Architecture Film Lab _ Deconstructing Tbilisi Central
The MAXXI Architecture Film Lab, promoted and organized by MAXXI, takes shape starting from the growing recognition of this exciting contamination between languages and art forms which aims to develop new expressive tools and knowledge shared in the younger generation of architects and video artists. The program, which is part of the 2024 LINA Architecture Programme, included a series of lectures, meetings with artists and experts, as well as tutoring sessions aimed at creating short architectural video works. The group of participants - composed of architects and video artists - had the opportunity to explore the art of videomaking as a new way of investigating, questioning and reflecting on this year theme: movement in architecture or architecture in motion.
The MAXXI Architecture Film Lab gave participants the tools to analyze the topic from various points of view in the attempt to provide possible answers to the questions: how does movement define space? How does architecture generate or follow movement? How does the relationship between space and movement influence the way we perceive it? What can be considered “mobile” architecture today? How does movement influence the space we live in and the way we design it? How can instability become a valuable character in contemporary architecture?
George Guledani - Deconstructing Tbilisi Central
The video explores the evolution of Tbilisi Central Station, once envisioned as a bustling railway hub but now repurposed as a shopping mall. Constructed during the Soviet era with grand ambitions, it boasted extensive facilities and anticipated significant passenger traffic. However, the sudden collapse of the Soviet Union dashed these hopes, leaving the station underutilized and neglected. In the mid-2000s, amid economic reforms, it was leased out and transformed into a commercial space, signaling a shift away from prioritizing railway transportation. Despite the need for revitalization of the railway system to address traffic congestion and environmental concerns, progress has been slow. Tbilisi City Hall's long-term transport plan aims to rehabilitate the commuter rail system, with the central station as a key hub, but full implementation is not expected until 2035. Nevertheless, there remains hope that the station may one day reclaim its intended role, albeit belatedly, in improving transportation and connectivity in the region.
