In the light of the current housing and environmental crisis and increasing social inequalities, there is a growing sense of urgency for architecture as a discipline to engage with the transformation in housing evident in the postwar period. Rather than conceiving this task as a technical matter, this book proposes to reassess the conditions and legacy of this large and ubiquitous housing stock. By foregrounding the mismatch between constructed cultural, social and ideological narratives and the everyday realities of residents, the contributors rediscover the value of often-overlooked modern open spaces and reconsider the technological advances that paved the way for this large-scale construction.

Contested Legacies advances a new notion of heritage which, rather than seeking to preserve the past, sets outs to actively transform what exists to meet current societal needs. It offers an ‘atlas’ of exemplary cases, each illustrating a defining yet often neglected aspect of modern postwar housing, from which present engagement and active reflection can grow, making the book an appealing read for both scholars and housing practitioners worldwide.

In the light of the current housing and environmental crisis and increasing social inequalities, there is a growing sense of urgency for architecture as a discipline to engage with the transformation of postwar housing projects. Rather than conceiving this as a technical task, this book proposes to reassess the multifaceted conditions and cultural legacies of this large and ubiquitous housing stock. By foregrounding the mismatch between constructed cultural, social and ideological narratives and the everyday realities of residents, the contributors rediscover some of the tropes of modern housing, such as the impact of technological innovations or the often overlooked character of open spaces, and unveil the intellectual and practical tools that paved the way for this large-scale construction.

Contested Legacies advances a new notion of heritage which, rather than seeking to preserve the past, sets outs to actively transform what exists to meet current societal needs. It offers an ‘atlas’ of exemplary cases, each illustrating a defining yet often neglected aspect of modern postwar housing, from which present engagement and active reflection can grow, making the book an appealing read for both scholars and housing practitioners worldwide.

Andrea Migotto is an architect and researcher based in Brussels. He completed his PhD at the Faculty of Architecture of KU Leuven in 2023.
Martino Tattara is an associate professor at the Faculty of Architecture of KU Leuven and cofounder of the architectural office Dogma.

This wide-ranging book takes the study of postwar ‘welfare state’ mass housing to a completely new level and presents a vital, critical analysis of how this vast patrimony can now be transformed to face the future. - Miles Glendinning, University of Edinburgh

In terms of social and material sustainability, researching the transformations of large-scale postwar housing is increasingly urgent, and this book contributes to a growing field of architectural research critically assessing the heritage of the recent past. - Thordis Arrhenius, KTH Royal Institute of Technology

New insights on the controversial and often-overlooked postwar large-scale housing estates

In the light of the current housing and environmental crisis and increasing social inequalities, there is a growing sense of urgency for architecture as a discipline to engage with the transformation of postwar housing projects. Rather than conceiving this as a technical task, this book proposes to reassess the multifaceted conditions and cultural legacies of this large and ubiquitous housing stock. By foregrounding the mismatch between constructed cultural, social and ideological narratives and the everyday realities of residents, the contributors rediscover some of the tropes of modern housing, such as the impact of technological innovations or the often overlooked character of open spaces, and unveil the intellectual and practical tools that paved the way for this large-scale construction.

Contested Legacies advances a new notion of heritage which, rather than seeking to preserve the past, sets outs to actively transform what exists to meet current societal needs. It offers an ‘atlas’ of exemplary cases, each illustrating a defining yet often neglected aspect of modern postwar housing, from which present engagement and active reflection can grow, making the book an appealing read for both scholars and housing practitioners worldwide.

Andrea Migotto is an architect and researcher based in Brussels. He completed his PhD at the Faculty of Architecture of KU Leuven in 2023.
Martino Tattara is an associate professor at the Faculty of Architecture of KU Leuven and cofounder of the architectural office Dogma.

This wide-ranging book takes the study of postwar ‘welfare state’ mass housing to a completely new level and presents a vital, critical analysis of how this vast patrimony can now be transformed to face the future. - Miles Glendinning, University of Edinburgh

In terms of social and material sustainability, researching the transformations of large-scale postwar housing is increasingly urgent, and this book contributes to a growing field of architectural research critically assessing the heritage of the recent past. - Thordis Arrhenius, KTH Royal Institute of Technology