The role of hotel architecture in shaping the city’s image

The elements of the environment are characterized by variability. The structure of the city is also a subject to constant structural, social and material transformations. Objects in the city can play significant role for urban landscape. In recent years, it can be observed that the architecture of hotels in cities is becoming more and more unique. After years of building similar hotel facilities, architects began to create more and more original forms that attract the attention of passers-by and are remembered. The importance of individual places in the hierarchy of these space is also changing. Hotels are elements that build the image of cities, often becoming their visual dominant. This applies to creating a sculpture in a space that catch attention with its form and play of colors. The aim of the article is to show, on the example of selected projects, how hotel buildings can shape urban images. The research method is based on the analysis of selected objects and showing their role in shaping the image of the city. The concept of the hotel influences the building of identity. The form of the hotel, the functionality, the materials, and their combination, create the semantic experience for observer. The hotel becomes a ‘story’ narrative that gives visitors or pedestrians a personal feeling of reading architecture. According to Kevin Lynch (1960:8), the external image we perceive can be analyzed

Los objetos de la ciudad pueden desempeñar un papel importante en el paisaje urbano. En los últimos años se puede observar que la arquitectura de los hoteles en las ciudades es cada vez más singular. Después de años de construir instalaciones hoteleras similares, los arquitectos comenzaron a crear formas cada vez más originales que atraen la atención de los transeúntes y son recordados. La importancia de los lugares individuales en la jerarquía de estos espacios también está cambiando. Los hoteles son elementos que construyen la imagen de las ciudades, convirtiéndose a menudo en su dominante visual. Esto se aplica a la creación de una escultura en un espacio que llama la atención por su forma y juego de colores.
El objetivo del artículo es mostrar, en el ejemplo de proyectos seleccionados, cómo los edificios hoteleros pueden dar forma a imágenes urbanas. El método de investigación se basa en el análisis de objetos seleccionados y muestra su papel en la configuración de la imagen de la ciudad. El concepto de hotel influye en la construcción de identidad. La forma del hotel, la funcionalidad, los materiales y su combinación crean la experiencia semántica para el observador. El hotel se convierte en una "historia" narrativa que brinda a los visitantes o peatones una sensación personal de lectura de la arquitectura.

Introduction
Contemporary architecture is a collection of various forms in public space. Moving around the city, we participate in space, we examine and observe it. When designing public spaces, architects become the creators of images. Each image has its own reception space, which is related to the individuality of perception. Therefore, the interpretations of the space modeled by architecture may be different (Strumillo 2008). In addition, the existing rules change, or new ones appear over time. Modern building strategies are based on technological advances. Contemporary designers compete in creating more and more sophisticated and individualized forms, which can also be seen in how hotels are designed.
Designing architecture is not only about creating new constructions with specific functions. It is also about taking care to respect the context of the place and to fit the new object into the existing surroundings, landscape -both natural and built.
According to French architect Jean Nouvel, winner of the 2008 Pritzker Prize, context does not mean copying existing assumptions or designing identical buildings. "When I say context, people think you want to copy buildings around, but often the context is contrast, and the surroundings should have the advantage, it is dialogue"(Nouvel s/f). For Nouvel, there is no a priori style in architecture. Rather, there is context that is interpreted in the broadest sense, including culture, place, program, client, that provokes the architect to develop completely new strategies for future projects.
Context allows to introduce order even among seemingly disordered structures. On the other hand, the aesthetic impressions of a given work of art or, more generally speaking, cities depend on the feelings of individual observers. Immanuel Kant (1790) believes that only human feelings and their aesthetic sensitivity can perceive beauty, and he sees the phenomenon of beauty as a representation of the concept of freedom.
Beauty delights, and originality delights and amazes, so people cannot stay indifferent to these aspects. Maria Gołaszewska (1997:226)  For many years, the same hotel chains had a similar style. In recent years, it can be observed that the architecture of hotels in cities is becoming more and more unique.
After years of building similar hotel facilities, architects began to create more and more original forms that attract the attention of passers-by and are remembered.
Hotels can be the characteristic buildings of the city. Leon Kier (2009:161) emphasizes that public buildings must occupy the best locations in cities and landscapes, the main frontage of city squares, become the dominants of perspectives and panoramas, in other words -take all the most exposed locations. These aspects play an important role in conveying the content and have a significant impact on the reception of these works, building the atmosphere and image of a given place. This can be seen based on       It is an interesting place that can take people to the dream zone, which is especially true for the building interiors. This architectural project brought together nineteen of the best architect and designer studios in the world and boasts the work of four Pritzker Prize holders: Norman Foster, Zaha Hadid, Arata Isozaki, and Jean Nouvel. Each of its  Zagała and constructed in 2020. The shape of the plot affects the form of this building (figures 20, 22, 23). This is also an unusual combination of two unique architectural styles. The historic wing of the hotel is reminiscent of the unique Art Deco style. The modern part impresses with its modern forms of glass, stone, and plants decorating external terraces, which made it possible for the building to perfectly integrate into the greenery of the city. • accuracy of content expression -spatial form of the construction, expressions of the essence of content -a timeless idea, • perception of impressions -appropriate strength of expression proving its distinctiveness, • attractiveness of form -power of fascination, ability to inspire, • current form -expressing its time of creation, • authenticity and originality of form -if it has its own face, is not stereotypical, is a new solution (does not imitate or counterfeit existing solutions), • cultural identity -features of the form indicating belonging to a specific cultural area.
Examples of the architecture of sign prove that architecture can convey unique content. They can be landmarks, reference points, subjects of external observation.
They become more expressive if they contrast with the surroundings and their location is exposed. The aforementioned American town planner Lynch (Lynch 1960), writing about the advantages of forms, mentions that special forms make architecture unusual, noticeable, expressive, and recognizable. The role of hotel architecture for cities City is a living organism and architecture is its physical language (Shokouki et al. 2012:263). Hence, this language should be understandable.
With the help of good architecture, i.e., architecture adapted to the context of the place, drawing on its identity and caring for the needs of users, the quality of urban space can be significantly improved. It is architecture that creates the urban environment, being the main element of its shape and, at the same time, a witness of history.
Hotels are buildings important not only for the image of the city, but also for people, residents, and tourists planning to visit a given city and stay in a facility of their choice.
People from all over the world travel more often and more willingly, and hotels become their home. Some of these hotels, due to their architecture, location, and interior design, have become travel destination themselves. This way hotels build the identity of places and cities.
City (place) identities are defined by physical signs. These signs must be identified and analyzed according to the following criteria: specificity, individuality, distinctiveness, and uniqueness, all of which make it possible to distinguish one city from another.
Kevin Lynch (1960) drew attention to the image-shaping role of the city forum. He distinguished two features of the urban landscape: readability and imagery. According to Lynch, readability is the ease with which individual parts of the city are recognizable and organized into a coherent whole. A readable city is one where individual places, districts and characteristic buildings are quickly identified and composed into a general arrangement. The city's physiognomy and the form of buildings influence the way the place is identified. City spaces, which contain informational and aesthetic values (e.g., characteristic buildings), are of priority importance to the creation of orientation and culture-forming attitudes.
In cities that have retained their old buildings, we can observe a hierarchy of importance of architectural structures, which is particularly visible in the city centers.
The contemporary structure of the city is different, as it is subject to greater changes compared to the previous periods of urban development. When analyzing space, Boleslaw Szmidt (1981:35)  We can observe the relationship of hotels to urban space, either as landmarks within cities, or as components of urban renewal strategies. Sometimes the design of hotel space is expressive of consumption choices, reflecting contemporary trends in consumer marketing, distinction and branding. Inntel Hotel in Zaandam is an example that hotel building can also fit into the local identity.
The hotel architecture often contributes to the improvement of the city's image and attractiveness. The concept of city attractiveness is often defined from various perspectives and considers the addressees and recipients of this phenomenon.
Nonetheless, the attractiveness of the city is not an end in itself, as -by improving the value of attractiveness -local authorities strive to build the prosperity and satisfaction of residents. This, in turn, leads to attracting new investors, tourists, and residents, which contributes to the city's development (Van den Berg et al 1999:25). Investments aimed at improving the attractiveness of cities usually aim to achieve more than one goal. For most residents, the attractiveness of a city means the accumulation of many different factors, which are assessed differently by everyone: the quality of the environment, architecture, recreational facilities, etc. Hotels can increase the city's potential, complement the city's fabric, and promote the city.
Finally, it should be admitted that the contemporary hotel mirrors also many of the contradictions and inequalities of modern consumer societies (McNeill 2008:383-398).

Conclusions
Hotels are elements that can build the image of cities, often becoming their visual dominants. They can be visually attractive and create a kind of sculpture in space, which attracts attention with its form and play of colors. As such, they can become characteristic buildings and tourism products -thus building the city brand. They can also contribute to the formation of a unique, individual quality, i.e., the genius loci of a place they are located in. These areas, having greater value, are also of greater prestige for the city. They also add the aesthetic energy to the city, and thanks to their unique spirit, act as landmarks.
This way, hotel facilities also contribute to the process of building the city's identity.
The form of the hotel building, its functionalities, materials used, and the way these elements are combined, all create a semantic experience for the observers.
Hotels become stories with which visitors or passers-by can personally feel and read architecture.