Author: Ana Chigitashvili
The idea of establishing a multifunctional center belongs to the founder and creative director of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, Sofo Chkonia, and the project includes a school of fashion and art, a library, spaces for workshops and exhibitions, a film studio, television studios, a concert hall and a technology hub.
The project will be organized in the space of the former Coca-Cola factory, and events of any rank and scale will be held in this new cultural space. The large area of the factory allows for this. The project also includes the maximum functional use of the surrounding buildings.
The black color of the building and the partial covering of the facade with mirror panels, according to the architect, are related to the field of fashion. In the interior of the building you will find furniture and accessories created by famous designers.
Tell us about the building where this multifunctional space will be organized
This building was built in the 50s and since then it has been remodeled many times in the hands of different owners - they built, built, and today it no longer has the same architectural value as other architecturally valuable buildings of that era. Therefore, in this regard, I have more freedom, because I did not touch the architectural monument.
At the beginning of the dismantling work, when they began to remove the nales on the walls, whole eras appeared there, many times the building has been renovated and layers of nales on the walls - cladding, stone, then again nales. This building itself has undergone multi-functional transformation since the 50s and it is important that it will continue. Today, this building will acquire a radically different function and continue its life in this form.
Why did you decide on such a concept?
As for the concept, for 10-12 years, with my wife, who is a jewelry designer, I had to constantly travel to different fashion weeks. We also had a relationship with Sofi Chkonia for years. This field is not really familiar to me professionally, but I participated from the sidelines and observed their environment.
For me, more than the clothes, the spaces where everything was organized and what kind of background was created for the shows were more interesting at such events. Therefore, I had an idea, and it was this idea that became my inspiration.
I would like to create a high-end space in this factory that I have seen in Paris, Milan and other megacities. As for the color, in my association fashion is a combination of black and white. That's why I want the old factory building to be blackened and the reflective part to be a kind of reflection of the new environment.
In this part, installation and exhibition space will be organized and it will be possible to hold many different events. A library will be organized in the largest space of the factory, which has no analogues in our country. Here everyone will be able to log in and use the books.
When designing this building, it was important to distribute it functionally correctly, so that it would not be a sham. This building will be an international fashion school, so it needed to be functionally meticulously correct.
In the school part, absolutely everything will be white. Our goal and task was to create a kind of right background with this design, which transforms according to use, and the people there become participants in the formation of this building.
How would you differentiate this project from your other projects?
This project is radically different from my other projects. In this case, I am doing architecture for the fashion field for the first time, as well as renovating an existing building.
For example, my Gudauri project is a 10,000 sq.m. aparthotel, and the area on which I designed it dictated what should be in this place. Also, I am currently working on the ongoing project of additional buildings of the Lopota resort, which is interesting in that 2 of the 5 buildings are hotels, and 1 is a jazz club, which are also very interesting and different from this type of project.
I have also designed casinos that are very different from other functional buildings. I personally don't like casinos, but in this case I tried to accurately design a place for a very specific community and adjust everything for their comfort.
How important do you think the fashion school is for Tbilisi now?
In my opinion, right now is the time to start such a thing in Georgia. For years, Sofo has been promoting Georgian beginners and professional designers in the world. Over the years, Georgian designers have also gained recognition, and therefore the establishment of a fashion school is necessary and important for development. There are many self-taught designers in Tbilisi today, and the new generation has a good vocational education.
It is also very good for the country, because exhibitions and events will be organized here, where foreigners will come as guests and the field will develop more. It is planned to bring artists with serious experience as teachers to the school, and communication with them will be very useful for Georgian and international students. Right now is the moment when Georgian fashion started gaining recognition and should become more professional and sophisticated.