An Anthropology of Architectural Transformation

An Anthropology of Architectural Transformation is an ethnographic investigation of everyday life in a Romanian apartment block, from its construction in 1974 to the present day. It provides a unique window into how inhabitants, through everyday creative engagements with their apartments, come to terms with the uncertainties of a rapidly changing society, caught in between the vulnerabilities of both socialism and capitalism. The book attends to the micro, day-to-day transformations of individual apartments and the way in which they cumulatively affect ‘larger’ urban changes in Piatra-Neamț, transforming both the urban fabric and the local sense of what defines a good life. This book also provides social scientists with a novel way of thinking about the fundamental relationship between people and buildings, while inviting architects to consider how buildings are transformed in time by their inhabitants. With minute ethnographic detail, Maria Șalaru demonstrates how social order is created and maintained through the materiality of the building.

Praise for An Anthropology of Architectural Transformation

‘A beautifully crafted ethnography of life in a Romanian housing block as inhabitants navigate the material and infrastructural uncertainties of post-socialism while struggling to maintain aging socialist buildings in the wake of state retrenchment – a localised story with global resonance and masterful testament to the fraught possibilities of collective urban care through innovation.’

Christina Schwenkel, University of California

‘An ethnographic gem! Salaru’s evocative focus on the material and social life of a single block of flats brings exciting new perspectives to debates on urban housing, as she documents how everyday practices of repair, decay and modification intersect with global energy politics, EU policy and Romanian urban building regulations.’

Penny Harvey, Manchester University

‘Far from static forms, buildings emerge in this remarkable ethnography of everyday life in Romanian block flats as dynamic and flexible entities, subject as much to their inhabitants’ needs, frustrations, and aspirations as they are to the vagaries of weather or austerity. Șalaru challenges anyone interested in architecture to consider how buildings caught between shifting economic, political, and ecological orders usher in improvised practices of maintenance and improvement capable of reimagining everything from collective obligation to neighbourly care.’

Catherine Fennel, Columbia University

‘This sparkling account of the life of an apartment block in Romania brims with lively stories of transformation. Salaru can provoke interest in even the most everyday chores, using vivid description and stunning illustrations. Building on anthropologies of the home, material cultures and infrastructures, this study shows us what these really mean to people in the twenty- first century. We see life in a Romanian town through the eyes of its inhabitants, and feel the heat – and cold – in their homes. This is essential reading for architects and sociologists of infrastructure, and anyone interested in the home, buildings and their refurbishment and contemporary life in Romania.’

Simone Abram, Durham University

‘An Anthropology of Architectural Transformation is a groundbreaking exploration of how architecture shapes and is shaped by social, cultural, and political forces. With in-depth case studies and critical analysis, the book offers fresh perspectives on the dynamic relationship between buildings and the communities they serve. A must-read for scholars and practitioners interested in the intersection of architecture, anthropology and transformation.’

Rokia Raslan, UCL