HOTEL STRUCTURES DURING COMMUNIST PERIOD (1945-1990) IN ALBANIA. ANALYZING THE INFLUENCE OF LOCAL CONTEXT IN THE PROCESS OF FORM-CREATION

This research is intended to achieve an understanding of the accommodating structures during communism in Albania, focusing on the main cities and strategic points of this country. The aim of this paper is to investigate and highlight certain designing strategies and characteristics that have influenced the creation of structures that would provide hosting and hotel services in Albania during 1945-1990. The initial hypothesis in this context is that these constructions contain in the formally hidden structure a typological similarity which has contributed to creating the original image of the hosting facilities. The methodology to be followed for the verification of this hypothesis is based on the analysis of several case studies in the main cities of Albania, by analyzing them in iconographic level (based on the concept of Vitruvius) and by investigating the findings of influences that these structures might have had from the local context. The search will be divided into two initial stages. The first stage would focus on identifying the main projects and analyzing significant case studies. The second stage would concentrate on identifying the elements that have influenced the formal structures of these hosting buildings. The importance of this writing consists in finding some local influences in building a formal image of the hostel structures and in using these results in projects or future interventions to preserve and emphasize Albanian architectural identity.