Mariam Gegidze

Laguna Vere – Swimming in Archives. Practices of Archiving and Activating Architectural Documents (Working Title)

Whether sketches or notes, plans, photos, or models—architectural documents can be archived and later reactivated. The research deals with alternative methods of collecting and presenting architecture, questioning the equality of ‘non-classical’ with ‘typical’ architectural documents. Integrating new documents into archival collections implies the development of alternative ways of finding, seeing, and hearing. Only through these approaches, the thesis argues, can previously marginalized actors, overlooked narratives, and the intertwined, multi-layered aspects of architecture become accessible and easier to find.

The question of what constitutes a document of architecture and when it is considered ‘valuable’ and ‘worthy of archiving’ because it serves as a source is explored in this work through the examination of the Laguna Vere swimming pool complex in Tbilisi, which was constructed between 1964 and 1978. The long, obstacle-filled planning history of this building complex points to direct connections between architectural production, historical events, and regional conflicts. The extraordinary history of its use, the immense significance of the swimming pool complex, its current condition, and the diversity of available documents brings this case study into focus for examining broader questions.

The central research question is also an approach: What implicit knowledge do alternative architectural documents contain, and how can these be activated? Is it possible, through the accessibility and dissemination of these documents, to uncover new narratives, connections, and perspectives that help us understand the past and orient ourselves toward the future? Questions of this kind will be explored in the work through a multidimensional archival investigation using a case study.

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Publications

Edited Volumes

• J. Vogl, A. Dinççağ Kahveci, M. Gegidze, P. Santacana López (Eds.): Dinge, die Verbinden. Vol. V of the publication series of the Research Training Group “Identity and Heritage”, 2024
• M. Gegidze, Tbilisi Architecture Archive (Eds.): Laguna Vere. Tbilisi 2022

Selected Articles

• M. Gegidze: Nicht hier, auch nicht woanders. Die Vere als Tbilisis unsichtbarer Körper, in: M. Cornejo Presbítero, A. Halili, W. Höhne, O. Juutistenaho, B. Piela, M. Ingund, A. Sellmann (Eds.): Bodies in, as, of, with, and ‘Identity and Heritage‘, Weimar 2025
• M. Gegidze: Mehr als ein Archiv, mehr als eine Quelle, mehr als ein Gebäude. Jenseits des (archivalischen) Dokumentbegriffs, in: Initiative Haus Marlene Poelzig, H. Dziobek, H. Klein (Eds.): Haus Marlene Poelzig, Berlin. Abriss und Aufbruch, Berlin 2025
• M. Gegidze: Ohne Ort, in: Bauwelt 01.2025
• M. Gegidze: For a moratorium on Laguna Vere and its surrounding area! Open Letter to Tbilisi City Hall Tbilisi Architecture Archive 15.04.2024
• M. Gegidze: Unpacking Soviet architecture collections: Tbilisi Architecture Archive, in: Jaap Bakema Study Centre (Ed.): Architecture Archives of the Future, Delft/Rotterdam 2023
• M. Gegidze, N. Tchatchkhiani, N. Abasashvili: Tbilisi Architecture Archive, in: Tbilisi Architecture Biennial (Ed.): What do we have in common, Tbilisi 2022
• M. Gegidze: Vernetzte Schweiz, in: BauNetzWoche592 2022
• M. Gegidze: Queernees im öffentlichen Raum. Poligonal vermitteln Erfahrungen marginalisierter Gruppen, in: BauNetzWoche#569 2021
• M. Gegidze: Architektur im Archiv. Vom Sammeln, Kuratieren und Digitalisieren, in: BauNetzWoche#558, 2020
• M. Gegidze: Initiative Gewinnt. Eliso Sulakauri, in: BauNetzWoche#549, 2020
• M. Gegidze: Wer hat Angst vor(m) Biest? Ein Künstlerduo aus Berlin entwirft flüchtige Raumkonstellationen für ein nomadisches Zeitalter, in: BauNetzWoche#500, 2017
• M. Gegidze, D. Manjavdize, N. Opel: Alles was nicht verboten ist, ist erlaubt / Everything not forbidden is allowed, in: ARCH+ 224, 2016; Everything not forbidden is allowed / ყველაფერი რაც აკრძალული არ არისდასაშვებია, in: Danarti 8, 2018
• M. Gegidze, T. Hönig: … lebt und arbeitet in Berlin, in: Brandlhuber, A., Hertweck, F., Mayfried, T. (Eds.): The Dialogic City — Berlin wird Berlin, Cologne 2015; a revised version in: R. Riewe, S. C. Radulescu, A. Stocker (Eds.): Learning from Berlin. Die Großstruktur als urbaner Generator, Graz 2018
• L. Bakradze, M. Gegidze, N. Tchatchkhiani: Glossary, in: Post-Oil City. The History of the City’s Future, Tbilisi 2015
• M. Gegidze, D. Spruth: Auf der Suche nach dem großen Wurm, in: ARCH+ 209, 2012
• M. Gegidze, A. L. Ngo, D. Spruth: Moskau–Berlin—London, in: ARCH+ 209, 2012

Other Activities

• 2022-2023, Co-organisation of the 6th Annual Conference of the Research Training Group Identity and Heritage entitled: Dinge, die verbinden: Objekte und Erbekonstruktionen, Technical University of Berlin
• 2022, Exhibition conception Laguna Vere with the Tbilisi Architecture Archive, MAUDI, Tbilisi 
• 2021, Co-creation of architectural routes and audio tracks, Werner Düttmann: Berlin. Building. Werk., with Poligonal. Office for urban mediation, Berlin
• 2020, Co-development of the Tbilisi Architecture Biennial, edition What do we have in Common
• 2015, Co-curation of the exhibition The Dialogic City—Berlin wird Berlin with Brandlhuber+, Berlinische Galerie, Berlin
• 2014, Exhibition conception Post-Oil City. The History of the City’s Future – ქალაქი ნავთობის შემდეგ. ქალაქისმომავლის ისტორია, Tbilisi History Museum Karvasla, Tbilisi
  Translation and editorial adaptation of the exhibition catalogue into Georgian