Demolition of Georgian Architectural Landmark Sparks Outcry
Civilians, architects, and members of the preservationist community are advocating to save the complex known locally as the Rike Tubes in the capital city Tbilisi.
Demolitions are underway on the Rike Park Music Theatre and Exhibition Hall in Tbilisi, Georgia, prompting outcry from local community members and the architects who designed the two-structure complex.
Set against the historic 19th-century buildings that define the capital city's dominant style, the landmark is known as the “Rike Tubes” for its futuristic appearance, a reminder of the country’s modernist push from the 2000s to the early 2010s.
The Tbilisi City Hall’s Architectural Service issued the demolition permit in June to the owner, Rike Dom, with the dismantling process commencing last month and due to wrap up by December. In interviews with Reuters and local outlets, many expressed concerns with the decision, describing the tourist hotspot as a defining feature of the capital city skyline.
Italian architects Massimiliano and Doriana Fuksas, of Fuksas Studio, were asked to design the complex for musical performance and contemporary art exhibitions in 2010, under then-Prime Minister Nika Gilauri and United National Movement (UNM) President Mikheil Saakashvili (who has been in prison for nearly five years for abuse of power charges). Construction began on the glass-and-steel tubes in 2011. When the conservative Georgian Dream party came into power in 2012, officials froze construction, leaving the project unfinished.
