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