Civil Centre
Ozurgeti, Georgia
Architects of Invention were invited to submit a proposal by Georgia's House of Justice. The brief included a design for a 1500m2 building to house 95 members of staff and a flow of 400 users a day, to serve the town of Ozurgeti and its surrounding region. Construction began in September 2011.
The Ministry building brings together a number of services - the Civil Registry Agency, National Agency of Public Registry, National Archives of Georgia, National Bureau of Enforcement and Notary Chamber - under one roof, creating a new blueprint for a government building. Inspired by a classical Greek form, the Ministry is fronted with regular columns, but, rather than a rendered façade, the columns support a canopy beneath which are two independent and contrasting glass volumes. The size of the Public Hall defines the first volume, which is rectangular and also contains office space.
The second volume is oval and set apart from the rectangular block to accommodate a covered entrance and public walkway between the buildings, connecting the square to one of Ozurgeti's major boulevards. Each form is double-storied and linked by an underground corridor. The exteriors and interiors are uniform white, adding to a sense of luminosity. The choice of 100% transparent low emission glass creates brightness inside the building. This building is contextual, with a clear relationship to the city and its surroundings. It invites public interaction and its presence modernises the square with its existing residential buildings, a former local art museum and a 400-seat theatre.
The Ministry building brings together a number of services - the Civil Registry Agency, National Agency of Public Registry, National Archives of Georgia, National Bureau of Enforcement and Notary Chamber - under one roof, creating a new blueprint for a government building. Inspired by a classical Greek form, the Ministry is fronted with regular columns, but, rather than a rendered façade, the columns support a canopy beneath which are two independent and contrasting glass volumes. The size of the Public Hall defines the first volume, which is rectangular and also contains office space.
The second volume is oval and set apart from the rectangular block to accommodate a covered entrance and public walkway between the buildings, connecting the square to one of Ozurgeti's major boulevards. Each form is double-storied and linked by an underground corridor. The exteriors and interiors are uniform white, adding to a sense of luminosity. The choice of 100% transparent low emission glass creates brightness inside the building. This building is contextual, with a clear relationship to the city and its surroundings. It invites public interaction and its presence modernises the square with its existing residential buildings, a former local art museum and a 400-seat theatre.
