17 Luka Asatiani Street / 45 Memed Abashidze Avenue, Batumi
Brief Description of the Building:
This corner building was constructed at the end of the 19th century and was once home to well-known physicians of the time—Dr. Markov and Dr. Bethaneli. Later, it housed the Italian Consulate. During the Soviet period, the building was repurposed as a residence, and today it functions as a café.
The two-story building, shaped like the Cyrillic letter (Г) in plan, features façades facing both the street and an inner courtyard. Both façades are plastered and decorated with sculptural details, yet each side differs stylistically. The street-facing façade leans toward a Classical style, while the courtyard side incorporates Classical-Baroque decorative elements.
From Luka Asatiani Street, the courtyard is enclosed by a stone fence topped with wrought iron railings. On the Memed Abashidze Avenue side, the central portion of the façade is occupied by a loggia, which on the first floor opens through three arches. Above the arches, decorative elements composed of concentric circles are inserted. The wall surface of the first floor is partially rusticated.
On the second floor, flat pilasters divide the façade into vertical segments, emphasizing the edges of the building and the loggia. This structure is a uniquely designed and artistically refined example of a late 19th to early 20th-century European-style residential house, marked by its elegant execution and attention to detail.
