ABC-Centres and Identities of Mustamäe Mikrorayons  Cover Image
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ABCkeskused ja Mustamäe mikrorajoonide identiteedid
ABC-Centres and Identities of Mustamäe Mikrorayons

Author(s): Helen Sooväli-Sepping, Epp Lankots
Subject(s): Cultural Essay, Political Essay, Societal Essay
Published by: Eesti Kunstiteadlaste Ühing
Keywords: prefabricated housing areas; post-war modernism; representation; urban landscape; socio-spatial identitiy

Summary/Abstract: This article studies the imagery of local commercial centres (the ABCcentres) in Mustamäe – the first post-war prefabricated housing area in Estonia. We argue that the ABC-centres functioned not just locations for shopping and services, but also 'identity spots': many residents identified their neighbourhood by their local ABC-centre. Today, the status and the identities of former ABC-centres have been considerably transformed. The framing idea of the article is to find common features between architectural history and cultural geography: ABC-centres are seen as urban landscape with specific historical context and tangible architectural qualities, at the same time being culturally meaningful on the level of social representations.

  • Issue Year: 17/2008
  • Issue No: 04
  • Page Range: 88-109
  • Page Count: 22
  • Language: Estonian
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