Ministry of Transportation Building, Georgia
See the Unusual building design of the week series here.
The former Ministry of Transportation Building in Tbilisi, Georgia, is a striking example of Communist design.
Architects George Chakhava and Zurab Jalaghania designed the building for the Ministry of Highway Construction of the Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic (SSR). Construction was completed in 1975.
The 18-storey building is notable for its unusual design which gives the impression of giant concrete blocks having been piled on top of one another at random. Built on a steep slope, three of the interlocking blocks are oriented on an east-west axis, while two are oriented on a north-south axis. The vertical circulation elements – stairs and lifts – are contained within three cores from which the rest of the structure hangs.
The harsh concrete façade and geometric form was inspired by the theories of the Russian constructivists, as well as the Brutalism movement and the Japanese Metabolists. Following an architectural concept known as the Space City method, parts of the building are raised above the ground, allowing the landscape to grow around and below it.
In 2007, the building was acquired by the Bank of Georgia who converted it into their headquarters, undertaking a major renovation, and installing a new glass cube entrance. In 2007, it was given Immovable Monument status under the National Monuments Act.
[edit] Find out more
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki
- Abandoned movie theatres in Russia.
- Building of the week series.
- CCTV Headquarters.
- Constructivist architecture.
- Fuji TV Building, Tokyo.
- Habitat 67.
- La Grande Arche.
- Manchester Civil Justice Centre.
- Megastructure.
- Metabolism.
- Nakagin Capsule Tower.
- Owen Hatherley - Landscapes of Communism.
- Robot Building, Bangkok.
- Scottish Parliament Building.
- Spomeniks.
- The Bierpinsel, Berlin.
- Unusual building design of the week.
[edit] External references
Featured articles and news
Read about RSHP's British Museum extension which has been shortlisted for the 2017 Stirling Prize.
Read our introductory article to building a house extension.
More updates from DCMS about the large-scale testing of cladding systems and the number of buildings affected.
UandI secure resolution to grant planning consent for major new regeneration project.
Infrastructure and the historic environment
IHBC article considers how heritage is dealt with when infrastructure schemes are authorised.
It was the tallest structure in the world for 3,800 years, but to this day the exact construction techniques are a mystery.
Shortlist for the industry's most coveted award announced.
Government responds to Mark Farmer's review of industry, rejecting the call for a levy on clients.
Peter Hansford to examine what wider lessons can be learned from the fire.
Every project is subject to uncertainty. How can construction better understand uncertainty for performance improvement?
MAD Architects reveal their designs for a futuristic campus for electric car manufacturer.
Homebuyers could borrow more with better forecasting of energy bills, according to industry consortium's new report.
Read our introductory article on carbon capture and storage.
Have a look at Frank Gehry's Binoculars Building in Los Angeles.
Grenfell Tower articles updated daily
