“Casa Sole”: Georgian Architectural Innovation Showcased at the Venice Biennale

A Georgian architectural project has drawn international attention at the prestigious Venice Architecture Biennale, as announced by Nikoloz Lekveishvili, founder of TIMM Architecture. The showcased project, Casa Sole, envisions a residential building in Bagebi, Tbilisi, where the internal living space and the balcony are divided equally—50/50.

Speaking to Business Partner, Lekveishvili described the project as a bold architectural experiment aimed at reimagining the relationship between private and semi-public spaces.

“The Venice Biennale is the world’s leading architectural event,” Lekveishvili said. “We shared our research with the curator early on. Our main idea was to completely eliminate the facade and turn the entire building into one expansive balcony. We’ve received the building permit, and while construction hasn’t started yet, the concept has already gained recognition.”

According to Lekveishvili, the Casa Sole project revives a traditional Georgian practice of communal balconies or “salabos”—semi-public areas where neighbors once gathered.

“There’s always the simple, well-trodden path in architecture, but there’s also room for innovation. Our idea was atypical and could have seemed unprofitable for a typical developer. But our client shared our vision. Architecture tells a story, and it’s crucial that we don’t lose our own. This project invites people out of isolated interiors and back into shared spaces.”

The architect also emphasized the importance of maintaining a connection with global architectural discourse.

“One of the main problems is that we’re often cut off from international processes. If we don’t intersect with Western culture, we risk being lost in commercial demands.”

Casa Sole is positioned to serve as a continuation of the surrounding landscape in Bagebi. The building offers panoramic city views to the front and mountain views to the rear—blending architecture with nature in an intentional, story-driven way.

The Venice Architecture Biennale, held every two years, is one of the most influential events in global architecture. Established as an independent exhibition in 1980, it has since become a platform to explore contemporary social, environmental, and technological challenges through design.