Reconstruction of Historic Gudiashvili Square

Tbilisi City Hall and the Tbilisi Development Fund is continuing reconstruction of the Old Town. Following the David the Builder (Agmashenebeli) Avenue and Dry Bridge surrounding area, governors now plan to bring a new look to Gudiashvili Square in Sololaki. In the first phase only two buildings will be reconstructed. However, City Hall says it is ready to restore all the houses there.

Two months ago, the Tbilisi Development Fund announced a tender for the restoration of two houses on Abo Tbileli and Gia Abesadze streets adjacent to Gudiashvili Square. As a result, two winners were revealed from 21 projects. According to the winning project, soon the historic city center will get a new two-floor building with office space and a gallery, and a three-floor hotel with a cafe and bar. Tbilisi Development Fund said that there would also be place for parking near the Square.

“One of the main criteria from City Hall was to create a synthesis of old and new for the city,” said Nikolo Mchedlidze, architect of the winning project. “There are a lot of old houses from the 18th and 19th century, a lot of monuments of cultural heritage, so we had to solve a rather complicated task to synthesize a modern house on the site of a demolished one.”

Tbilisi City Hall pointed out that the project made sure to involve a large number of institutions and experts – architects, art historians, and restoration experts, so that reconstruction works would not damage the cultural part of the city. On the contrary, City Hall says, it is expected that after completion of the work, Gudiashvili Square will become a lively hotspot for tourists.

City Hall and the Tbilisi Development Fund will announce a tender for the restoration of the other houses on the Square in the near future.

Eka Karsaulidze