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Building at 2 26 May Street / 23 Egnate Ninoshvili Street
Brief Description of the Building:
The present building of the Maritime Transport Agency, located at the intersection of Egnate Ninoshvili and 26 May Streets, was constructed in 1884 and was initially owned by the widow of the St. Petersburg banker Mitrofan Selitrenikov. The house originally included a wing for servants, and later, an additional wing was added to the yard. Between 1937 and 1941, the German and U.S. consulates were housed here. From 1958 to 2011, it served as the base for the N. Bredzenishvili Scientific Research Institute. Since 2011, it has been the office of the newly established Maritime Transport Agency.
The building faces Egnate Ninoshvili Street, and it is set back slightly from the street, sitting in a small yard. The main facade features a portico with arches at the right corner of the facade, above which is an open veranda on the second floor. The facade is heavily decorated with Renaissance-Baroque eclectic elements. The surface of the wall is plastered, with white and light green horizontal stripes. The floors are separated by a profiled cornice, beneath which is a frieze with geometric ornaments.
The facade s side sections are accentuated by light risalit sections, with flat pilasters running along the edges. The windows on both floors are arched, and the first-floor windows are flanked by round columns with Corinthian capitals, with rusticated architraves above them. The house is crowned with a high, intricately profiled cornice.
On the 26 May Street side, the house features deep concrete balconies on both floors, which combine traditional wooden balcony architecture with elements of the Art Nouveau style. The first-floor balcony juts out in a semi-circular shape in the center, and there is a multi-step staircase on the side leading up to the yard.
The Maritime Transport Agency building is one of the finest in Batumi, distinguished not only by its artistic design but also by the high quality of its construction. It plays an important role in the historical urban landscape of the city, maintaining a prominent place in Batumi’s architectural heritage.
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