Designed by Sandro Kvirikadze, JPG Print Shop transforms an existing Soviet industrial space at Tbilisi’s Fabrika into a contemporary environment for graphic design and urban culture. Plywood structures, stainless steel, and retro-futurist forms introduce a new architectural layer within the existing space, creating a dialogue between industrial memory and contemporary creative culture. The result is a space where design becomes part of the everyday urban experience. The print shop brings together graphic design, fashion, and the culture of on-site customization. Alongside collaborative T-shirts created by notable graphic designers, the space allows visitors to print their own ideas directly onto garments. The interior was therefore conceived as more than a commercial setting, becoming a continuation of the printing process as well as the surrounding urban culture and contemporary design scene.
The space deliberately preserves traces of the existing environment at the entrance. The original architectural condition is neither concealed nor completely replaced; instead, it becomes the first layer from which the new interior develops. The existing space gradually transitions into a system of rigid geometric plywood structures that defines the architectural language of the interior. The warm, tactile character of plywood is contrasted with the cold, technological surfaces of stainless steel, creating an interior that combines industrial rigor with the qualities of a carefully constructed object. Structural elements are not used solely for technical purposes but are transformed into shelving, hanging systems, and architectural details that organize the space.
all images by ©Grigory Sokolinsky
Reflection and Retro-Futuristic interiors define the print shop
The hanging system follows the principles of Light Weight Architecture, in which the synthesis of different structural elements becomes part of the design itself. Functional objects are therefore integrated into the architectural structure rather than treated as separate decorative elements. One of the central elements of the space is a mirror almost three meters in height, composed of three movable panels. Sandro Kvirikadze Design Studio utilizes the reflective element to alter the perception of the interior. When closed, the three panels correspond precisely with the wooden structure positioned opposite them, creating a visual continuity between the two elements. When opened, the mirror changes the spatial composition, introducing movement and transformation into the interior.
The design is rooted in the principles of retro-futurism. Rather than directly quoting historical forms, it reinterprets them through contemporary materials and new functions. The strict geometry of the wooden structures and the forms of the panels refer to traditional architectural and furniture principles, while their execution in stainless steel and contemporary construction systems gives them a contemporary character. The interior of JPG Print Shop does not attempt to erase the industrial past of the Soviet-era building. Instead, it adds a new architectural layer to it. The existing architecture of Fabrika becomes a fragment of the city’s memory, while the structures introduced into the space represent contemporary youth culture and design. The old and the new coexist within the same interior, allowing the city’s industrial past to continue through the language of contemporary design.
project info:
name: JPG Print Shop
architect: Sandro Kvirikadze Design | @sandrokvirikadze
client: Printshop_jpg | @printshop_jpg
location: Fabrika Tbilisi, Tbilisi, Georgia
photography: Grigory Sokolinsky | @grigorysokolinsky
designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. See more project submissions from our readers here.
edited by: Christina Vergopoulou | designboom
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