The FINANCIAL — Tbilisi Business Center is a new project of TBC Bank, which will soon be constructed in the vicinity of Lisi Lake. This will be a complex where not only will TBC Bank’s head office be located, but also a laboratory of innovation, a cultural hub, restaurants, fitness clubs and special spaces available for children. USD 70 million is going to be invested in the first stage of the project. Construction of TBC’s modern innovative complex will be completed by 2026.
The unique architectural project first prepared by UN Studio in 2014 proposes a transition from the traditional closed and introverted working model previously favoured in the banking sector, towards a flexible, open and responsive system.
“It provides a cultural hub that will act as a catalyst for the development of a new area of the city, promoting socio-economic development through the creation of a financial knowledge centre and innovation platform.
The location acts as a key driver within the design. Within the natural setting of the Lisi Lake resort, the TBC Business Center merges work, culture and nature, which all become an integrated part of the green journey from the Georgian capital through local ladscapes,” the company said.
The new head office will become the main calling card for TBC Group, which will merge brand values, vision and philosophy of the future.
This will be the first time that this kind of complex has been built in Georgia. The construction process of Tbilisi Business Center was launched at TBC Bank’s 26th year anniversary.
“This will be quite a serious building of an international level equipped with all modern technologies. It will be a place where young people can start their laboratories and startups, which we are actively promoting. We are starting to build Tbilisi Business Center according to the 20/80 principle, where 20% of the surface area will be allocated to buildings and 80% to greenery and recreation,” said Mamuka Khazaradze, Co-Founder of TBC Bank.
The location of Tbilisi Business Center is an important part of its design. Against the background of the natural landscape of Lisi Lake, the new office complex will become part of the green environment where urban elements of the capital are enriched by natural landscapes of vineyards.
The design was created in part due to inspiration from traditional Georgian ‘Shatili’ towers architecture. The complex will be built in an ecologically clean, green environment across 13 hectares, where plants will be terraced and healthy ecosystems will be created. TBC employees will be able to work and relax in a comfortable environment, interacting simultaneously with colleagues and visitors to the area.
“Its uniqueness lies in the fact that more than 2000 people will start working in Tbilisi Business Center. This is a unique place and building but the main thing is that people will be able to use the space for their own interesting activities. TBC Bank is doing a lot of good work today and after completing the construction we will offer many more innovations to the public, our country, and customers,” said Vakhtang Butskhrikidze, General Director of TBC Bank.
The new head office will replace the existing concept of closed space in the banking sector with open and flexible space-based oriented relationships that enable employees to be able to maximize their capabilities. The complex will be completely energy efficient, consuming the minimum energy.
According to Badri Japaridze, Deputy Chairman of TBC Bank, the project has a stepwise significance for the Bank as well as for the Group as a whole. “We are creating a completely new standard, which involves the use of the best technologies and at the same time combining elements of traditional Georgian architecture in a completely modern building. In this regard it is a gradual occasion, and we want this place to be the centre of attraction for businesses where people will find everything they need for starting and developing business.”
The author of the project is Dutch architect Franz Vourea, who represents the international company ‘UN Studio’. UN Studio conducted serious preparatory works before initiating the project’s implementation. This preparation involved thorough studies of both the location and the brand strategy ad values of TBC Bank to perfectly align the two with each other.
