Unreal Socialism

Radomíra Sedláková

Unreal Socialism

Prague 1948 - 1989

The book will offer a comprehensive survey of ideas for architectural works in the second half of the 20th century, which, for various reasons (political, implementational, economic), were never built. The first intended architectural interventions were connected with 1953, when plans for building a new central area of Prague were in the works. From the 1960s, preparations of architectural plans were underway for prominent buildings, such as the Old Town Hall and the House of Trade Union Recreation, as well as designs for a new city district by the name of Etarea and for a State Library. The 1970s saw a certain stagnation, while the 1980s were marked by the resurgence of another large group of architectural projects. Many of these plans, sketches and models are currently in the possession of the National Gallery in Prague.

National Gallery Prague, Prague 2018, 270 x 215 mm, 122 pages, Czech and English, ISBN 978-80-7035-691-3