Tbilisi Demolishes Rike Jugs Complex, Plans Hotel Redevelopment

The modernist Rike Jugs (also called Rike Tubes) complex in central Tbilisi, built in 2011–2012 and designed by Italian architects Massimiliano and Doriana Fuksas, has begun demolition after the city granted a permit in July. The pair of glass‑and‑metal cylinders, intended as a concert hall and exhibition centre, remained unused for almost 15 years following the change of government in 2012. The structures cost around 75 million GEL in public funds and have been criticised by the ruling Georgian Dream party as an "eyesore".

Ownership of the site passed from former president Mikheil Saakashvili’s era to businessman David Khidasheli in 2022, and then to the newly registered company Rike Domi in 2025. Rike Domi plans to construct a hotel on the 15,000‑square‑metre site by 2030, investing roughly 44 million GEL. Georgian Dream Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze called the towers "ugliness" that does not suit the capital. The demolition is expected to finish by the end of the year, ending a long‑standing dispute over the landmark’s future.