Artificial island in Batumi

You will encounter interesting and diverse architectural samples in any part of Georgia. You may be fascinated by various works or even feel a sense of protest. But the fact is that cities are evolving, and forgotten, ruined, old buildings are being replaced by new and large-scale projects.

Batumi, throughout its history, has always been a field of architectural activity in the architectural context, not only in terms of construction, demolition, deconstruction-reconstruction, and transformation. The city – a crossroads of cultures and religions, has reflected something in every era from an architectural perspective, starting from the early period, continuing with modernist or social projects of the Soviet era, and culminating in chaotic constructions; Batumi has embodied history in its body. The question here is, what is the architectural portrait of today’s Batumi? It is a fact that in this seaside city, in terms of pure aesthetics, buildings of various scales and textures, stylistically diverse, are emerging.

“We are pleased to share with you our large-scale architectural visualization of ‘Ambassador Batumi Island’, which is still in the development process. This unique project allows us to look at the future of our city. We are working on every detail to make this project as realistic as possible. And this is just the beginning” – this was a post published on social media by the architectural bureau ‘Morevi’, which attracted public attention. It concerns the development of an artificial island in the Black Sea.

Information about the largest project was first released in 2021, when the government of Georgia made a decision to implement the “Ambassador Island” project in Batumi and granted the company a 90 ha area in the neighborhoods of “Barchkhana” and “Tamari” with construction rights.

The question arises as to whom the 90 ha area in Batumi was granted and what does the $100 million artificial island include? – According to the official website of the project, “Ambassador Batumi Island” is the largest investment project in the region, which includes the creation of two artificial peninsulas of a resort type in the coastal area of Batumi, in the 2.5X1.5 km water area of the neighborhoods of “Barchkhana” and “Tamari”, as well as the establishment of infrastructure on them.

According to the project, the island will feature: public beaches, active and passive recreation areas, water parks, a seaside boulevard, a yacht club, educational institutions, shopping centers, and buildings for hotel and residential purposes. The project indicates that the proposed concept aims to attract large-scale investments and expand the administrative boundaries of Batumi, which will relieve the existing urban development of the city.

It is noteworthy that the length of the existing public beach, from the “Barzhan” river to the coast of the “Tamari” settlement, currently measures 1.7 km. With the proposed project, this figure will double due to the coastal line of the peninsulas, reaching 3.6 km. This location on the Adjara coast is the most water-rich, protected from waves, and exceptionally stable in terms of shoreline morphodynamics. Internationally recognized experts will work on the project, the shore reinforcement works, and the development of safety standards.

The project includes the construction of public and residential facilities with cascading development on the peninsulas, including high-class hotel complexes with public beaches, active and passive recreation areas, and a water park.

At this stage, more than 2 hectares of land have already been arranged, and the work on the project concept has been completed in collaboration with international companies.

The project of “Ambassador Batumi Islands” is financed by the “Ambassador Group,” which owns several hotels in Georgia, including in Tbilisi and Kazbegi.

The project, which was supposed to be the largest in the region and contribute to modern architecture, has been temporarily halted. The National Environmental Agency has suspended the procedure for the construction of the artificial island “Ambassador Batumi Islands” and has requested the company to submit additional documents.

Specifically, the company is required to prepare an environmental impact assessment report for the construction of the artificial island in Batumi.

According to the existing documents, the deadline for the construction of an artificial island in the Black Sea is set for approximately 3-4 years. The start of the work will depend on how long it takes to prepare the environmental impact assessment and obtain the construction permit.

As noted in the scoping conclusion of the National Environmental Agency, inert materials will be brought from local licensed quarries to the project area, while the import of various sizes of stones necessary for the construction of the piers is planned from Turkey.

Kalaki.ge contacted the investor company “Ambasadori Batumi Islands” and inquired whether the company has submitted the required additional documentation to the Environmental Protection Agency and at what stage the project works for the artificial island in Batumi are. They explained at “Ambasadori Batumi Island” that the documentation has been submitted to the agency and that the construction of the anchor-shaped artificial island, similar to Dubai’s Palm Island, is awaiting approval. As for the project works – the company states that the project works for the artificial island in Batumi have been completed in both structural and engineering aspects, and the development plan as well as the project for the first building to be constructed on the island have also been finalized.