Panelák (Czech and/or Slovak), meaning prefab, is the colloquial name of blocks of high rise flats constructed of pre-fabricated, pre-stressed concrete. The full name is panelový dom(Slovak)/panelový dům(Czech), meaning literally "prefabricated sections house". They remain a towering, highly visible reminder of the Communist era. According to census statistics around one in three Czechs still live in a panelak.
Planners from communist era wanted to provide large quantity of cheap housing, to slash costs and time by employing uniform design over the whole country and to foster "collectivistic nature" of people. In case of war, these houses won't be as prone to fire-bombing as traditional, densely packed buildings.
According to source some 2,100,000 of such housing units were built between 1945 and 1990, which is approximately 58% of the total number of units occupied as of 1991.
The panelaks got quickly infamous for invariably low quality of architectonic design, mind numbing appearance, second rate materials and shoddy construction practices. New parts of cities were filled with panelaks only, without much of infrastructure as shops, parks, parking places or pubs. Therefore these places become virtual deserts, places where people go to sleep and then leave, not homes. With growth of housing market people are leaving panelaks; in long term they will likely become home for low classes and outcasts.
The largest concentration of panelaks can be found in Petržalka, a section of the city of Bratislava, Slovakia.
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Last updated: 05-09-2005 15:58:47
