Bostanashvili, Shota

შოთა ბოსტანაშვილი

* 13.05.1948 Tbilisi, Georgia

† 29.05.2013 Tbilisi

Architect, cultural scientist, poet

Shota Bostanashili graduated in 1972 from the Georgian Polytechnic Institute with a degree in architecture. He worked from 1966 to 1975 in the „SaqSakhProekti“; From 1970 to 1990 as an architect and a head of the architecture department of the Student Design Bureau of the Faculty of Architecture, Georgian Polytechnic Institute. 1978-2013 he was a professor at the same faculty, where he founded the teaching studio-workshop “Poetics of Architecture” in 1990 – a unique method of teaching architecture.

Shota Bostanashvili was a professor at the Moscow branch of the International Academy of Architecture (1995), and since 2001 – a corresponding member. In 1997, in Sofia, he was elected Professor of the International Academy of Architects and in 1999 in Baku, as a full member of the Eastern Countries International Academy of Architecture. In 2008 he received his Ph.D. from Georgian Technical University (Dissertation: „Poetics of Space. Architecture of Synagogues and Jewish graveyards in Georgia“).

Shota Bostanashvili won following prizes in architectural competitions: Diploma Project (1972), I Prize; Аll-Union Exhibition of Young Architects (1979), I Prize; Marjanishvili Theatre, Tbilisi (1979), II Prize (Shota Bostanashvili, Zurab Matiashvili); Memorial to Friendship of Peoples, Kutaisi (1980), II Prize (Shota Bostanashvili, K.Tabatadze); Orpheus Memorial, Smolian city, Bulgaria (1985), I Prize (Shota Bostanashvili, Vakhtang Davitaia); Competition Entry „Pilgrims“, „XXI century civilization space“ Venice (1988) I Prize; Holy Trinity Cathedral, Tbilisi (1990) II Prize.

Shota Bostanashvili received following Awards: Prize of the Council of Ministers (Georgian SSR) “Five-Year Chronicle” for the project “Labor Glory Memorial ” in Kutaisi (1983); Award of the World Biennale of architecture INTERARCH-83, Sofia (1983); Award in the All-Union Competition “Best Object of the Year” for the Bread Bakery in Tbilisi (1987); Order of Honour for Personal Contribution to Architecture (1998); I degree diploma in the XI Review-Competition of the International Association of Architects‘ Unions for the Poetry Palace in Tbilisi (2003); Silver Medal of the International Triennial of Architecture and Award for “High Architectural Mastery” for the Poetry Palace in Tbilisi (2006); I Prize of the Union of Architects of Georgia “Best Object of 2007” for Hotel Chardin in Tbilisi (2007); Silver Medal of the International Triennial of Architecture for the book “Butsa. Architect Victor Jorbenadze” (2012).

Info: Davit Bostanashvili
Photos: Shota Bostanashili personal Archive, National Parliamentary Library of Georgia

Main Projects

– Highland villages, Khakhmati and Biso, Khevsureti 1970-72. (Shota Bostanashvili, Vakhtang Davitaia, Merab Gugunava). Unrealized

– Swimming pool (International resort “Sunny Valley”) Bakuriani 1971 (Shota Bostanashvili, Vakhtang Davitaia, Giuli Gegelia). Unrealized

– Memorial “Memory Temple”, vill. Mukhrani 1975 (Shota Bostanashvili, Vakhtang Davitaia)

– Memorial „Cube of Memory”, Senaki 1975 (Shota Bostanashvili, Vakhtang Davitaia, Giuli Geglia, sculptor: Vazha Melikishvili)

– Palace of Culture, Poti 1976 (Shota Bostanashvili, Vakhtang Davitaia)

– Memorial to Labor, Kutaisi 1976 (Shota Bostanashvili, Vakhtang Davitaia)

– Cultural Center, vill. Gulripshi 1980 (Shota Bostanashvili, Vakhtang Davitaia). Unrealized

– Bread Factory, Chargali st., Tbilisi 1987

– Bread Factory, Vayisubani, Tbilisi 1987 (Shota Bostanashvili, Vakhtang Davitaia)

– Children’s park, vill. Maltakva 1984 (Shota Bostanashvili, Vakhtang Davitaia). Unrealized

– An Actor’s House, Senaki 1985. Conceptual project, unrealized.

– Residential complex, Avlabari, Tbilisi 1986 (Shota Bostanashvili, Vakhtang Davitaia) Unrealized

– Holy Trinity Cathedral, Tbilisi 1990. Competition, unrealized.

– Restoration of Synagogue, Oni 1991. (Damaged by earthquake)

– Apartment building, Zubalashvili St., Tbilisi 1994, Unrealized

– “House of Jerusalem”, Toneti sq., Tbilisi 1997

– „Palace of poetry”, Tbilisi 1998. Working on site, carving forms of the palace towers 2002

– A private residence, Kobuleti st.,Tbilisi 2000

– Private residence, vill. Kiketi 2003

– Hotel “Chardin”, Old Tbilisi 2007 (Shota Bostanashvili, Davit Bostanashvili)

– Two-storey residential house, Tbilisi 2007 (Shota Bostanashvili, Davit Bostanashvili)

– Residential house, Sololaki, Tbilisi 2007

– Hotel, Aghmashenebeli st., vill. Bakuriani, 2008

– Monument to Queen Tamar, Mestia 2012 (sculptor: Vazha Melikishvili)

Major Publications

Palace of Ceremonial Rites in Tbilisi, „Sabchota Khelovneba“ magazine, 1985 (geo.)

The Architect Richard England, „Sabchota Khelovneba“ magazine, 1987 (geo.)

Architecture of Synagogues and Jewish graveyards in Georgia, „Sabchota Khelovneba“ magazine, 1992 (geo.)

– Series of articles. „Aspirozi“ newspaper, 1992-93 (geo.)

And the Snake let the moon go (paintings of N. Yankoshvili), „Literaturuli Saqartvelo“ newspaper, 1996 (geo.)

The shroud follows the body, „Literaturuli Saqartvelo“ newspaper, 2001 (geo.)

Exhosted humankind will rest, „Omega“, 2000 (geo.)

Time, the scapegoat and the man on guard, „Akhali Epoqa“, 2001 (geo.)

Master builder (Victor Jorbenadze), „Literaturuli Saqartvelo“ newspaper, 2002 (geo.)

Without Sancho and without Rocinante, „24 Saati“ newspaper, 2002 (geo.)

Conflict of boundaries and Boundaries of Urban Conflict, „Kavkasiis matsne“, 2003 (geo.)

Image, House and Name, „Literaturuli Saqartvelo“ newspaper, 2003 (geo.)

Without Rablais, „Kalmasoba“ newspaper 2004 (geo.)

Culture comes with him, mass culture pursues him, „Literaturuli Saqartvelo“ newspaper, 2006 (geo.)

On the Georgian translation of the Qur’an, „Chveni mcerloba“ magazine, 2007 (geo.)

Without reverence and without Derrida, „Sjani“ 7, 2007 (geo.)

Gavt-end-i, or ProtoPost, „Sjani“ 8, 2008 (geo.)

Sign and constructum, „Semiotica“ magazine, 2008 (geo.)

A word about Lia Sturua, „Chveni mcerloba“ magazine, 15.05.2009 – 10. (geo.)

Presenting the concept of constrctum, „Semiotica“ magazine, 2009 – 5. (geo.)

Path and Labyrinth. 2nd International literature Conference. Institute of literature, Tbilisi. 2009 (geo.)

Sabalogy. 2nd International literature Conference. Institute of literature, Tbilisi. 2009 (geo.)

B/Art(h)istic performance, „Semiotica“ magazine, 2010 – 8 (geo.)

On poetry of Jemal Ajiashvili, „Chveni mcerloba“ magazine, 30.04.2010 – 9. (geo.)

On Vakhtang Davitaia, „Sakartvelos Respublika“ newspaper 2, 2009 (geo.)

– Shota Bostanashvili, Davit Bostanashvili, “Butsa. Architect Victor Jorbenadze”, Universali,  Tbilisi, 2012

– Collected poems “Four Talks”, Universali, Tbilisi 2012 (geo.)

Literature/Links

Sekhniashvili Nino, Bostanashvili David. Shota Bostanashvili. Poetics of Architecture, Publishing Post. Tbilisi 2019. ISBN 978 9941 8 1305 4

Book review by Lino Bianco, 2019

Bianco, Lino. Pedagogy of poetics of architecture in contemporary Georgia. Astra Salvensis, 8 (15), pp. 61-74.

Bianco, Lino. Contemporary Georgian Architectural Theory and Practice: The legacy of Shota Bostanashvili. ACE: Architecture, City and Environment, 15 (43), 9019.

Bianco, Lino. From Poetics to Metapoetics: Architecture towards architecture. Balkan Journal of Philosophy, 10 (2), pp. 103-114.

Bianco, Lino. Shota Bostanashvili, architectural discourse and the foundation of poetics of architecture in Georgia. Papers of BAS: Humanities and Social Sciences, 4 (1), pp. 49-59.

Vaklinova, E. (1997). Spatial Synthesis in works by Shota Bostanashvili. AMC Aspekty, 3, pp. 32-34. (in Bulgarian)

studio-workshop “Poetics of Architecture

Video „Demolition of the Poetry Palace“ 2013