With Socialist Hotels, FUEL continues their ongoing project of cataloguing the architectural relics of the former Eastern Bloc in photographs. Like past volumes in the series such as Spomenik Monument Database and Holidays in Soviet Sanatoriums, it features contemporary photographs of still-existing structures, making it less a historical chronicle than a document of surviving architecture from a bygone era, with a focus on capturing the textures, geometries, and architectural curiosities of the buildings in question.
A surprising number of the buildings featured are still in service, which is perhaps down to the somewhat ubiquitous layout and profiles of hotels in general. Unlike administrative or infrastructural buildings in the Socialist Modernist style, hotels can transfer relatively easily from a socialist to a capitalist paradigm. As long as their surroundings remain attractive and economically viable, they can often outlive the governmental bodies that once oversaw them.
While exteriors favor angular, often boxy (and equally often distressed) concrete and plaster, interiors show a wide range of styles, varying from minimalist and controlled to classic Communist kitsch. Regardless of which end of the spectrum a particular interior lies on, the craftsmanship on display is a credit to the expertise of bygone eras, with rich ensembles of wood, metal, and glasswork that would make even the most die-hard nostalgia skeptic feel a pang of longing for the past. And finally, with (as already noted) many of the featured hotels still active, the book could even serve as a travel guide for modern travelers looking to retrace the spa and leisure circuit of the former Eastern Bloc.
Socialist Hotels
By Elena Amabili
Fuel Publishing
Hardcover, 248 pages, £26.95
