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Demolition of modernist arts complex in Tbilisi sparks outcry
The 10,000-square-metre complex was never fully completed and has largely gone unused, while critics say its removal erases a symbol of the city.
- Demolition of the Rike Park Music Theatre and Exhibition Hall, known locally as the Rike Tubes, is underway in Tbilisi. The arts complex was never fully completed after its construction between 2011 and 2012.
- Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze criticized the structure in May, stating, "This ugliness does not befit our beautiful capital." The project represented a pro-Western approach under former leader Mikheil Saakashvili that the governing Georgian Dream party has distanced itself from since 2012.
- Italian architects Massimiliano and Doriana Fuksas of Fuksas Studio expressed outrage, stating, "You cannot cancel buildings, you cannot cancel memories." Local resident Elene Tsetskhladze objected to demolition, arguing funds should support children's meals and medicine instead.
- Tbilisi City Hall's Architecture Service approved the demolition in June following a request from owner Maqro Property. Work began in late July and is scheduled for completion by December 25.
- The tubular design has long contrasted with the old town's Orthodox churches and 19th-century houses, making it visually distinctive. While some residents view the structure as representing squandered opportunities, others continue visiting the 10,000-square-metre site to photograph the landmark before removal.
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6 Articles
6 Articles
Demolition of modernist arts complex in Tbilisi sparks outcry
The demolition of a modernist arts complex in the Georgian capital Tbilisi has ignited outrage from some residents about the future of the city's skyline and from the Italian architects who designed it.
·London, United Kingdom
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Total News Sources6
Leaning Left0Leaning Right2Center4Last UpdatedBias Distribution67% Center
Bias Distribution
- 67% of the sources are Center
67% Center
C 67%
R 33%
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