{"id":778786,"date":"2025-03-14T11:21:40","date_gmt":"2025-03-14T11:21:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/?p=778786"},"modified":"2025-03-14T12:33:57","modified_gmt":"2025-03-14T12:33:57","slug":"zha-unveils-plans-for-twisting-tower-on-former-soviet-military-hq-in-tbilisi","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/news\/zha-unveils-plans-for-twisting-tower-on-former-soviet-military-hq-in-tbilisi","title":{"rendered":"ZHA unveils plans for twisting tower on former Soviet military HQ in Tbilisi"},"content":{"rendered":"

The 57,000m\u00b2<\/span> scheme for client Cityzen<\/a> is on the site of a former Soviet military headquarters at the corner of Mikheil Tamarashvili and University streets in the Saburtalo district.<\/p>\n

The mainly residential skyscaper will sit at the gateway to a wider housing-led neighbourhood, which is already under construction, and is being billed as a \u2018vertical extension\u2019 of Tbilisi\u2019s new 36ha Central Park. The neighbouring four block will provide 886 homes with a\u00a0 further 405 apartments in the ZHA-designed tower.<\/p>\n

The practice said a series of \u2018cascading landscaped terraces\u2019 will extend from the tower towards the park, providing south-facing outdoor spaces for caf\u00e9s, restaurants and other community activities on the lower floors.<\/p>\n

These terraces will act as social areas for the lower-level office floors and as balconies for the flats above.<\/p>\n

The London-based ZHA team is collaborating with local firm Artstudio Project on the designs. It is understood the Georgian studio had worked on previous iterations<\/a> of the landmark tower.<\/p>\n

ZHA<\/a> recently posted a global fee income of \u00a377.3 million for the 12 months to 30 April 2024, up by \u00a37.8 million from the \u00a369.4 million made in 2023. All but \u00a31.7 million of the practice\u2019s turnover came from projects outside the UK.<\/p>\n

The skyscaper is expected to complete in 2028.<\/p>\n

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Architect\u2019s view<\/h3>\n

Informed by the rolling hills intersected with river valleys that wind through the undulating cityscape of Tbilisi, Cityzen Tower\u2019s design by Zaha Hadid Architects echoes its context at the intersection of the city\u2019s urbanism and its natural environments.<\/p>\n

The tower\u2019s composition is defined by the gradual unification of the large communal areas facing the park on its lower floors merging into the smaller, diamond-shaped footprint of the residences above. This design ensures every apartment has excellent natural lighting conditions and exceptional views. These differing footplate requirements between the lower and higher floors gradually amalgamate, defining an incremental twist in the tower\u2019s overall composition.<\/p>\n

Detailed local wind and solar analysis has also informed elements of the 42-storey tower\u2019s design to ensure optimal comfort for residents and visitors to Cityzen\u2019s public plazas, outdoor terraces and recreational areas.<\/p>\n

Situated within Tbilisi\u2019s humid temperate climate, the Cityzen Tower is designed to optimise natural ventilation. Its extended balconies and external louvres will minimise direct sunlight in summer and enhance solar radiation in winter to further reduce energy demand.<\/p>\n

The tower\u2019s concrete structure continues the tradition and expertise in concrete construction of Tbilisi\u2019s local suppliers and workforce. Designed to achieve LEED Gold certification, the tower\u2019s procurement will target the use of locally recycled materials when available. The Cityzen development will also implement rainwater collection and reuse via its on-site reservoir. All planting throughout the complex will use native vegetation that does not require supplemental irrigation.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Project data<\/h3>\n

Client<\/strong>\u00a0Cityzen (a subsidiary of IG Development Georgia)
\nLocation<\/strong>\u00a0Corner of Mikheil Tamarashvili and University streets, Tbilisi, Georgia
\nArchitect<\/strong>\u00a0Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA)
\nDesign team<\/strong>\u00a0Patrik Schumacher; project director – Manuela Gatto; project associate – Yevgeniya Pozigun; project architects – Takehiko Iseki, Massimo Napoleoni; project leads – Armando Bussey (design), Bowen Miao (facade), Maria Avrami (BIM); technical coordination – Kutbuddin Nadiadi; analytics and insights\u00a0 – Uli Blum, Danial Haziq; sustainability team – Aleksander Mastalski, Aditya Ambare, Carlos Bausa Martinez, Shibani Choudhury, Disha Shetty
\nLocal architect<\/strong>\u00a0Artstudio Project
\nStructural engineers<\/strong>\u00a0Capiteli
\nFa\u00e7ade engineering<\/strong>\u00a0FMT Fa\u00e7ade Consultants
\nMEP<\/strong>\u00a0Zerone
\nLandscape consultant<\/strong>\u00a0Artstudio Project
\nRendering<\/strong>\u00a0Negativ
\nLEED consultant<\/strong> Sustainable Engineering
\nCompletion expected<\/strong>\u00a02028<\/p>\n