La arquitectura ordinaria del siglo xx como patrimonio cultural: Tres barrios de promoción oficial de Madrid

Abstract

The construction of the legitimacy of social housing neighborhoods built in the second half of the 20th century as ordinary and qualitative heritage, calls for measures for their safeguard and renewal. These neighborhoods are innovative both from an architectural and an urban perspective; however, they are also submitted to real estate speculation processes due to their central location, to degradation processes derived from inhabitants’ interventions, or even insufficient or inadequate functional renewal. The evolution of the concept of heritage regarding social housing neighborhoods is explained, as well as its adjustment to national-level and European regulations and practices. Lastly, the situation of Madrid’s social housing neighborhoods as heritage is analyzed through the study of three case studies that are typical for the public housing built in the 1940‘s, 1950‘s and 1980‘s, from which general conclusions regarding Madrid’s social housing neighborhoods can be extracted.