Abstract
The architectural heritage of the second half of the 20th century in countries of the former Eastern Bloc, including Poland, that inherently accompanied by the cold war spectre of the Iron Curtain was until recently treated as a „dissonant" heritage of Communism. The increasing time distance allows an objective look at this architecture of so-called Cold War Modernism in the European or even global perspective, and to reject of the political connotations allowed its value to be identified. Interest in sites built during that period is on the rise and the discussion of the need to undertake actions protecting such sites against demolition is very timely. The process of conservatory protection of this architectural heritage is very difficult and complex, particularly if it concerns individual residential houses of those times. Currently, such sites, remaining in the hands of private owners, undergo uncontrollable transformations and often incorrect upgrades, leading to their irreversible deformation and to a loss of their architectural and stylistic values. No studies, directives or systemic solutions dedicated to their protection are available in our country. The objective of the presented project was to create a model of research procedure and a package of conservation guidelines and project recommendations for selected example of a building from this group of sites located in Katowice, Silesia. The area selected for the study is rich with examples of such architecture, as confirmed by the subject literature and local visits. In order to analyse the problem, the Authors have assumed a view based on quality studies, preceded by a source analysis, as well as by a survey. They performed a full range of conservatory studies of the site (archive, architectural and conservatory, structural and physical studies using advanced, non-invasive techniques). The obtained results may be used as the basis for creation of a model conservatory procedure related to the studied individual residential houses and for determination of rules for their upgrades and adaptation to modern standards.
'Dissonant' Heritage of Cold War Modernism or European Heritage of Modernist Architecture of the second half the 20th century in conservation perspective: residential houses of Katowice, Poland - a case study