Dissertation defense on the late modernism cases of Lviv and Malmö

Center’s researcher, an architect Natalia Mysak defended her dissertation thesis "Identity Formation of the Large-Scale Housing Estates built in 1960/80s" (scholarly supervisor – Doctor of Architecture, professor Bohdan Cherkes) at the Lviv Polytechnic National University.

Natalia’s dissertation is about the identity of residential estates of late modernism as illustrated by cases of Sykhiv in Lviv and Rosengård in Malmö (Sweden). The architect explored how residential areas designed according to similar architectural and city planning principles in the second half of the 20th century have been developing by different scenarios with respect to the change of political, economic, and social contexts. While interpreting the category of identity for modernist districts she explored the interdependencies between material environment and the narratives thereon shaped by various actors (direct and indirect users, specialists, media, a.o.).

Field research in Malmö was conducted thanks to The Visby Programme of The Swedish Institute at the Department of Urban Studies of Malmö University (2015-2016). There, in the framework of her research project, she delivered a course of lectures and seminars on architectural research methods for Master students. The study in Lviv was integrated into the project by the Center for Urban History "Imagined and Experienced: Planned Residential Districts in the Late Socialism and Beyond" Moreover, Natalia applied the materials of her PhD thesis when preparing and conducting an international urban school "Sykhiv: Spaces, Memories, Practices"(August, 2017). Within the program, Natalia also delivered a public lecture on "Dynamic Cityscape of Sykhiv". During her research, she wrote a series of descriptions of architectural objects for the "Lviv Interactive"project.

We congratulate Natalia and wish her every success and discovery in her further research!

Credits

Сover Image: Rosengård, Malmö / Natalia Mysak