mgr. Hana Moudrá, Mayor of Česká Lípa, prof. Ing. arch. akad. arch. Emil Přikryl, AVU)
“Máje vs. Quadrio - Confrontation of Two Perspectives” (Vincent Marani, Cigler Marani Architects, doc. Ing. arch. Radomíra Sedláková, CSc., National Gallery in Prague)
“Lesná Housing Estate – A Unique Example of Panel Housing Complexes at Risk | Panel Discussion” (discussants: Ing. arch. Viktor Rudiš, co-author of the project, RUDIŠ - RUDIŠ Architects s.r.o. / Mgr. Martin Maleček, Civic Association Obzor Lesná / JUDr. Tomáš Dobřichovský, Ph.D., Law Firm Kříž and Partners s.r.o. / Ing. arch. Karel Doležel, Regional Office of the National Heritage Institute in Brno / invited: representative of the Municipality of Brno)
“Former Federal Assembly as a Symbol of the Architecture of the Socialist Era” (doc. Ing. arch. Radomíra Sedláková, CSc., National Gallery in Prague)