Revel in Outrageous Eastern Bloc Architecture

Anthony Paletta reviews the recent glut of art volumes devoted to communist architecture in the former Eastern bloc, and includes stunning photos of "sublime sci-fi" Soviet architecture largely unseen in the West.

1 minute read

December 12, 2012, 2:00 PM PST

By Jonathan Nettler @nettsj


Hotel Druzhba

Argenberg / Flickr

Paletta looks at some of the incredible architecture captured in five volumes published in the last several years: Taschen's CCCP: Cosmic Communist Constructions Photographed, Hatje Cantz's Socialist Modernism, Monacelli's The Lost Vanguard: Russian Modernist Architecture 1922-1932, Roma's Spomenik, and Jovis's Modernism In-Between: The Mediatory Architectures of Socialist Yugoslavia.

While Paletta's ruminations on the symbolism of architecture built under totalitarian societies once such rule is over deserves attention, the images of the buildings themselves, with their uniformly durable materials and commanding presences, are the star of this essay.

Monday, December 3, 2012 in The Awl

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

The Seat of Government

Good Planning Under Bad Leadership

Planners must sometimes work under bad leadership. Here are suggestions for responsive planning in challenging political environments.

February 3, 2025 - Todd Litman

Close-up of Donald Shoup during interview.

Legendary Parking Guru Donald Shoup Dies at 86

Urbanists are mourning the loss of a dynamic voice for parking reform and walkable cities.

February 10, 2025 - StreetsBlog NYC

Amtrak train with downtown Seattle in background.

Amtrak Cascades Line Breaks Ridership Record

The route linking Portland, Seattle, and Vancouver, BC served nearly one million riders in 2024.

February 2, 2025 - Daily Hive

Vacant interior of open plan office with large buildings and stacked wood planks on floor.

Over 71K Office-to-Apartment Units in the Pipeline for 2025

Adaptive reuse projects are continuing to bring thousands of new housing units onto the market as demand for office space remains low.

4 hours ago - RentCafé

Crane and construction on multi-story buildings in downtown Houston, Texas.

How Houston Can Be a Model for Housing Reform

The city builds more new housing than almost any other and has dramatically reduced homelessness, yet low-income families struggle to find affordable housing.

5 hours ago - Urban Edge

Small rural USPS post office in manufactured one-story grey building with American flag in front.

Delivering for America Plan Will Downgrade Mail Service in at Least 49.5 Percent of Zip Codes

Republican and Democrat lawmakers criticize the plan for its disproportionate negative impact on rural communities.

6 hours ago - Cowboy State Daily