Black-coal mining in the Ostrava-Karviná has a long and rich tradition. The first traces of entrepreneurial activity in this field can be traced back to the end of the 18^th century. In 1782, the first industrial mining establishment was begun at the Landek peak. What initially began as the work of prospectors, became over the course of several decades the primary stimulus to development in the region.

The first half of the 20^th century introduced the development of concrete engineering as a new method in this field, and along with it the related methods of calculation, all in the interpretation of a deterministic manner of proposing a method for permissible stresses. This development was twice held back by the war conflicts, which however subsequently served to quicken the development of the economy and the spread of automobilism, necessitating the construction of a network of roads and a series of bridges in response. The construction of the first bridges made of pre-stressed concrete, which gradually replaced reinforced concrete bridges, dates from this period.

The main purpose behind the restoration of masonry mechanically is to create new hydro-isolation barriers in the damp masonry in order to protect the structure against the effects of capillary action. If this method of maintaining damp masonry is carried out effectively it is 100% effective, which means that the rise of dampness in the masonry through capillary lift is fully blocked.

Towards the end of the 1970s, a reconstruction of a block of historic buildings in the centre of one urban conservation area was prepared. With the sole aim of assessing the group of four very valuable town buildings, new functional uses for them were carefully considered; the kinds of uses that on the one hand would make it possible to restore their historical value, and at the same time contribute to the revival of the historic city centre.

This paper provides schematic commentary on the result of this action. An historic sight maintains its value as an indivisible organism, an intact special structure in which mutual connections are preserved, including the relicts of valuable historical transformations, and complete sets of construction, building, craft and artistic material. It is difficult to speak of a revival of any historic sight if all that remains of its essence is a deformed façade, or several – albeit perhaps exemplary – restorations of selected interiors or sample details.

In the introductory chapter, a brief summary of the issue of the overall urban study project and the reasons behind its implementation was presented. The current problems of the Prague Urban Conservation Area – in existence now for 30 years – were outlined, and the main principles involved in the proposed solutions to them were described, including both urban and traffic problems. The section devoted to the present provides a description of the conception for the preservation of the Prague Conservation Area, its bases, the nature and problem of the area involved, and the approach to a solution from the perspective of a material approach and the local differentiation of the surface protection of the territory.