Towards a More Beautiful World: Traditionalism

Why do we like old towns with traditional styles appealing? Why are there disputes over whether it is acceptable to build in a similar way today? How do sympathies for old — traditional — architectural forms reconcile with new ideas and needs? This book offers a path towards answers to such questions. The architectural historian and theorist Martin Horáček explains why traditional (non-modernist) architectural styles remain popular and vibrant, and recounts the story of humanity’s relationship with traditional building from the late 19th century to the present day. The book is based on a pioneering analysis of the role of taste in the discourse on architecture and an examination of current efforts to establish a scientific basis for architectural theory. Building on this foundation, the chapters provide information on significant architects, theorists, works and trends in architecture and the conservation of monuments and the landscape, which previous histories of modern architecture have typically overlooked. The situation in the Czech lands is presented in detail, and the work of architects such as Friedrich Ohmann, Jan Vejrych, Kamil Hilbert, Ladislav Skřivánek and Dušan Jurkovič are described in detail, and Cubism and Socialist Realism in Czech architecture are analysed, as are new construction and heritage conservation during the socialist era and after the 1989 revolution, and public interest in the fate of old buildings and the appearance of towns and the landscape. In its comprehensive scope, the publication is unrivalled in the global academic literature.