Course detail

Postwar Architecture

FaVU-PAAcad. year: 2018/2019

The society still views the buildings which were constructed in the second half of the 20th century with the prism of a stigma formed in the 1990s; at that time, extensive construction of housing estates made from pre-fabricated materials, the obsolescence of the communist civil engineering, the vulgarity with which the communist power was treating architectonic or natural heritage, the devalvation of cities, were rightly criticized. What has been neglected, though, is the fact that even during the communist period a number of good buildings were constructed which, despite the technological handicaps, can be compared with quality architecture in the Western countries. It should be also pointed out that architectonic continuities which equally demonstrate the ideological context can be traced both in the Eastern and Western architecture of that period.

Language of instruction

Czech

Number of ECTS credits

3

Mode of study

Not applicable.

Guarantor

doc. Mgr. Jan Zálešák, Ph.D.

Department

Department of Art History and Theory (KTDU)

Learning outcomes of the course unit

The course should help students to find answers to the questions related to the relationship of architecture with political ideology, power, and ethics. After finishing the course students should be aware of the differenced between architecture of public space (full of political pathos and big gestures) and the architecture of the private sphere which was the refuge from the ubiquitous political power.

Prerequisites

Students should know the history of art and architecture of the 20th century.

Co-requisites

Not applicable.

Planned learning activities and teaching methods

Lectures accompanied with rich visual material, or eventually film projections that are followed with dialogial interpretation.

Assesment methods and criteria linked to learning outcomes

Exam.

Course curriculum

A closer analysis to a selection of buildings characteristic for the state, power, culture, religion, housing, leisure time, education, traffic, and economics, should help us finding anwers to questions regarding the comparisons of the architectonic assignments, the dominant architectonic discourse and priorities of political power. To what extent is the relationship of state power with architecture legible in buildings which the political representation used to legitimize themselves?
It is also necessary to have a closer look at the genesis of the socialist understanding of the architectonic process, at the birth of large construction organizations, the declared tasks and the real outcomes, and the overall share of these state organizations on the whole architectonic production in the country. How was the semi-official and unofficial architectonic scene, which tried to break the artificially imposed barriers between the Western wolrd, generated and how did it influence by its strong couter-regime activities the development within the field of architecture, or even the larger society?
How should we define the relationship of the architect and the society, her share in strenghtening the communist regime and her dependence on the political system?

Work placements

Not applicable.

Aims

The course will point out buildings whose arcitectonic qualities will demonstrate the political, social, and cultural processes which determined the creative architectonic acts.

Specification of controlled education, way of implementation and compensation for absences

Attendance at lectures is compulsory.

Recommended optional programme components

Not applicable.

Prerequisites and corequisites

Not applicable.

Basic literature

Not applicable.

Recommended reading

KRAMEROVÁ, Daniela – SKÁLOVÁ, Vanda (eds.). Bruselský sen. Československá účast na světové výstavě Expo 58 v Bruselu a životní styl 1. poloviny 60. let (kat. výst.). Praha: Arbor vitae 2008.
MUSIL, Jiří a kol.: Lidé a sídliště. Brno: Nakladatelství Svoboda 1985.
ŠEVČÍK, Oldřich – BENEŠ, Ondřej: Architektura 60. let: „zlatá šedesátá léta“ v české architektuře 20. století. Praha: Grada 2009.
ŠVÁCHA, Rostislav. Architektura 1958–1970. In: ŠVÁCHA, Rostislav – PLATOVSKÁ, Marie (eds.). Dějiny českého výtvarného umění VI. (1958–2000)/1. Praha: Academia 2007.

Classification of course in study plans

  • Programme Bachelor's

    branch AVI , 3 year of study, winter semester, elective
    branch AVI , 2 year of study, winter semester, elective
    branch AEN , 3 year of study, winter semester, elective
    branch AEN , 2 year of study, winter semester, elective
    branch AS2 , 3 year of study, winter semester, elective
    branch AS2 , 2 year of study, winter semester, elective
    branch AM3 , 3 year of study, winter semester, elective
    branch AM3 , 2 year of study, winter semester, elective
    branch AM2 , 3 year of study, winter semester, elective
    branch AM2 , 2 year of study, winter semester, elective
    branch ATD , 3 year of study, winter semester, elective
    branch ATD , 2 year of study, winter semester, elective
    branch APD , 3 year of study, winter semester, elective
    branch APD , 2 year of study, winter semester, elective
    branch AIN , 3 year of study, winter semester, elective
    branch AIN , 2 year of study, winter semester, elective
    branch AGD2 , 3 year of study, winter semester, elective
    branch AGD2 , 2 year of study, winter semester, elective
    branch APE , 3 year of study, winter semester, elective
    branch APE , 2 year of study, winter semester, elective
    branch AS1 , 3 year of study, winter semester, elective
    branch AS1 , 2 year of study, winter semester, elective
    branch AGD1 , 3 year of study, winter semester, elective
    branch AGD1 , 2 year of study, winter semester, elective
    branch AM1 , 3 year of study, winter semester, elective
    branch AM1 , 2 year of study, winter semester, elective
    branch AMU , 3 year of study, winter semester, elective
    branch AMU , 2 year of study, winter semester, elective
    branch AKG , 3 year of study, winter semester, elective
    branch AKG , 2 year of study, winter semester, elective

Type of course unit

 

Lecture

26 hod., optionally

Teacher / Lecturer

Mgr. Šárka Svobodová, Ph.D.
Ing. arch. Jaroslav Sedlák, Ph.D.