VIRTUAL: Prague Heritages

Abstract

In Denmark, the comprehension of vernacular architecture generally comprises of traditional buildings, usually half-timbered, built in preindustrial time and mainly situated in rural areas. The construction of such buildings ceased in the second part of the 19th century due to a number of socio-economic and technological factors. For instance, the country was industrialised relatively quickly in this period which included railways. The railway network facilitated easy transport of e.g. building materials and fuel, so common people no longer depended on local resources. Moreover, the invention of the so-called ring kiln enabled easily available, cheap and durable bricks. Last, agriculture changed from vegetable to animal production, improving the financial situation of the farmers and calling for new buildings. Within the last decades, a new and broader understanding of vernacular architecture has gained forward which gives rise to investigations into this subject area that has not been examined before. Consequently, the objective of this study is to investigate possible examples of 20th century Danish vernacular architecture and their characteristics with a view to enlighten our understanding of this particular field and to draw attention to potential young vernacular heritage. The paper initiates an introduction, presents the methodologies used and then proceeds to scrutinize the new comprehension of vernacular architecture in the aim of establish the theoretical frame for assessing contemporary vernacular architecture. Next, case studies of possible 20th century vernacular architecture are presented and analysed, followed by a discussion and lastly, conclusion.