A Waste Recycling Plant and Educational Centre in Tbilisi

Humans live in a world of waste. Everything that man creates to satisfy his ever-increasing demands and to ensure existence, eventually falls into the category of waste. The goal of the project is to make visible the waste recycling process, to show that it is not a dirty process, and to remind everyone with its presence that waste is our responsibility.

In European countries, such a practice is acceptable when the waste recycling plant is located in the center of the city and the operation of the plant is a common event for citizens. But the population of Tbilisi is not yet ready for this process. In order to avoid citizens' criticism, such an area was selected where the massiveness of the building will not be perceived and there will be no rude interference in the city landscape. The project area is located on Heroes' Square, it is a historical and important part of the city. Heroes Square was formed in XX century. The square serves as an important transport hub. The building is located between two streets, where there is a difficult terrain and a big difference in levels, the ecological center has become like a bridge between these two parallel streets. The main volumetric structure of the recycling plant and training center is soft rounded forms and green roofing. Also a key design component are the massive tube shapes that carry the function of various connections, these tubes are bright yellow and red in color, with these details the building looks like a water attraction from a distance. In fact, the round shape for these connections is not chosen by chance, they not only serve as connecting roads, but also their function is to share information with pedestrians through installations, the round shape has a positive effect on people, it relieves tension, creates a sense of relaxation, and in such an environment, people absorb information more easily. In the case of the factory, the yellow tube crosses the building perpendicularly, in the interior of the building it is transparent and gives the pedestrian the opportunity to observe the process of recycling waste. In the case of the educational center, the yellow tube again crosses the building and throughout its length the visitor is accompanied by special installations about the earth and ecology. Finally, this tube will connect to the recreation area, where there a round garden is arranged.