MIA – MINISTRY OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS

Maria Antonietta Santangelo

AMDL CIRCLE chose as the design element a dual structure with a steel frame and glass. The MIA — the Ministry of Internal Affairs — is the first project from De Lucchi’s “Georgian period,” the start of De Lucchi’s close involvement in Georgia’s urban renewal. The MIA is on one of the main thoroughfares of Tbilisi, connecting the airport and the historic center and was made to be an emblematic icon on the human-made landscape while representing the Ministry. The building has a longitudinal layout, surrounded by an artificial depression, designed in a fluid, continuous line coordinated by a geometric plan needed to control the large scale. A hidden symmetry, on the axis rotated 45 degrees, shapes the main entrance with a long ramp while also dividing and delineating the interiors. 
The central core and side wings create a standard functional floor plan on four levels, one of which is underground. The MIA contains 270 workstations, 2 auditoriums, and many meeting areas, and it holds the local police headquarters and offices of the Ministry on the upper floor.
The reinforced cement structure’s rigid quality is lightened by the uninterrupted sinuous direction of the facade, which seems to move, completely wrapping the building and lifting to make space for the entrances. These bright, complex features were designed with care in the construction details; the curtain glazing has a fixed module that adapts to every angle of the curved perimeter, and the steel frame is divided into several sections to handle varying loads and facilitate natural ventilation.
The MIA is a recognizable landmark that stands out for its organic architecture.