The House is Never Complete

Abstract

This research and drawings focus on the recent post-Soviet history of Tbilisi, Georgia and the production of architectural and urban interventions as they coincide with larger political processes (i.e. the collapse of the Soviet Union, the shift to neoliberal economic policies, etc.) and social phenomena (i.e. production of ethno-nationalist narratives) as they affect the production of the city. The elaboration of an architectural process which is a result of an expansive investigation of the contemporary issues facing Georgia, can provide an approach to cultural conservation in contexts that confront the problem of subverted narratives. The historical section will in-part be informed by data collected over a period of five years through anecdotes, and conversations with local researchers, activists, and political actors. The technical procedure which is a result emphasizes the value of local intuition and the production of space which occurs in the years post-Soviet collapse to arrive at a solution for conservation which attempts to overcome nationalist narratives which can be exploited by power structures.