abandoned (re)creation

11 Tbilisi Sanatorium

address: Baratashvili Street, 2
architects: V.K. Oltarzhevcki, B.A. Sobolevski 
project: 1950
construction: 1951
reconstruction: 1981-1983
capacity: 303
current state: since 1992 living site for Internally Displaced Persons, currently abandoned

Named after the Georgian capital, the sanatorium is in a prominent location. For many first-time visitors to Tskaltubo, it is the first sanatorium they come into contact with as it is the nearest to Tskaltubo city center. The monumental façade draws inspiration from the late Renaissance and Classical periods. The composition of the building is symmetrical, with a central entrance to which two side tracts close slightly, creating the entrance plaza of a classical „court d’honour“ – a court of honor with a fountain. The entrance is guarded by two tetramorphic griffins. Behind the entrance is the beautifully decorated main hall with a staircase leading to the side wings with guest rooms. Behind the hall is a small square courtyard – a paradise courtyard dominated by a fountain and a palm tree. The formerly glass-walled corridors lead to the dining room with kitchen and technical facilities, as well as a small cinema room. Unlike other sanatoriums, the Tbilisi Sanatorium had the top floor as a walk-up roof with a terrace from where a majestic view of the central park opens up. Since 1992, the former Tbilisi Sanatorium has been home to dozens of families displaced from the territory of Abkhazia.