The Right of the City

When I was researching about architecture and politics, I found the place called Tbilisi, which is the capital and the largest city of Georgia, it is located at the intersection of Europe and Asia. Tbilisi is also known for the diverse architecture and mazelike, cobblestone streets of its old town.

In the picture above, there are two modern buildings stand out in the context, which is the Bridge of Peace and Tbilisi Public Service Hall. There are also some skyscraper buildings in the background. There are people agreeing with the way of how the government redevelops of Tbilisi, and of course, there are people against it. 

The city’s architecture has undergone major renovations. The picture on the left is shown the undeveloped houses in the old town of Tbilisi and the picture on the right is shown the Rezo Gabriadze puppet theatre with the leaning clock tower. A new look is far more than this theater. The surrounding of the entire community, the region that was once called “Old Tbilisi” in the history books, now also presents a new atmosphere. A new house was painted with lacquer, and the originally shaky balcony was reinforced. The streets are clean, at least a lot cleaner than before. There are also a lot of new cafes and restaurants on the street.

Some people like the new looks of the city, some people against it because the city starts losing the original look of the city. The architecture was originally designed to meet the living needs of humans and provide shelter. With development, architecture’s form and function also reflect the ideas that designers want to express. It can also be said that architecture embodies the power to maintain its rule and the process of infiltration of its culture and economy.