Abastumani is one of the most well-known mountain-balneological resorts in the country located in the evergreen gorge at the Adjara-Imereti Pass.
Gold Winner – Archframe Design Awards 2021
Design Firm – Artytechs
Project Title – Hotel Abastumani
Project Category – Architecture
Status – Unbuilt
Architect/Designer – Darejan (Daduna) Shatashvili
Design Team – George Lezhava, Irakli Shubashikeli
Practice – Professional Architect
Country – Georgia
Abastumani is 260 km away from the capital of Tbilisi. It lies at the extreme western entrance of Borjomi-Kharagauli National Park with its checkpoint. Abastumani is regarded as a moderately dry resort.
Due to moderate dry climate the valley is covered with coniferous forest dominated by pine. When pine begins to bloom in Spring, it emits the so-called dust which disperses in air and enters lungs during the respiration process, considered as one of the best remedies for curing lung diseases. The air is incomparable for both treatment and rehabilitation of the patients, therefore the demand for Abastumani as a vacation destination is high, especially for children who have weak lungs. Abastumani is known for its healing climate and sulfur waters.
Abastumani is considered as a balneological resort due to its thermal waters.
In the past there was a historical fortress-town of ‘Odzrkhe’ near Abastumani, which was built by the legendary warrior “Odzrakhos”. ‘Odzrkhe’ ceased to exist in 15th century, when it was renamed with its adjacent village of Abastumani. Apart from the ruins of the old castles, there is not much to hold on to. However, there are ruins of several historical sites dating back to 19th century, including the site of an old Bossel, with its architecture expressed in the form of a single-storey simple building. One part of the building today is in ruins, while maintaining the other part obsolete. Due to its historical significance we decided to preserve some parts of the ruins during the reconstruction stage, adding modern touch with delicate materials and stained glass. Similar reconstructions had been recognized throughout the world as the most effective form for merging ancient and modern architecture creating contrasting characteristics of different times. Furthermore, it should be noted that the reconstruction project involves the addition of a second floor exposing ancient Georgian architecture with its distinguished balconies.
In addition, due to the limited allowance to the building and the scarcity of land, there is a plan proposed by our client for a small family-owned hotel with a common dining area and several terraces. It is noteworthy that the side of the stained glass overlooks Abastumani forest, owning its existence to it and creating vast space in the interior with modern fireplace.