Lviv’s villas of 1918-1939: selected contemporary problems of protection and transformation

Abstract The subject of the research presented in this paper are examples of Lviv villas in the years 1918–1939. Reflecting the characteristic stylistic features of European architecture and urbanism of the interwar period, these buildings have undergone various transformations between the end of the Second World War and the present. The beauty of this aspect of Lviv’s historical heritage has been threatened by the consequences of the city’s development policy, while war had become a direct threat to their very survival. This research constitutes a synthetic characterisation of the types of villa developments built in Lviv in the interwar period, emphasizing their features on an architectural and urban scale. At present the villas’ condition, ownership and use vary. Systemic protective measures covered by consistent legislation and conservation supervision are needed as is the continuation of multifaceted research to expand the archival database which forms the basis of projects planned for their renovation, modernisation or transformation.