Architecture competition Gauja National Park Footbridge Honorable mention - Giorgi Maisuradze

We’d like to take the opportunity to introduce you to the winner of the Honorable mention of our “Gauja National Park Footbridge ” competition - Giorgi Maisuradze from Italy!

Giorgi Maisuradze from Italy

I come from Tbilisi, Georgia. Having graduated from Georgian Technical University in 2016, I decided to pursue my career outside my home country to be part of the international architectural community. I enrolled in Politecnico di Milano and shortly was granted a Scholarship from the International Educational Center covering the full tuition fees.

The acquisition of knowledge and skills through study in urban design, architecture and structural engineering was quite intense at POLIMI. My thesis project was exploring the potentialities of a context-specific interventions to complete the urban grid for the expansion of the campus of pharmaceutical company “Novartis” and prefigure the rules for the connection of the green arteries on both of the river banks in Basel, Switzerland.

After obtaining a Master’s is Science in Architettura - Architettura delle Costruzioni (Scuola di Architettura Urbanistica Ingegneria delle Costruzioni) at Politecnico di Milano in December 2018, I left Milan for Rome to work for “Massimiliano e Doriana fuksas studio”. Since then I have been working with people full of talent within the practice on numerous large scale projects across different continents.

Brief information about the projects that you/your company have been involved with. For instance what scale have you focused on/preferred, any significant projects where company/ individuals have been involved?

I am particularly interested in the design approach as a whole. I don’t have a favorite scale to work on, as even small architectural decisions sometimes require large urban analysis and vice versa. I believe it’s all about the architect’s attitude – the way you work it out.

Urban morphology, urban context and context-specific interventions normally guide me towards smaller scales where I am facing the architectural topology, order and light. As Silvia Gmur says - “the way you let light enter in your room defines its expression, its atmosphere and it’s closely related to the form of the room”. This transition process from large scale to small (I would call it - design approach) is my preferred part throughout the design development.

What does architecture mean to you and what is the role of an architect in your society?

I trust architects have the power to bring people together. If in the past architecture was about shelter, I think today we can guarantee not only the basic need of protection, but with public spaces generate social interactions. Being part of a society and community therefore makes people more confident, happier and healthier. I think it’s important to create spaces which make sure equality is the utmost priority and at the same time these places still amaze people with its urban decisions or architectural linguistics.

Why do you participate in architecture vision competitions?

Architectural competitions are a great chance to test certain ideas. They are great opportunities as well to launch your career and establish yourself on global markets.

What advice would you give to individuals who struggle to decide whether it would be beneficial for them to participate in architecture vision competitions?

Every young architect should be doing competitions! Participation grows you professionally, develops your creativity and you become more competitive.