REGENERATION OF MEDIEVAL ARCHITECTURE OF THE CAUCASUS
Svaneti, Georgia
General view of the project
(Below is a detailed overview of the project)
(Below is a detailed overview of the project)
REGENERATION METHODS
The Caucasus is known for its nature, multinational culture and architecture, which is a valuable historical heritage. To preserve it is an important mission of the architects of our time.
The regeneration faces many problems and challenges, such as the need to preserve the authenticity of the monument, limitations of construction technologies, overcoming the continued destruction of objects, high financial costs, etc.
In my work, I identified three main groups of regeneration methods: restoration, reconstruction, and conservation methods.
RESTORATION METHODS:
· Restoration to the original appearance. According to archival materials, the object is restored to its original appearance, without changes that appeared during the life of the structure.
· Restoration with preservation of temporary layers. Changes and extensions of the object are preserved, reflecting the evolution
· Restoration with conservation elements. The preserved sections of the object are strengthened with the help of protective coatings and structures, and those destroyed or subject to rapid destruction are restored or replaced without significant changes in the appearance of the entire object.
RECONSTRUCTION METHODS:
· Scientific reconstruction. Reconstruction of the object in its original form on the basis of archaeological and archival data, which allows, however, interference with load-bearing structures, and often actually represents the construction of a new building using modern technologies and materials, imitating the historical forms of the structure in a certain historical period.
· Reconstruction with palimpsest. Preservation of historical layers on the object, and their addition with modern elements.
· Contrast reconstruction. Creating new elements or structures that are clearly different from the original in order to emphasize the artistic contrast between historical and modern buildings.
CONSERVATION METHODS
· Complete conservation. Preservation of the object from future destruction, but no changes are made, no attempts are made to recreate the image of the object before destruction.
· Museumification. Creation of a museum object by preserving and presenting a historical structure in a museum environment.
· Conservation with devizualization. With the use of modern composite translucent and reflective materials, the dissolution of the modern part of the regenerated object is achieved in order to isolate the preserved areas.
· Conservation with palimpsest. The undisturbed sections of the building are complemented by modern elements, thus creating a kind of "window" where the past and the present are combined.
In this work, I have researched and systematized the typology of the architecture of the Caucasus on the example of the Georgian region of Svaneti - a high-altitude valley surrounded by the Main Caucasian Ridge.
Svans lived in villages with families of 30-50 people, families united into a clan, and a clan into a community. The custom of blood feuds and civil strife forced the construction of villages with fortified dwellings and towers located close together for the purpose of protection.
There are three main types of traditional Svan buildings: a tower, a house and a church. The towers were a stable multi-storey stone building with an abandoned ground floor, and performed a defensive or watch function. The main type of residential architecture is a two-storey residential stone house with machub and darbazi rooms or a tower house combining residential and defensive functions. An integral structure of any Svan village is a small-sized Orthodox church of the Zal type. The materials of all buildings in Svaneti are usually cobblestones on lime mortar and slate slabs. These types are systematized according to the criteria of volumetric composition, architectural-spatial composition, architectural-plastic composition, and functional purpose.
The next task of the dissertation is to develop a project for the regeneration of objects of medieval architecture of Svaneti using the conclusions of the first two chapters. The selection of the objects was agreed with the government of the Mestia municipality, measurements were made on the ground, photo recordings, analysis of each object.
TOWER REGENERATION
HISTORICAL PHOTOS
TYPOLOGY
PHOTOS OF THE OBJECT
Location: Tavrali village of the Nakra community
The safety of the masonry is less than 20%, but presumably the object was the most common type of defensive tower with an extension of the trunk in the lower third and attached to the house. It was decided for the project to use the method of restoration to the original appearance, using cobblestones on lime mortar, followed by plastering.
DESIGN SOLUTIONS
RESIDENTIAL BUILDING REGENERATION
HISTORICAL PHOTOS
TYPOLOGY
PHOTOS OF THE OBJECT
Location: Tavrali village of the Nakra community
The object was a two-storey residential stone house with a machub and a darbazi. The safety of the masonry is less than 20 percent. The function of a guesthouse for 20 people has been agreed with representatives of the Mestia municipality for the object, since Svaneti is developing in a tourist direction, and the format of hiking for several days is popular in the region. During regeneration, the reconstruction method with palimpsest was used. It allows you to distinguish authentic masonry from the parts of the building reconstructed with modern materials. At the same time, the project preserves the overall silhouette of the building, the proportions of the windows, the slope of the roof, the terrace, referring to the image of a traditional Svan house.
DESIGN SOLUTIONS
CHURCH REGENERATION
HISTORICAL PHOTOS
TYPOLOGY
PHOTOS OF THE OBJECT
Location: Murshkeli village of Mulakhi community.
The safety of the masonry is more than 50 percent. In the project, I proposed to preserve the authentic masonry of the church by conservation with a palimpsest. From the inside, strengthen the masonry with a concrete box, repeating the silhouette of the traditional Svan church with perforations for lighting. The use of this method preserves the historical value of the ruins. The new does not argue with the old, but complements, recreating the silhouette.
DESIGN SOLUTIONS
The result of this study is the systematization of the typology of medieval architecture of Svaneti, and methods of its regeneration. As an approbation, regeneration projects of three structures of Svaneti were carried out using the findings of the study. The significance of the work lies in the possibility of applying the results obtained in similar projects related to the preservation of historical heritage.
Author: Andrei Razdvigalov
Scientific supervisor: Natalya Khomutova
Author: Andrei Razdvigalov
Scientific supervisor: Natalya Khomutova
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