Villa Abastumani

Client: Smart Capital

Program: Residential

Collaborators: Structural Engineer: Davit Qevanishvili l Construction Management: MBG l Engineering: Giorgi Marshanishvili, Erekle Mestverishvili              

Team: Devi Kituashvili, Gogiko Sakvarelidze, Natalia Nebieridze, Salome Mamrikishvili, Merab Mebuke, Elene Edisherashvili, Levan Dzegvelashvili, Salome Katsadze

 

The project sits nestled between a rocky ridge and the riverbank in Abastumani, Samtskhe-Javakheti region of Georgia. Covered with coniferous forest, Abastumani is widely known for its climate, healing properties, and its historical-cultural heritage sites.

The site consists of a two-story concrete structure on one end - a former ropeway building, and a single-story brick building (an auxiliary building) on the other. Both buildings are distinct in their form, structure, and nature, perceived as complete antipodes of each other. Despite having lost their original function, the buildings' defining characters are further reinforced by the ever-present historical context. 

Our aim was to create a unique spatial experience, optimizing the connection between the two structures by incorporating new, contrasting, architectural elements. The design of a new connecting element is a specific response to the topography and the history of the site itself. The driving motive behind the concept is continuity and transformation. The ancillary brick building, characterized by the architectural typology of the Imperial era, as opposed to the Soviet-era reinforced concrete ropeway, reveals a certain kind of interconnectedness. The new framework intensifies the contrast yet helps form a unified space that fits the surrounding context. 

Today, preservation of historical-cultural heritage sites is of utmost importance, even if it has no particular architectural value. The issues of ecology, sustainability, and minimization of construction waste are pressing.  Adaptation of the place is an excellent means not only to protect the environment from the negative impact of massive constructions but also to preserve its history. We strongly believe in revitalization as a uniform method that transforms deteriorating buildings into culturally viable spaces, giving equal importance to physical and metaphysical circumstances