Architecture of the Second Half of the 20th Century and Heritage Values - Theory and Practice in Czechia

This project is concerned with the discourses of architecture of the second half of the 20th century in relation to heritage conservation in Czechia. "Post-war" 20th century architecture is an increasingly popular, but also an increasingly contested topic. Its conservation or demolition, respectively, is frequently accompanied by disputes over claims to "the truth", and such debates often produce irreconcilable attitudes. So far, architecture of the second half of the 20th century has been studied from several perspectives, mostly historical, constructional, or by in-depth interviews. Through this project, I wish to contribute to the previous volume of knowledge by focusing on the perspective of discourse. I will analyze the discourses of the present-day disputes and claims over "post-war" architecture in Czechia using discourse analysis and a theoretical framework borrowing from critical studies in the humanities and social sciences. This project proposes a two-year scheme; the presentation of outcomes is scheduled for the second year.