Skryté půvaby českých sídlišť – Řepková Hana (2025)

This Czech-language book is divided into four main parts. The introduction considers where hidden charms might be found in housing estates and why they have remained overlooked for so long. The second part, divided into three chapters, traces the development and forms of mass housing, examines how developers and historical periods influenced the quality of residential complexes, and discusses housing estates protected as heritage sites or considered worthy of heritage protection. It introduces the predecessors of today’s estates, compares the popularity of architectural approaches promoted by totalitarian regimes with the lower acceptance of estates based on Functionalist principles and the Athens Charter, and presents the development and main types of housing layouts. It also surveys the influence of the state, cities, companies and cooperatives on design and construction, followed by an overview of twentieth-century Czech housing complexes and buildings with state heritage protection, alongside comparable unprotected examples. Comparisons with protected and valued complexes in Slovakia, Poland and Germany help place this assessment in context. The third part catalogs architectural and functional elements that may conceal overlooked charms, while the fourth examines ten outstanding Czech and Moravian housing estates in greater detail.