Silk Towers by Kengo Kuma, Seafront Batumi

Silk Towers takes the last undeveloped seafront plot in Batumi, at the point where the seaside promenade runs into the old town. Kengo Kuma and Associates designed it, and the planting is structural rather than decorative: concrete columns frame every terrace, greenery falls between the floors, and from the water the buildings read as garden before they read as tower.

The site covers six hectares and is planned as a small district rather than a block. Three towers and a lower fourth building hold apartments, a hotel, event halls, offices and a retail gallery. Between them sit a two hectare park by MASU Planning, a marina yacht club, six padel courts and a mini football pitch, indoor and outdoor pools, a spa and wellness centre, restaurants and the largest casino in the region. The park opened first and the yacht club is under construction.

Tower 1 is the one selling. Its apartments run from the sixth floor to the fortieth in studio and one bedroom layouts, with two and three bedroom homes made by merging neighbouring units. Every apartment has a terrace, and where it sits decides whether the view is the sea, the mountains of Adjara, the park or the city. Interiors keep to wood, natural materials and exposed concrete.

Owners are enrolled in Silk Rewards at Gold level, which returns 10% on spending across the group’s hotels and restaurants in Georgia and lets points go back into stays, dining and pool access. Day to day the building runs with a concierge and reception, valet parking, housekeeping, technical support, and a desk that manages the letting for owners who rent their apartment out.

The beach is a two minute walk. The Ali & Nino statue stands 250 metres away, Batumi Piazza 1.5 km, Europe Square 1.8 km and the airport 7.3 km. Foreign buyers may own property in Georgia outright, there is no transaction tax, rental income is taxed at 5%, and an investment of $150,000 or more qualifies for a residence permit.