How can the modernist heritage not only be preserved, but also reused and reinterpreted for the present day? The international conference ‘Modernism Revisited: Typology – Topography – Strategy’, which will take place from 21 to 23 October 2026 as part of the Trenčín 2026 programme, will bring architects, historians, researchers and cultural heritage conservation experts to the city. The project also includes the outdoor exhibition ELEMENTS, which showcases selected architectural elements of the Machnáč Sanatorium in front of the ODA.
Modernism as a living heritage
Modernism Revisited is based on the belief that modernism is not a closed chapter in history. Its architecture, urban planning concepts and social ambitions continue to shape the environment in which we live today. The conference therefore turns its attention to the question of what aspects of this heritage remain relevant in the 21st century and how it can be adapted to new social, environmental and climatic conditions.
The discussion unfolds through three interlinked themes – Typology, Topography and Strategy. It explores modernist typologies and possibilities for their new uses, the relationship between architecture and the landscape, infrastructure and communities, as well as contemporary strategies for the conservation, regeneration and transformation of modernist buildings.
Keynote speakers will include Beatriz Colomina, an architectural historian and theorist from Princeton University; Henrieta Moravčíková from the Slovak Academy of Sciences; and Wessel de Jonge, an architect and expert in the conservation of modern architectural heritage from TU Delft.
The venue is integral to the theme
The choice of Trenčín and the ODA as the conference venue is not merely an organisational decision. The city, which will be the European Capital of Culture in 2026, together with the wider region, offers an exceptionally concentrated experience of 20th-century architecture and urbanism.
The ODA – Garrison Club itself is a striking example of late modernism with brutalist influences. The building was designed by Ivan Kočan, Eduard Horváth and Dušan Bálent between 1977 and 1978 and was completed in 1985. The conference is thus taking place within the very architecture whose value, potential for future use and future the organisers wish to discuss.
The Machnáč Sanatorium in Trenčianske Teplice, designed by Jaromír Krejcar in 1929 and completed in 1932, links the conference even more closely to the region. One of the most significant examples of interwar modernism in Slovakia and Central Europe, it also serves as a concrete illustration of the question at the heart of the entire project: how to preserve this exceptional modernist heritage whilst finding a meaningful future for it.
“Machnáč shows that, when it comes to modernist heritage, it is no longer enough to speak merely of its historical value. We need to find a way to preserve these buildings as a living part of today’s environment. This is one of the reasons why the conference is taking place in Trenčín, and specifically at ODA – in a region and within an architectural context that allow these questions to be interpreted in very concrete terms,” says Martin Zaiček, founder of the Jaromír Krejcar Society.
ELEMENTS brings Machnáč to the centre of Trenčín
The theme of the conference is already being introduced to visitors to the area in front of ODA by the accompanying exhibition ELEMENTS, which, from 15 September to 4 November 2026, presents 1:1 scale replicas of selected architectural elements by Machnáč. Even before the October gathering of experts, the exhibition thus raises the question of the value and future of the modernist heritage for the wider public.
Rather than viewing the building as a distant architectural monument, the exhibition focuses on its details, materials and craftsmanship. Visitors can get a close-up look at the elements that helped shape the character of Krejcar’s architecture.
ELEMENTS thus brings the conference’s theme directly into the public sphere. It demonstrates that the preservation of modern architecture does not begin with a decision to renovate, but first and foremost with an understanding of the building, its materials, technologies and values. The exhibition also serves as a reminder that the future of Machnáč is not merely a technical issue, but also a matter of social responsibility towards our architectural heritage.
The exhibition is curated by Martin Zaiček, with the architectural design created by ô atelier. Designer Boris Belan and artist Dionýz Troskó contributed to the realisation of the individual elements.
Modernism Revisited 2026
International Conference: Modernism Revisited: Typology – Topography – Strategy
21–23 October 2026
ODA – Garrison Club, Trenčín
ELEMENTS – accompanying outdoor exhibition
15 September – 4 November 2026
the area in front of ODA, Trenčín
The conference and exhibition form part of the official programme of Trenčín 2026 – European Capital of Culture.
Organisers: Jaromír Krejcar’s Company, ETOM NEB Lab in collaboration with DOCOMOMO Slovakia
Under the patronage of: DOCOMOMO International and the Slovak Chamber of Architects
Further information and registration: modernismrevisited2026.com
