Modern heritage and housing renovation: Policy development and practical experiences from Gothenburg, Sweden. Patrimoine contemporain et rénovation de logements : élaboration de politiques et expériences pratiques à Göteborg (Suède)

Journal article, 2023

Post-war housing stocks have been in focus for modernisation and transformation since the 1980s. Technical deficiencies and social problems related to exclusion and segregation have been arguments for investments. The architecture has been seen as part of the problem and alterations to its character have been important in finding solutions. Lately, policy for energy efficient renovation and decarbonisation of the housing sector has put the modern housing stock in focus again. With reference to the lack of common appreciation and understanding of the historical and cultural value of the post-war housing, this paper discusses current policy and its implementation.

The paper begins by looking at Gothenburg, the second largest city in Sweden. The development of a Modern Historical Environment program is presented with its application in three examples of housing. These cases exemplify the opportunities and consequences of modernisation and energy renovation on modern heritage. The designation of modern built heritage differs from the designation of older constructions due to its scale and volume. Designating an object refers, on the one hand, to recognising an example of a specific building type and construction methods and, on the other, to its socio-historical context. Thus, both tangible and intangible values are acknowledged. Modern heritage is characterised by its resilience to alterations and allows layers of change to be included, informing about historical events.