LOCATION |
MUTANT RADIO, TBILISI, GEORGIA
YEAR |
2025
PROJECT TYPE |
WORKSHOP, EXHIBITION
CURRENT STATUS |
COMPLETED
STAGE OF INVOLVMENT |
EXHIBIT DESIGN, WORKSHOP
THE SILO
The workshop commenced with a comprehensive study of the Silo and its surrounding context, including its history, archives, and related materials, which subsequently served as the basis for developing three possible scenarios for its future use: cultural, sports, and residential. Tbilisi’s Silo (Mill Factory) holds a unique place among the city’s remaining abandoned and disused industrial buildings. Located in Navtlughi, Mill Factory No. 5 - also known as the Silo - was once one of Soviet Tbilisi’s largest and most technologically advanced facilities. Built in 1932 in response to a food crisis, it processed up to 200 tons of wheat per shift. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, the complex gradually deteriorated. Yet the Silo remains an important relic of industrial heritage. Today, this massive, monumental structure is privately owned and faces the threat of demolition. Though no longer in use, the Silo still stands -
proud and solemn, as if awaiting its fate. Visiting the site, we enter a space caught between two worlds: on one side, the constant hum of the city and the rush of traffic; on the other, the quiet of a wild, overgrown garden. In this contrasting atmosphere, we begin to imagine a different future for the Silo—as a vibrant focal point of the neighborhood. Industrial buildings are often dismissed as obsolete or functionless, their histories forgotten and erased from public memory. But contemporary architectural practices - such as collaborative workshops - offer an opportunity to rediscover these sites, reframe their significance, and explore new possibilities for their transformation. More than just a bridge between theory and practice, such workshops provide a platform for critical reflection. They allow us to examine the pressures of developer-driven urban change and to envision alternative models
of development - ones that are more socially conscious and environmentally sustainable. The Silo came into our focus during a research project on Tbilisi’s industrial heritage, conducted between 2020 and 2022. The study aimed to catalogue existing industrial sites in the city, collect basic data, and create a shared public database. The Navtlughi mill, with its austere yet commanding presence, stood out from the start, captivating us as both a symbol of recent history and an architectural landmark. We decided to study the Tbilisi Silo more
closely - its history, its role, and its potential role in Tbilisi’s contemporary urban landscape. We assembled a multidisciplinary team and launched a collaborative process that included: examining archival materials, surveying the site, producing thematic maps and scale models, studying international silo reuse projects, and
organizing discussions on the building’s future. Through this process, we investigated the topology of silos, their operational logic and broader historical and urban context of the Navtlughi site. What emerged was a layered and compelling story of informal heritage, one that needed to be shared with the public.
To that end, we compiled the findings from the workshop and decided to present them in an exhibition. Central to the exhibition is an installation of 18 cylinders, symbolically echoing the form and scale of the reinforced concrete Silo. Today, the surviving Silo stands as a powerful reminder of Tbilisi’s industrial legacy. To lose it would be to erase part of the city’s identity. This research affirms the importance of preserving, reimagining, and integrating such structures into the fabric of the contemporary city.
CULTURE
SPORT
CO-LIVING
Natalia Nebieridze, Maria Pelangia, Marita Rurua, Elene Edisherashvili, Tata Gachechiladze, Levan Dzegvelashvili, Mariam Amashukeli, Mariam Chichua, Gvantsa Datishvili, Tamar Kakhidze, Zuka Khorkheli, Salome Tabatadze, Gigi Zoidze, Mari am Papava, Ana Jikhvishvili, Natia Gabunia, Luka Shavadze, Maka Chkhaidze, Natia Kizilashvili, Emilia Babaeva, Masha Chighvinadze, Nina Avdaliani, Davit Asanidze, Datuna Abuladze, Salome Labuchidze
The project was implemented within the framework of the V4 project initiated by Slovak partners, Malý Berlín.
Special thanks to Litagora, Ani Mardaleishvili, Luka Sulava, Marika Kvirkvelidze, Kera & Sandro Bakhtadze,Giorgi Yashaghashvili, Angus Leadley Brown, Mariam Sartania and Mutant Radio.