What is holistic renovation of modernism housing?

The prefabricated housing, built some 50-70 years ago, is already worn out. It does not meet the today’s requirements for energy efficiency and is not attractive to the inhabitants anymore: this type of housing fails to correspond to the current needs and way of life of people, and often is perceived as dull, grey and visually unappealing.  

“Today, there are several different governmental renovation programs implemented by different European countries, concerned mostly with thermal insulation and energy efficiency. “With the series of events and activities, we are trying to rise a movement, to create a model / methodology and (in future stages) to implement a pilot project of something more: improvement of each flat, common indoor and outdoor spaces, and at the same time keeping the visual quality and architectural unity of the whole quarter. Of course, the renovation process should include the inhabitants. Additionally, we’d search for chances for new financial and legal tools that would allow participation of different stakeholders, both private and public, in renovation. And last but not least, the renovation should not exclude the most vulnerable social groups that usually dwell in such a housing from decision making processes or displace them afterwards; it should create an attractive living environment for everyone” summarizes the curator of the initiative, President of the Architects Association of Lithuania Rūta Leitanaitė. 

The idea for Holistic renovation for modernism housing project came as a Baltic response to the European Commission’s New European Bauhaus (NEB) program call. “We strongly believe that this topic is relevant to all the countries that have a vast legacy of the post-war period – huge districts (micro-rayons) of modernism, prefabricated housing stock. Post-soviet countries have to deal with the same problems and challenges, and other European countries are also considering the future of modernist housing” says Rūta Leitanaitė. 

The event “Holistic renovation for modernism housing” is a joint event of the International Union of Architects (Region 1 and Region 2). The event is initiated by the Architects Association of Lithuania and Baltic Architects Unions Association (BAUA). The partners of the event are Madrid Forum 2022 and Architects Council of Europe (ACE). The event is a side event of the Madrid Forum 2022 “Affordable housing”. 

After several international debates and events in Lithuania in 2021, the initiative resumed with an international online conference Holistic Renovation of Modernism Housing on April 11, 2022.  15 lecturers from different countries, including Mies van der Rohe Award recipients Christophe Hutin (2019) and Xander Vermeulen Windsant (2017) as well as Olena Olyinik, the Vice-President of the National Union of Architects of Ukraine, presented implemented projects and research on the topic. According to the BAUA president Juris Poga, the conference and the upcoming exhibition, which will be followed by a book, will serve as a platform to discuss the most relevant topics, to highlight the challenges, to share the experience, and to present the best European practices of holistic renovation of modernism housing. 

The exhibition showcasing 11 European examples and research of a holistic renovation of the housing built after the WWII will be inaugurated in Madrid on 16 May 2022 at 15:45 CET during the Madrid Forum “Affordable housing”. Venue – COAM, Sala Mercadal, C/ Hortaleza 63, 28004 Madrid, Spain. 

Organisers: International Union of Architects UIA, Baltic Architects’ Unions’ Association BAUA, Architects Association of Lithuania, Latvian Architects Union, Estonian Architects Union; partners: AHA Affordable Housing Activation, Architects’ Council of Europe ACE; sponsors: Lithuanian Council for Culture, Cultural Endowment of Estonia, Latvian State Culture Capital Foundation. 

For more information, please contact Rūta Leitanaitė at info@architektusajunga.lt