The housing estates have their advantages and, according to experts, belong to the history of architecture

Prague - According to experts, panel buildings and housing estates are a distinctive chapter in the history of modern architecture, a way of living that is often looked down upon. Today, they are the subject of research in many fields, because the final appearance of housing estates was shaped by a number of factors ranging from the political situation to cultural events, economics, and new technologies. Despite nearly three million residents living in housing estates today, it remains an uncharted comprehensive phenomenon, said Lucie Skřivánková, who led a research project studying 73 housing estates across the Czech Republic.

Some questions surrounding housing estates, according to her, will remain unanswered. Due to the absence of archival sources, it is impossible to assess whether standardized construction was economically more efficient or not. The research has shown, according to her, that distinctions must be made between housing estates, and the thesis that they are all the same does not hold. The beginnings of housing estates are traced back to the 1940s. The so-called proto-housing estates were still built using masonry technology, but incorporated prefabricated elements and the principles of functionalist urbanism.

Socialist realism in the 1950s brought the first panel buildings with historicizing facades. The pioneering phase (the late 1950s and early 1960s) was marked by experiments with technologies, which led to the first nationally widespread construction systems. In the so-called beautiful phase of the 1960s, the most architecturally and urbanistically successful ensembles were created with a wide range of civic amenities and residential qualities of public space, Skřivánková stated.

During the normalization period in the 1970s, architecture was driven by demands for quantity and financial savings. The final phase of postmodern housing estates (the 1980s) arose from the criticism of the inhuman environment of the gigantic residential complexes of the preceding era.

"Our goal was to show that not all housing estates have to be random clusters of concrete boxes, that many of them were designed by interesting architects and urban planners, and for some ensembles from the 1950s and 60s, they were personalities from the interwar architectural avant-garde," Skřivánková stated. Examples of successful housing estates that are most frequently mentioned include Prague's Invalidovna and Ďáblice, Kladno's Sítná, and Lesná in Brno. "Many other complexes also have architectural and urbanistic qualities," she believes.

"We wanted to contribute to a more sensitive approach to the reconstruction of panel buildings and to the revitalization of the housing estate environments," she stated regarding the research. According to her, abroad could be a source of inspiration. "In Germany and France, the number of floors is being reduced or some buildings are being demolished to relieve the excessive density of construction; however, this cannot be achieved in our conditions, where the majority of panel buildings are fully inhabited. It is more realistic to look for examples of quality reconstructions of panel buildings," she said.

Some heritage experts want to protect the urban structure of housing estates where they believe it is of quality. "In the case of some solitary buildings, like Wolkerák in Liberec or the Experimental House PL 60 in Plzeň, it makes sense to consider declaring them as heritage sites. It is not about glorifying the panel buildings, but it would be a mistake to try to erase them from the history of architecture and act as if they could have no architectural qualities," Skřivánková stated. The Ministry of Culture considered declaring the Lesná housing estate a heritage site a few years ago, but it was not designated as a monument, and the office recommended its protection through the issuance of a regulatory plan. They are similarly approaching the proposal to declare the housing estate in Prague's Ďáblice a heritage site.