7 Georgian Winners at Eastern European Real Estate Awards
The IV Eastern Europe Real Estate Forum and Project Awards took place in Kiev, Ukraine, on 26 – 27 November. Seven Georgian real estate companies were victorious in their categories for exemplary architecture, development, and real estate services.
Each year the event is attended by more than 200 key persons in the real estate market, including investors, bankers, financiers, asset managers, and professional service providers. This year, the main theme of the event was “residential real estate as a growth driver for the economy of the Eastern European region.”
Talks focused on investments in real estate: their types and the specificity of the Eastern European region, urbanization and residential development of cities, and efficiently mixing residential and commercial property.
Winning awards in seven categories, Georgian companies were the most numerous prize winners at the event. Hotel, residential and brokerage projects were all successful. Brokerage Company of the Year was awarded to Colliers International Georgia, a leading real estate services provider in Georgia.
Soon to be opened in the Kakheti region of Georgia, the Radisson Collection Hotel, Tsinandali Estate collected the award of Hotel Project of the Year. Offering 141 guest rooms and suites, visitors will be able to explore Georgia’s famous wine regions using the contemporary hotel as their base.
Residential projects in Tbilisi were also successful. Innovative Green Building of the Year was given to LISI Green Town, a residential development next to Lisi Lake that aims to combine modern living with high quality building materials chosen for their energy saving and ecological properties. In addition, Residential Project of the Year was awarded to the SEU Development, Jikia House, found in the Saburtalo district of the city.
The Alliance group won two categories. Alliance Palace, Courtyard Marriott brought home the title of Mixed-use Project of the Year, whilst Alliance Privilege Batumi collected the award for Sophisticated Architecture. Designed to be the first five-star Marriott hotel in Batumi, the curvaceous white skyscraper is expected to be completed in 2019. The project was visited by Prime Minister Mamuka Bakhtadze last week.
Many architectural projects have drawn criticism, for example at the recent architectural Biennale in Tbilisi, as the city is littered with empty new-builds. However, as focus is slowly shifting onto urban planning in the city, Georgia is proving that it has the innovation and creativity to put its real estate on the map for the right reasons.
By Amy Jones