IN-PERSON: Prague – Section B

Abstract

The destruction caused by the second world war immensely impacted most European cities. Attitudes toward their reconstruction varied from countries to another and even between cities of the same country. The main issues this research and this particular paper attempts to address is the attitudes toward the surviving heritage during the reconstruction of the damaged cities and bombed sites. Numerous publications have covered the results of the post-war rebuilding and development of the cities, some focused on presenting the information and the results of the plans. Whereas others conveyed their opinions by either criticising or praising the work of the planners in general. However, what is lacking in the literature and the knowledge of these reconstructions is the effect or impact of the surviving heritage on the planners’ plans. The heritage preservation of significance was perceived differently by different planners, which brings us to this paper. The Spon Street scheme, this scheme was adopted by Coventry planners in response to the criticism and the objection received from the people of Coventry and other professions concerned about the heritage. The scheme focused on the restoration of the important timber-framed buildings on Spon Street that survived the Second World War. Moreover, the dismantling and relocation of other significant timber-framed buildings from other parts of Coventry to Spon Street. This information although known to some in its very brief and vague details its condition, reason, objections, and aim is not. The aim of the paper is to discuss how the scheme was born, the necessities and condition which gave it life, the response to it in its time. Furthermore, the paper expresses the effect of detaching and removing a building from its context on the surrounding. The Spon street scheme did not only create a new street, it changed the social and cultural tangible and intangible qualities of the new street, old buildings and other streets.