Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of key concepts covered in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book presents brief essays on the current laws and protection policies regarding twentieth-century architecture. It focuses on the 'time rule' that elapses between a building's construction and its protection. The protection of twentieth-century architecture has now earned the right of entry into specialist studies and is gradually building up a rich historiography, replete with projects relating to cataloguing, conservation and promotion at various levels. The contrast between the 'iconolatry', or adoration of many iconic architectures from the last century, on the one hand, and their vulnerability, on the other, has contributed to define a limit of the Modern. The economic aspect is analysed in the light of the relationship between the statutory time spans and the need to protect the Contemporary, highlighting a number of factors dependent both on market factors and political will, which are essential conditions for effective protection.