Műemlékállományunk bővülése, új műemlékfajták (Az Egri Nyári Egyetem előadásai 1987 Eger, 1987)

Nováki Gyula: Őskori és középkori földvárak Magyarországon

M AI A KAIRA MO THE PRESERVATION OF XXTH CENTURY MONUMENTS AND THE ARCHITECTURE OF ALVAR AALTO IN FINLAND Architecture is one of the arts, but when constructing buildings it is deeper bound to the necessities and the technological and economical basis of the society than the free arts. Through ages, when solving the constructive problems, architecture has tried to express contemporary ideology. The artistic aspects are specially emphasized in buildings devoted to power and religion, temples, castles, fortifications, city halls, palaces, capital towns, bank palaces, monopoly quarters etc. Buildings and sites are also "a scene of history". The development of society, historical events and memories connected to important persons are bound to places and spaces. When the scientific historical analysis develops, the cathegory of historical monument grows wider, too. Earlier buildings were protected mainly because of their artistic and architectural value, but now the historical value of a monument has become essential. The present shape of a monument, the authencity, "the history written in stones", is the object of protection. The reconstruction of the original shape of a monument is the objective of restauration and conservation only when the monument is preserved because of its architectural value. Architecture plays an exeptionally great role in the history of Finland. Among the European countries Finland is relatively young as a state and nation. Finland was a mere Eastern province of Sweden to the war of 1808—1809. The Russian char Alexander I wanted to convert his recent conquest to a model state. In a short time the former Swedish province was reorganized and a magnificant capital was built. The orders of classical architecture was let to manifest the new nation among nations. About a century later charism had changed to conservative imperialism. The small nations belonging to it begun to seek their national identity. At the turn of the century the arts, music, painting, literature and architecture in Europe sought their inspiration from the rural heritage as a counterbalance to the academic eclectism and as a proof of national originality. Artistic symbols were used to express a political protest. Finnish artists travelled in Karelia, illustrated Kalevala, composed music inspired by Kalevala and by the Finnish virgine landscape, architects developed the national romantic style relative to art nouveau. Finland became indépendant in connection of the Russian revolution. Confrontations between the working class and the bourgeoisie led to a civil war and to the victory of the burgeoise in the Spring of 1918. To reconstruct the culturally and materially splittered country there was also need for architects. A modern industrial state had to be built. There were need for industrial societies, schools, hospitals, appartements, sporting facilities. The functionalism developed in the 1920's and 1930's had as an objektive the reform of society through architecture. Finnish industrial enterprises, banks and in sutoha companies soon adopted the modern architecture. The functional architecture were given big building tasks. Alvar Aalto was the leading figure in this development. The role of architecture in the Finnish culture is essential. The architectural erections of the national romantiscism, many buildings of 1930's and all the buildings designed by Aalto are considered worth protecting in our country. In practice the authorities of monuments' protection should be able to valuate relatively new sites and buildings. The preservation is often in contradiction with the economical speculations of the owners of the buildings. In the rapid course of progress and the shortening of the circulation of capital also the capital invested in buildings is amortized in a short time. When the profit no more satisfies the landowner, there is little else to do but to tear the building down or sell the real estate at a speculative price. Historical or artistic values have little weight in calculations of this kind. In the following paper I shall deal with the problems of preservation of some national romantic and functionalistic buildings. Hvitträsk was built in 1902. Architects Herman Gezelius, Armas Lindgren and Eliel Saarinen built it as their studio and home. The place is about 30 kilometers from Helsinki on a high slope of lake Hvitträsk. The young architects could here realize their architectural ideas. On a strong graystone foundation rises a dark timber work like an ancient stronghold. Bold tile roof cover the building. Construction details and decorations carry the traditions of rural carpenters and blacksmiths. Reshaped medieval church vaults shelter the rooms clothed by peasant rugs. Folk crafts renewed to an artistic unity by the architects! The Saarinen family sold the estate in the middle of the 1950's, in the 1960's it was again on sale. In spite of the efforts of the monument preservation authorities, the state did not buy Hvitträsk and so it went to a private foundation. It was converted into a restaurant, lodgings and exhibitions spaces