Cenotaph

Originally built for the Tbilisi Architecture Biennial 2024, the timber tower stood over one of the city’s forgotten rivers, inviting visitors to reflect on its quiet disappearance underground. After the biennial, the goal was to preserve the tower’s form and gift it to a community that could give it new meaning. Svaneti was chosen for its deep architectural and spiritual traditions, and the structure found its home in Soli village, beside a 10th-century church and cemetery, where it now serves as part of local life.

Originally designed for the Tbilisi Architecture Biennial 2024, whose main theme was the abandoned rivers of Tbilisi, the timber tower stood over one such river, featuring a mill-like mechanism that rang a bell every 20–30 minutes. The installation invited visitors to notice the forgotten creek and reflect on its fate as it disappeared into an underground pipe. After the biennial ended, the question arose of what would happen to the structure. The aim was to preserve its original typology as a belltower and gift it to a community that would use it for its intended purpose. Svaneti became the focus, with its deep architectural tradition of towers and churches as central village figures. Eventually, a new home was found in the village of Soli, Lenjeri community, where a 10th-century church surrounded by a cemetery offered the ideal place for the tower to continue its life as part of the local landscape and community.

The belltower was constructed entirely by the team of the architectural studio itself, local community and volunteering friends. The structure of the tower is realized with 90x90mm composite pine beams, interlocked and stacked upon each other in somewhat similar manner as Colchian Towers, forming a pyramid-shaped tower which has a footprint of 2.75x2.27m at its base. The wood is finished with black antiseptic and fire-retardant oil, ensuring protection from elements and fire resistance. The tower will need regular refinishing every 3-5 years, which will be done by the authors, together with the village community, ensuring a sense of ownership and responsibility among them.