ABSTRACT
The introduction brings the reader to the subject of cultural heritage and its value. Both terms are prone to various interpretations. We emphasize that the ambiguity of the architectural heritage and its value are results of social, political and even philosophical factors which reflect the diversity of people and societies. We outline the scope of our interest – the concrete-based architectural heritage of modernism in former socialist countries, which reflects ambiguity on different levels. Concrete, as a material, once was a synonym of modernity but now is considered an ecological threat. Therefore, the legitimacy of its preservation may no longer depend not only on conservation motives alone but also on the proliferation of re-use culture instead of creating new fabrics. Modernism, as a style and a philosophy, used to be a dogma – just like communist ideology in CEE countries. For a few decades, both have been questioned and rejected. We ask a question about the future of concrete soc-modernist architecture and its value, suggesting that there can be many answers depending on the research perspective and the discipline a particular researcher represents.
