Batumi Palace of Justice

Batumi, Georgia's second-largest city and one of the country's major Black Sea ports, has been experiencing a process of general urban transformation for several years, partly under the impetus of its recent tourism development. Designed by arch. Michele de Lucchi commissioned by Georgia's Ministry of Justice, this cylindrical tower has become a new and iconic architectural landmark for the city, rising 16 stories in addition to the two stories of the glass podium, which serves as its basement.

The latter, used for reception and services for administrative acts, features spacious interiors, glass cladding and a projecting canopy. The tower houses the archives, public registry offices, the offices of the Adjara Region prosecutors, and, on the top floors, the minister's offices and a rooftop terrace. The most distinctive aspect of the tower is the rhythmic alternation on the facade of solid and hollow elements, staggered from floor to floor so as to give movement to the building.

In order to ensure maximum flexibility and permeability of the offices, the reinforced concrete load-bearing structure was placed along the perimeter of the tower, supporting the lightened slabs, so that the latter do not require additional intermediate supports. Consequently, the rhythmic alternation of solids and voids in the façade, staggered from floor to floor, was made possible by reproducing the misalignment of the façade also in the perimeter pillars, appropriately sized to integrate the design of the façades with that of the structures.

With the aim of containing maintenance burdens without compromising the comfort of the rooms, the 5-meter overhanging canopy of the base protects the podium from the sun's rays, promoting light and thermal comfort. Similarly, the exterior surface of the tower, punctuated by the alternation of glass elements and projecting curtain wall elements, is designed so that the latter, by casting their shadows on the closed modules, provide shielding from direct sunlight. The construction phase was entrusted to local technologies, enhancing the know-how of Georgian realities.