clifftop 'pipia.panorama' residence by j. mayer h. overlooks tbilisi's historic center

according to berlin-based architecture firm j. mayer h., every home needs to balance two things: privacy and retreat versus connectivity to its environment and various degrees of openness. the practice’s latest project, titled ‘pipia.panorama’, does both to extremes by offering an intimate, secluded area around an inner courtyard, unfolding towards one of the most prominent locations in tbilisi — the capital city of georgia.

all images by denis esakov

situated at the top of the stone cliff above the city’s former caravanserai area, the new residence sits prominently next to the president’s palace and overlooks the newly developed rhike park — including a cultural complex designed by fuksas — and the historic town center of tbilisi across the river. to the north, the building, which is enveloped by a concrete shell, completes the neighborhood of small scale houses.

the home is situated at the top of the stone cliff above the city’s former caravanserai area

‘to the east, the building faces the garden of the president’s palace and needs to negotiate views and discretion,’ explains j. mayer h.. ‘the south of the building opens up with terraces and a skeletal structure that frames the generous panoramic view over the historic city enter. fused into its site and sculpted around a flow of interior spaces with an open core, pipia.panorama is a home for a multi-generational family.’

the new residence sits prominently next to the president’s palace

project info:

name: pipia.panorama
location: tbilisi, georgia
client: private
construction period: 2008-2018
completion: 2018
project team: j. mayer h. und partner, architekten mbB — jürgen mayer h., dr. paul angelier
photography: denis essakov