Instagramable Architecture The role of architecture as cities brand element in the age of information technologies & social networks

This article tackles the idea in cities branding in general within the development of information technologies and the domination of the internet as the medium for contemporary human activities. The article investigates the definitions of branding and its elements in literature and the role of architecture as both tangible and intangible branding element of prominent symbolic values. It touches the presence of the imagery qualities of architecture as markers of cities and with the rise of social networks, specifically image-based ones like Instagram and Facebook, this hypothesis is tested via a structured questionnaire that involves the perception of respondents on how architecture stand as a dominant brand for cities. The main findings that this research concludes are that the notion of city branding is no longer a spontaneous environmental behavioral act but should be a well-designed one. With its importance, the current branding practices of city managers and stakeholders has to be altered to work with the new dynamics of branding depending mainly on users’ direct feedback and influence via different internet-oriented means. Second that the cities’ symbolic elements, on the top of them architecture, play a prominent role in defining the city brand due to its inherited visual and experiential magnitudes. Lastly, the fast pace of the development of information technologies, and the social media platforms, that allows a direct response from city users has the great effect on shaping such symbolic elements and these platforms will be playing a dominant role in the future of shaping our cities as the physicality of the city has to be internet shareable or ‘instagramable’ if it will be part of the whole image of the city.