Batumi, S. Zubalashvili Street No. 39
Brief description of the monument:
Constructed in 1921-1925 initially as a Maritime Navigation Center, the building was soon transferred to the Transcaucasian Railway Department of Samtredia, due to its proximity to the railway, and subsequently housed railway workers. Built of stone, this two-story residential structure has an elongated rectangular layout. Its main street-facing façade is accentuated by two entranceways situated in deep niches. The arches of these niches extend above the cornice line, framed by tall parapets, and feature decorative reliefs of crossed anchors and axes.
The plastered façade is articulated by rows of arched windows on the first floor and rectangular windows on the second. Window moldings, pilasters between openings, and those at façade edges are decorated with elements characteristic of the late Art Nouveau style.
The rear façade facing the enclosed courtyard originally had metal-railed balconies extending across both floors; however, today most of the first-floor balcony has been filled in. Overall, the courtyard façade has undergone more significant alterations than the street-facing side.
The building is valuable as an example of late Art Nouveau architecture, and is historically significant as its construction began during Georgia s First Republic period (1918–1921).
