Conditions of the Existing –
Values and Potentials of Department Store Buildings of the Post-war Boom Years

Architecture from the 1950s to the 1970s constitutes a significant share of the existing building stock and is increasingly confronted with the challenge of long-term adaptation and transformation. Department stores represent a characteristic building type of this period, reflecting the economic, social, and architectural conditions of the post-war boom years.

This research investigates how knowledge about existing department store buildings can be derived from their material fabric. Through three case studies, it reconstructs the historical conditions of their development, analyzes their architectural and structural characteristics, and documents their material and constructive systems. Particular attention is given to the relationship between historical design intentions, construction methods, and the transformations that buildings have undergone throughout their life cycle.

The project understands existing buildings as repositories of information. Rather than treating the built fabric solely as an object of preservation or intervention, it examines how material evidence can be interpreted as a source of knowledge about architectural production, construction practices, and change over time. The resulting documentation provides a basis for understanding the specific qualities and constraints of these buildings and contributes to the development of informed strategies for their continued architectural use and transformation.