Tbilisi begins tearing down modernist Rike Tubes arts complex, sparking criticism

In Tbilisi, authorities have commenced demolition of the Rike Park Music Theatre and Exhibition Hall, a modernist complex known locally as the Rike Tubes, which was erected between 2011 and 2012 during Mikheil Saakashvili’s administration. The Georgian Dream-led government, which took power in 2012, never completed the project and approved its removal in June; work started at the end of July and is expected to end on Dec. 25.

Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze described the structure as unsuitable for the capital’s aesthetic, while some residents, such as Elene Tsetskhladze, argue the state should prioritize construction over demolition and redirect funds to social services. The 10,000-square-metre building, designed by the Italian firm Fuksas Studio and its partners Massimiliano and Doriana Fuksas, has attracted tourists and received a flood of emails defending it as an iconic landmark. The architects lament the loss of the building and its memories, and the owner, Maqro Property’s subsidiary Rike Dom, has not commented.