2024-11-21T12:05:24-05:00 https://archinect.com/news/article/150151523/photographers-rethink-the-eastern-bloc Sean Joyner 2019-08-12T13:30:00-04:00 >2019-08-12T13:53:30-04:00 <img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/c4/c452d57c07f0eecbbdb09d0c2104abd5.jpg?fit=crop&auto=compress%2Cformat&enlarge=true&w=1200" border="0" /><em><p>All were built after World War II to cheaply house the masses in a way that jived with communist ideology. Near-identical two- and three-bedroom apartments included amenities like central heat, private bathrooms, and elevators. Standardization and mass production were paramount, though idiosyncrasies&mdash;a pop of color here, a geometric motif there&mdash;inevitably crept in.</p></em><br /><br /><p>David Navarro and Martyna Sobecka, the dynamic duo that make up the independent publisher/design studio <em><a href="https://archinect.com/news/tag/1200494/zupagrafika" target="_blank">Zupagrafika</a></em> have trekked the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_Bloc" target="_blank">Eastern Bloc</a> in an effort to capture its hidden treasures. Their adventure has been published in a book called <em>Eastern Blocks</em>.&nbsp;</p> <p>"<em>Eastern Blocks</em>&nbsp;is a photographic journey through the cityscapes of the former Eastern Bloc, inviting readers to explore the districts and peripheries that became a playground for mass housing development after WW2, including objects like houses &lsquo;on chicken legs&rsquo;, soviet &lsquo;flying saucers&rsquo; or hammer-shaped tower blocks," reads the <a href="https://www.zupagrafika.com/eastern-blocks.html" target="_blank">publisher's website</a>.<br></p>