Silk Development and KKAA: Concept of the Silk Towers Project at a Homeis Event
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On December 12, at the Telegraph Hotel, Homeis.ge hosted a forum titled "Home and Business." The third edition of the event brought together leading figures from the fields of architecture, design, and real estate. The forum's main objective was to unite professionals with diverse perspectives and backgrounds within a single shared space.
The audience heard from prominent representatives of Georgia's architectural and design scene, including Luka Chaganava (NS Studio), Nino Chkhartishvili, Beka Phakadze (STIPFOLD), Mariam Chikviladze (Dressup Home), and Fiqria Cheishvili (IPS). The speakers addressed career challenges, the balance between creative chaos and structure, and the transformation of historical architectural layers into renewed contemporary expressions.
The highlight of the event was the presentation by the international guest speaker Nicolas Guichard, Project Manager at the globally renowned architectural studio Kengo Kuma & Associates (KKAA). Invited by Silk Development, the architect introduced the audience to the studio's global philosophy and presented the concept for the Silk Towers project planned in Batumi.
Nicolas Guichard emphasized that, for the Japanese studio, architecture is a collective endeavor, where the integration of natural materials is essential at every scale of a project—whether a monumental stadium or a meticulously designed interior.
"Design has no boundaries. Everything can be architecture. Our studio strives to incorporate natural materials into every project. We see this as a necessity in contemporary construction," Guichard noted.
During the presentation, he also addressed the rapid pace of urban development in Batumi. The Batumi Botanical Garden and the historic urban fabric of the old city served as key sources of inspiration for the architects—places where, as Guichard described, "life is strongly felt." Consequently, KKAA's strategy for the Silk Towers project focuses on visually "concealing" the towers while bringing forward green, human-scaled spaces.
"Our priority is the pedestrian and the street scale. The building is a logical outcome of this approach. We used podiums to create layered compositions that help soften the mass of the structure. As a visitor or resident, you do not feel the scale—you connect with a landscaped environment. Our goal is to create a sustainable environment not for five or ten years, but for a hundred. We want people to feel proud of the place where they live."
One of the most compelling aspects of the project lies in the façade material. The Japanese studio has decided to use leftover stone from Georgian quarries, adding both ecological value and a distinctive character to the project.
"We wanted to create something that exists beyond time… When visiting the site, we were more inspired by the quarry remnants than by stone blocks themselves. We decided to use these remnants for the façade production. We want people to feel that this is real stone, with its natural color, resonating with the surrounding mountains."
In closing, Nicolas Guichard reflected on the emotional meaning of home, noting that being at home may represent one of the most unforgettable memories each of us carries.
