Zprávy památkové péče 2015, 75(6):565-574

Housing estate architecture of the 1960's and 70's in the Zlín Region

Jaroslav Novosad, Nelly Komendová, Miroslav Lanc

The article describes the social conditions and reasons which were at the beginning of the construction of modern prefabricated housing estates in today's Zlín Region. It describes the basic political task which led to the resolution of March 1959 on the construction of 1.2 million dwellings by the end of 1970 by the government, respectively the CPC Central Committee. The construction of such a large number of housing units was made possible only through the use of new technological processes. The essential political task from the late 1950's corresponded, in many cities of today's Zlín Region, with the development of socialist industry, the basic requirement of which was the need to house a large new workforce, if possible close to the existing or emerging industrial enterprises. Marginal phenomena of the time included a revival of interest in high quality urban and architecture of cities that presented the principles of modern urbanism known as the Athens Charter. These principles defined the term functional city, its form determined by the functions of living, working, and relaxing (recreation), all connected by transport.
The article also deals with the more detailed characteristic of the construction of housing estates in the relevant period in the cities of Zlín, Uherské Hradiště, and Rožnov pod Radhoštěm. In Zlín, where the construction partially tied into the previous Baťa concept, the largest and most comprehensive housing construction complex of apartments has been recognized as Jižní Svahy (Southern Slopes), designed by Pozemní stavby Zlín under the leadership of architects J. Gřegorčík and Š. Zelina. The basic idea of the project, built in phases, was based on the tradition of a garden city, wherein the impressiveness of the judiciously composed urban area supports the use of traditional Zlín building materials - clay bricks, respectively strap brick facing for architectural division of the building.
In the Uherské Hradiště area, housing estates were built during the relevant period in the areas known as Pod Svahy and Stará Tenice, while the most valuable Mojmir II was built in the area called Štěpnice. In these areas, construction was more or less carried out on a greenfield site and were preceded by a comprehensive urban study of the group of buildings. Here larger residential units were implemented, or at least planned, with regard to the spatial possibilities. In other cases, the construction was more or less limited by older buildings which it tied into both urbanistically and materially.
In Rožnov pod Radhoštěm, it was mostly the housing estate 1. máje which was realized during the relevant period, representing a successful example of urban development in the 1960's and 70's. This is a newly designed residential complex with landmarks focused along the street 1. máje, which thus became the main representative new access street from the city to the new Tesla industrial complex. The housing estate was built in an already partially built-up area, but without major demolitions, and its location in the slightly remote area beyond the river did not adversely affect the silhouette of the historic city center.
Housing estates are currently undergoing a process of regeneration intended to improve the thermal and technical parameters of the individual houses and the overall user comfort of the parterre for the leisure time of the residents. The current trend of insulation for these panel buildings reduces the energy consumption for heating the apartments on the one hand, but on the other hand these modifications involve a change in the appearance of the buildings that suppresses the original structure and material design of the cladding of the individual buildings. From the perspective of heritage preservation, therefore, it is possible to consider protection for the most valuable housing estate complexes only in terms of the urban values of these complexes, which in practice would mean the protection of the urban structure, the material parameters of the blocks, and the individual landmarks and design of parterres, including the green areas. Protection of the architectural and material design of the original prefabricated houses is currently unrealistic.

Keywords: housing development (sídliště), residential complexes, apartment buildings, urban structure, public spaces, 20th century architecture, Czech, Zlín region

Published: December 1, 2015  Show citation