Attractions of Georgia: Avlabari residence - the palace of state ceremonies.

History

After the inauguration of Georgia's third president, it was decided to demolish the old building and build a new residence for Mikhail Saakashvili. The first block of the building began to be used for its intended purpose as early as 2008, but since 2019 the palace has not been used for its intended purpose.

The first author of the project was Batiashvili, but in 2007 Mikel de Lucchi was invited and made significant amendments to the project. Later a scandal erupted on the grounds that Batiashvili claimed that it was illegal to hand the authorship over to Mikel.

The idea of the new palace project was to present a completely new image of Georgia, so the traditional administrative building was supplemented with Renaissance and neoclassical elements. The residence has a clear form, which is emphasized by porticoes and a number of identical window openings.

The upper part of the lobby is occupied by a domed space for ceremonies. In the central part of the building a Bible decorated with jewels was placed, and on the first floor a museum with gifts for the president was organized. The dome of the building adds more volume and light to the building - it was a joint idea of the Georgian architect Vakhtang Zesashvili and the Italian architect Franco Zagari.

The left wing of the building on the southeast side houses the Office of the President of Georgia, the conference hall and the library, while the right wing houses the Presidential Administration. The interior courtyard of the residence is home to greenery and a glass heart-shaped fountain, such a composition creates a tranquil atmosphere.

In the backyard there is an interesting mosaic, which shows all periods in the history of the country, the work belongs to N. Amirejibi.

Now you know what you can see in Georgia, but it is worth noting that you have to book tours in advance by calling +995 32 28 27 36.

How to get there: Avlabari Residence is located on a block between Lomauri and Tsutskiridze Streets. The nearest bus stop is "Meskhishvil Street" building 44, from which it's a five minutes walk to the Presidential Palace. This stop can be reached by buses number 91 and 122.