Tbilisi City Hall has issued a permit allowing the planned demolition of the Rike Concert Hall, a tube-shaped cultural complex designed by the Italian architecture practice Studio Fuksas. The building was largely completed in 2012 but has never been officially opened or put into use. According to reports summarized by multiple outlets, the permit is linked to an owner’s request to dismantle the structure, with similar plans affecting related components of the “Rike Tubes” complex.
Studio Fuksas has publicly urged that the demolition be stopped and has called for an alternative use for the building. In statements relayed by one outlet, the firm says it has tried repeatedly to contact Tbilisi officials and the building owners.
Other reporting focuses on the complex’s history, noting that construction and commissioning occurred during the government of the UNM and that the project later faced controversy, with suspensions and lack of official programming following political changes in 2012.
As of the reporting described, the demolition is scheduled to proceed under the issued permit unless authorities act on Studio Fuksas’ request for reconsideration.
