In the nineteenth-century, Kutaisi was the second-largest city of Georgia and a center of governance within the Russian Empire. By the end of the century, the construction of administrative and public buildings in the city had significantly increased. Among these new buildings was the District Court, built between 1898 and 1900. Located at the end of present-day Newport Street, near the bank of the Rioni River, the court building plays a prominent role in the city’s urban landscape. Today, it houses the Kutaisi Court of Appeals.
Kutaisi Court of Appeals, main façade
The building was designed by Aleksander Szymkiewicz, a renowned Polish architect who worked in Georgia and was responsible for several significant projects. A few years earlier, he had designed the District Court in Tbilisi.
Central entrance
The Kutaisi Court of Appeals is a good example of nineteenth-century architectural eclecticism, blending elements from Renaissance and Baroque styles. It is a three-story structure with a π-shaped floor plan. While the rear and side façades are relatively plain, the main façade is more ornate. Its centerpiece is a richly decorated central entrance, flanked by two avant-corps on either side. The entrance porch extends outward at the ground floor level, featuring an arched doorway flanked by two Tuscan columns. Above the columns is a classical entablature, crowned by a pediment adorned with Baroque volutes. The façade on the first and second floors is articulated with symmetrical pairs of large Corinthian pilasters.
Pilasters on the main façade
The avant-corps façades are adorned with intricate details, including heraldic symbols, short pilasters, sculpted garlands, and carved inscriptions marking the beginning and completion dates of the construction.
Decoration of the right part of the main façade
The artistic appeal of the exterior is enhanced by the contrast between the plain walls and the smooth-faced rustication. A projecting, profiled cornice crowns the structure.
Lobby on the first floor
Inside, the court building is distinguished by its spacious lobbies on all three floors, covered with groin vaults, supported by piers. Several conference halls are present, though their original architectural features have been altered by later renovations.
