János Kádár was the leader of Communist Hungary between 1956 and 1988. He also lent his name to the square houses that were built all over the country during his tenure. The Kádár cube was touted as a more modern and efficient design than existing homes, and would fill the needs of Hungarians' changing lifestyles during the 1960s, '70s, and '80s. The reality was that they were cheaply built and not at all efficient. Their distinctive style became closely associated with Communist rule. After the fall of Communism, homeowners who could afford to built homes in other styles. To them, Kádár cubes brought up bad memories.
But now there is an entire generation of Hungarians who are too young to remember the Kádár era. They are open embracing the quirky Kádár cube style, largely because of the book Hungarian Cubes: Subversive Ornaments in Socialism by Katharina Roters, who spent years photographing Kádár cubes. Millennial Hungarians have been inspired by these homes to use the design in fashion, art, and even science fiction. They are buying up affordable Kádár cube houses, too, although they invariably want to renovate. Read about the legacy of Kádár cubes at The Calvert Journal.
-via Nag on the Lake
(Images: Katharina Roters)