Mass Housing Neighbourhoods and Urban Commons

The neglect of significance, deterioration and consequent devaluation of the post-war mass housing neighbourhoods are major challenges, both in the field of heritage conservation and management and in urban planning and design. The reasons for their deterioration are different, and interlinked with the socio-cultural discourse, as well as the spatial characteristics of these neighbourhoods. This doctoral research addresses the challenges of those neighbourhoods, focusing on New Belgrade Blocks, as one of the largest modernist post-war mass housing areas in Europe. The case is particularly important for the discourse on mass housing and ‘ordinary’ heritage management, as it encapsulates concepts, policies and practices developed in Yugoslavia, which are relevant to the contemporary discussions on community-driven approaches for urban planning and governance and participation in heritage studies. The doctoral thesis presents this legacy and reveals causalities and relations of spatial and socio-political aspects, policies, but also planning and design principles. Furthermore, it empirically studies and evaluates the blocks in the contemporary context, with the society (involving citizens), and within the current legal and organisational conditions. Eventually, it develops a framework for enhancement of the blocks, addressing the current and future societal and users’ needs, while preserving the identity and values of the blocks. The doctoral thesis provides different findings and perspectives, contributing to the current knowledge on integrated conservation, urban planning and governance of urban heritage, and in particular mass housing neighbourhoods. It shows co- dependence of those fields and offers an integrative and cross-disciplinary approach

Unforeseen Impulses of Modernism: The Case of New Belgrade Blocks

Obsolescence and urban decay are usual attributes of the Modern Movement buildings and areas worldwide, especially of the post-war large-scale housing settlements. Therefore, the question of reuse and improvement guidelines for these settlements is becoming increasingly important. The paper addresses this issue, taking New Belgrade housing blocks as a case study. The current condition of the New Belgrade blocks that, indeed, can be characterised as obsolete and not adequately maintained, even degraded, is nevertheless a perfect platform for reading of the architecture and the space values, and how it was changing during the time. The study aim was reading the unforeseen impulses of modernism: identification and mapping of socio-spatial relations in environment (reactions on and interventions in space that were generated during the time), reading and interpreting them as impulses of the user behaviours and lifestyles, and further proposing future transformation tactics using the mapped elements and principles. The research framework was a workshop-seminar organized by the authors at the Faculty of Architecture in Belgrade. Using this research tactic, the particular elements and spaces within the blocks were mapped, identified, classified and systematized according to their flexibility to react and accept contemporary impulses of life. The study reveals common spaces of the New Belgrade blocks, or spaces between private and public, as the key elements in managing the urban decay and prompting adaptation, and hence investigates on the potential of their adaptive reuse initiating transformation of the whole area, and further achieving its attractiveness, openness and better accessibility

Unforeseen Impulses of Modernism: The Case of New Belgrade Blocks

Obsolescence and urban decay are usual attributes of the Modern Movement buildings and areas worldwide, especially of the post-war large-scale housing settlements. Therefore, the question of reuse and improvement guidelines for these settlements is becoming increasingly important. The paper addresses this issue, taking New Belgrade housing blocks as a case study. The current condition of the New Belgrade blocks that, indeed, can be characterised as obsolete and not adequately maintained, even degraded, is nevertheless a perfect platform for reading of the architecture and the space values, and how it was changing during the time. The study aim was reading the unforeseen impulses of modernism: identification and mapping of socio-spatial relations in environment (reactions on and interventions in space that were generated during the time), reading and interpreting them as impulses of the user behaviours and lifestyles, and further proposing future transformation tactics using the mapped elements and principles. The research framework was a workshop-seminar organized by the authors at the Faculty of Architecture in Belgrade. Using this research tactic, the particular elements and spaces within the blocks were mapped, identified, classified and systematized according to their flexibility to react and accept contemporary impulses of life. The study reveals common spaces of the New Belgrade blocks, or spaces between private and public, as the key elements in managing the urban decay and prompting adaptation, and hence investigates on the potential of their adaptive reuse initiating transformation of the whole area, and further achieving its attractiveness, openness and better accessibility

REUSE OF COMMON SPACE AS A TACTIC FOR MASS HOUSING REVITALIZATION

Urban decay and obsolescence of post-war mass housing is a global phenomenon. Although the reasons for housing deterioration are different, the altered relationship between public and private spaces is essential for the mass housing. The research hypothesizes that strong polarisation of the urban landscape into private and public is firmly influencing urban decay and obsolescence of post-war mass housing neighbourhoods. Taking New Belgrade blocks as the case study, the research investigates this correlation, following the gradual transformation of the urban landscape of modernity in parallel with different factors. Moreover, the research sheds light on the specific Yugoslav housing policy and developed collective self-management of the urban commons from the time of construction. Although these strategies have been neglected over the time, they are valuable for contemporary, increasing discussions on community-driven approaches for comprehending and managing change in urban environment, specifically for residential neighbourhoods. Furthermore, the research is analysing different contemporary strategies and community practices that are reinventing the public-private relationship in the context of mass housing, contributing to the development of a methodology for mitigating obsolescence and causes of housing deterioration. The methodology is revitalizing the important value of common spaces and the role of community and is reusing the modernist idea of co-creation, contributing to inheritance of the modernist concepts. Moreover, if applied, it would increase liveability of urban space and well-being of its residents, contributing to transformation strategies for adaptation to current needs, and therefore ensuring vitality of mass housing as a core typology of the Modern Movement

MoMove Modern Movement and Industrial Heritage

Documentation, digitalization and dissemination of knowledge about buildings and sites of Modern Movement, and in particular industrial heritage, have been in the focus of this year´s MoMove publication. The publication is a collection of the students´ exhibits, developed by the students of the Master’s programs of Integrated Architectural Design (MIAD) and Integrated Design (MID) in the academic year 2021/22, within the Conference and Communication (ConCom) course at the Detmold School of Architecture and Interior Architecture (TH OWL), and as a part of the 19th Docomomo Germany Conference 2022, Zeche Zollverein, Essen. As a co-organizer of the Docomomo Germany Conferences since 2019, the Detmold School was able to connect research and educational projects to the events, often exploring novel forms of ideation, documentation, design and dissemination. This publication complements MoMove publication developed in the academic year 2020/21 on the Modern Movement and Infrastructure theme (Pottgiesser et al., 2021). The students´ exhibits presented in this publication showcase and apply current digital visualization and communication technologies, such as: websites, apps, films, as well as applications of 360-degree images, virtual reality and gamification. They exploit the creative and novel digital potentials for the safeguard of the recent built heritage: preservation through VR and 3D-models (e.g. Mumbai Textile Mills, Mechanical systems), commemorating (e.g. Zollverein Game and Solar Power Plant Revival), community engagement and data accessibility (e.g. Digitalization of the Heritage Buildings with Photogrammetry and Industrial Heritage Quartet). Moreover, the exhibits demonstrate the students’ reflections and concerns towards the future design and reuse of the industrial heritage, buildings and sites, inspired by the lessons learnt from Modern Movement, addressing the topics such as: redevelopment and sustainable renovation (e.g. Sustainable refurbishment of Sanaa-Cube and Adaptive reuse of Zollverein), embedded energy (e.g. Zollverein Salt Factory), sustainable materials and energy efficiency, biodiversity and landscape (e.g. Biodiversity at Zollverein), aesthetics and building analysis (e.g. Fagus Werk and Zollverein Aesthetics). The contributions aimed to create new content for the Docomomo virtual exhibition – MoMove, developed by Docomomo International in 2015 (http://exhibition. docomomo.com/) with the goal of fostering its role as an international platform making the knowledge and information about the architectural heritage of the Modern Movement available online. We hope to inspire you as a reader and visitor

MoMove Modern Movement and Industrial Heritage

Documentation, digitalization and dissemination of knowledge about buildings and sites of Modern Movement, and in particular industrial heritage, have been in the focus of this year´s MoMove publication. The publication is a collection of the students´ exhibits, developed by the students of the Master’s programs of Integrated Architectural Design (MIAD) and Integrated Design (MID) in the academic year 2021/22, within the Conference and Communication (ConCom) course at the Detmold School of Architecture and Interior Architecture (TH OWL), and as a part of the 19th Docomomo Germany Conference 2022, Zeche Zollverein, Essen. As a co-organizer of the Docomomo Germany Conferences since 2019, the Detmold School was able to connect research and educational projects to the events, often exploring novel forms of ideation, documentation, design and dissemination. This publication complements MoMove publication developed in the academic year 2020/21 on the Modern Movement and Infrastructure theme (Pottgiesser et al., 2021). The students´ exhibits presented in this publication showcase and apply current digital visualization and communication technologies, such as: websites, apps, films, as well as applications of 360-degree images, virtual reality and gamification. They exploit the creative and novel digital potentials for the safeguard of the recent built heritage: preservation through VR and 3D-models (e.g. Mumbai Textile Mills, Mechanical systems), commemorating (e.g. Zollverein Game and Solar Power Plant Revival), community engagement and data accessibility (e.g. Digitalization of the Heritage Buildings with Photogrammetry and Industrial Heritage Quartet). Moreover, the exhibits demonstrate the students’ reflections and concerns towards the future design and reuse of the industrial heritage, buildings and sites, inspired by the lessons learnt from Modern Movement, addressing the topics such as: redevelopment and sustainable renovation (e.g. Sustainable refurbishment of Sanaa-Cube and Adaptive reuse of Zollverein), embedded energy (e.g. Zollverein Salt Factory), sustainable materials and energy efficiency, biodiversity and landscape (e.g. Biodiversity at Zollverein), aesthetics and building analysis (e.g. Fagus Werk and Zollverein Aesthetics). The contributions aimed to create new content for the Docomomo virtual exhibition – MoMove, developed by Docomomo International in 2015 (http://exhibition. docomomo.com/) with the goal of fostering its role as an international platform making the knowledge and information about the architectural heritage of the Modern Movement available online. We hope to inspire you as a reader and visitor

Contested Resilience of a Modern Structure or “Dissonant Heritage”: Multilayered Identity of the Old Belgrade Fairground

The Old Belgrade Fairground, a great example of the Early Modernism in Belgrade, underlined the modernization and Europeanization of the capital city of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. The Fairground's construction in 1937 on the bare terrain of today's New Belgrade was the first step of urbanisation of Belgrade on the left bank of the Sava river and was followed by the construction of the modern city after WWII. During the 80 years long history, the purpose of the Old Belgrade Fairground has been changed several times creating multilayered identity of the urban complex. The Modern exhibition space of the inter-war period was transformed into the infamous concentration camp during WWII. Structures that survived the bombings were re-used as a habitat for youth brigades that participated in the construction of New Belgrade, while its previous purposes were suppressed. During the rebuilding of the city in the post-war period, the Old Belgrade Fairground was ignored. As forgotten place of memory it was partly adapted by artists into ateliers and partly became shelter for poor people. Despite its multileveled historical, cultural and architectural significance, the Old Belgrade Fairground today is neglected. Although a pioneer of Modern Movement in Belgrade, and at the same time an important memorial place, it is today a ruined structure that is decaying. Its multiple histories and "too much identity" created absence of any planned activity in order not to make a wrong one. After its ability to absorb different functions and adapt to huge transformations, its resilience is being contested by disability to balance the complex history. The paper investigates on the transformations and presents a concept of "dissonant heritage" as an instrument for renewal of the Old Belgrade Fairground that needs to use all of its complexity in order to truly recover from the past

The Minimum Dwelling: New Belgrade Flat and Reflections on the Minimum Today

The concepts for the minimum dwelling investigated by inter-war modernists were further developed and largely applied in the construction of postwar large-scale housing. As elsewhere in post-war Europe, affordable housing was high on the agenda in Socialist Yugoslavia. The right to a residence was an imperative of the socialist state, which set an enormous housing construction program so that each family could be housed in its own apartment. To meet the huge housing needs, another imperative was to build quickly and cheaply. New Belgrade, a project for the capital of the newly founded socialist state, eventually became the biggest construction field for providing societally owned flats for tens of thousands of inhabitants. The demand for huge amounts of flats, efficient construction and lowcosts dictated the optimization of design, standardization, and rationalization. The paper investigates the design of New Belgrade flats focusing on different aspects of the “minimum” that were applied. It additionally analyses how compared to the interwar concepts the perspective on the minimal needs changed. Furthermore, it compares these standards and needs with the actual ones. The research aims to trace these changing perspectives on minimum, to rethink the modernist minimum dwelling and explore how it relates and reflects the minimum in design today

Exploratory Talks as a Tool for Co-Diagnosis: Comparative Analysis of Residential Neighbourhoods in New Belgrade & Almere Haven

[Intro] The paper introduces a participatory tool for assessment of the Middle-Class Mass Housing (MCMH) in Europe that was simultaneously applied in two studies, on the two cases New Belgrade (Serbia) and Almere Haven (The Netherlands). The studies were exploring the values, problems and opportunities of these residential neighbourhoods through the eyes of their residents. [Method] A comparative analysis reveals contrasting and complementary aspects of the two cases. Exploratory interviews and surveys were used to collect testimonies of residents, informing the method of assessment (co-diagnosis) in residential neighbourhoods. By applying the same tool and comparing results, the paper contributes to a validation of this method for research on MCMH neighbourhoods in different regions and for different MCMH typologies and scales. [Result] The paper highlights some main themes of residents’ analysis of their neighbourhood’s strengths and weaknesses. Aspects discussed are, among others, deterioration (technical, functional, social), sense of community, place attachment, maintenance and taking care, ownership and appropriation, quality of public spaces and green areas, satisfaction and comfort. Both researches are still in development, but some preliminary conclusions can be sketched. Although both cases were built in the same decades (1970s-80s), they seem to hold opposite architectural and urban characteristics. New Belgrade is composed of modernist blocks with mass housing types in a high-rise urban pattern with mainly collective green spaces. Almere Haven is a suburban low-rise pattern and consists of a wide variety of typologies, materials and a range of private, collective and public green spaces. However, the residents’ opinions and assessments show many similarities, regarding the themes they address and the values and problems they identify. [Value for MCMH] The paper illustrates the diversity of MCMH in two different European regions and projects, identifying the broad scope that is needed to assess MCMH. Moreover, the method of exploratory talks with residents is identified as an important participatory tool within the broader analytical framework for MCMH neighbourhoods