Irina Belintseva
Research Institute of Theory and History of Architecture and Urban Planning, Russia
The first resort on the southern coast of the Baltic Sea appeared in the late 18th century, and the late 19th century — early 20th centuries witnessed true flowering of resort life. During the 19th century architectural typology, which met the requirements of leisure and treatment at the sea was formed: warm and cold baths, hotels, private houses, cafes, restaurants, music halls, viewing pavilions, boardwalks and piers, etc. Most spa buildings were built of wood, in the technique of open fachwerk or logs and blocks. At the end of the 19th century there was a true “renaissance” of this building material, which can be explained by the appeal to people’s roots and national traditions, and the speed and ease of construction, the possibility of using standardized parts to create original architectural compositions. At the resorts of the Baltic Sea numerous wooden houses have survived, which were built on individual projects or model. Different catalogs of wooden buildings issued by individual architects or firms, such as Wolgast’s “Society of American imports of wood” were very popular. Comparative analysis of individual villas that have survived on the island of Rügen (Germany), on the coast of Kaliningrad region (former East Prussia), in Palanga (Lithuania) shows not only originality, but also common architectural decisions determining the unique cultural landscape of the Baltic resorts.