ARCHITECTURAL CONCEPTS FOR DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS IN RUSTAVI, GURJAANI, TSALENJIKHA, AND ZESTAFONI REVIEWED AT THE MINISTRY OF INFRASTRUCTURE

The Ministry of Infrastructure of Georgia hosted a meeting of the competition commission tasked with selecting the architectural concepts for the redevelopment of Rustavi Central Park, Gurjaani’s Wine City, and the planned multifunctional complexes in Tsalenjikha and Zestafoni.

The meeting was attended by Minister of Infrastructure Revaz Sokhadze, Minister of Culture Tinatin Rukhadze, Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture Davit Songulashvili, Members of Parliament Maia Bitadze, Irakli Kadagishvili, and Viktor Sanikidze, Executive Director of the Municipal Development Fund Giorgi Shonia, State Representatives of the Kvemo Kartli, Kakheti, Imereti, and Samegrelo–Zemo Svaneti regions, representatives of the Ministry of Sports, the mayors of Rustavi, Gurjaani, Tsalenjikha, and Zestafoni municipalities, as well as architects and art historians.

Commission members reviewed three architectural concepts for the redevelopment of Rustavi Central Park. Under the proposed designs, the park’s unique historical and cultural identity will be preserved while introducing new children's and sports areas, a basketball court, a skate park, upgraded lakeside infrastructure, and recreational spaces. The design process will place particular emphasis on integrating the park with the recreational zone surrounding the Rustavi Fortress and highlighting the site's archaeological heritage.

The commission also reviewed eight architectural concepts for the development of Wine City in Gurjaani—a multifunctional scientific, cultural, educational, and tourism complex. The proposed projects aim to create a multifunctional destination that will promote the preservation and promotion of Georgia’s cultural heritage, support innovative research, and contribute to the development of tourism and the regional economy.
The Gurjaani Wine City complex will feature educational facilities, permanent and temporary exhibition spaces, a conservation laboratory and collections repository, a specialized library and wine library (enotheque), a wine tasting hall, gastronomic venues, public and recreational areas, as well as HoReCa and other commercial facilities. The outdoor area will include a demonstration collection of grapevine varieties, closely integrated with the overall concept and theme of the complex.

The competition commission also considered six architectural concepts for a multifunctional complex in Tsalenjikha with a capacity of 250 spectators, and four concepts for a multifunctional complex in Zestafoni designed to accommodate up to 500 spectators.
The selected designs for the sports complexes, developed in line with international standards, will serve as replicable models for implementation in other regions of Georgia.

The multifunctional complexes planned for Tsalenjikha and Zestafoni will include swimming pools for adults and children, changing rooms and shower facilities, as well as specialized halls designed for a variety of sports disciplines.
As part of the project, the Tsalenjikha complex will also include rehabilitation of its natural-grass stadium.
In addition, both multifunctional facilities will feature STEM clubs, providing dedicated spaces for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education and innovation.
The competition commission is expected to announce the winning architectural firms within the next few days.