BTU student Ruben Scherer honoured at the ICOMOS Student Competition 2025

The cable car on the Nutsubidze Street–Lake Lisi line in Tbilisi (Georgia) has not been in operation since 1988. The line used to provide public transport and access to recreational areas for all the city’s residents; it thus embodied the ideals of social equality in the Soviet Union. The cable cars and passengers have disappeared, but traces of the infrastructure remain.

Between decay and new use

With his poster on the cable car station at Lake Lisi, Ruben Scherer not only explains the history of the stations and the associated infrastructure, but also highlights the potential they hold today: “After they were decommissioned, many of these stations were informally appropriated. People used them as shops, salons or currency exchange offices, and in some cases as living spaces. Furthermore, they serve as meeting places or as sites for graffiti and social commentary.”

“I see great potential for a formalised yet flexible repurposing, for example as exhibition spaces or cultural meeting places. Crucial to this is a minimally invasive approach that largely preserves the existing architectural structure and character of the buildings,” he adds, referring to currently unused stations on the old cable car line.

On his poster, Ruben Scherer proposes setting up a café, a co-working space and exhibition areas in the vacant rooms of the Lisi-See station. According to his plans, with only minimal alterations to the building, the functional character of the cable car station could be preserved despite its modern use.

In search of traces in the urban landscape

Ruben Scherer lives in Tbilisi (Georgia). He discovered the cable car station at Lisi Lake whilst exploring the city: “I actively researched and searched the city for structures that, although still physically present, are scarcely noticed or used in today’s urban landscape.”

Ultimately, he chose the cable car station at Lake Lisi because it “is representative of an entire group of structures that are largely overlooked today. It is part of a larger network of transport infrastructure that played a central role in mobility and leisure during the Soviet era. At the same time, the building now finds itself in a state somewhere between decay, informal appropriation and potential rediscovery. It is precisely this multi-layered nature that I find particularly fascinating,” he summarises.

Award in the ICOMOS Student Competition

The poster was created as part of a study project during the summer semester of 2025. The corresponding seminar was offered within the Architecture and Visualisation / History of Construction department. The project was supervised by Soheil Nazari (member of DFG Graduate College 1913 “Cultural and Technical Values of Historic Buildings”), Jacopo Spinelli (Chair of Architecture and Visualisation) and Prof. Dominik Lengyel (Chair of Architecture and Visualisation).

Around 55 student entries were submitted for the 2025 student competition organised by the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS). The jury selected nine entries and awarded prizes to them. The student competition “1960+ / Construction” focused on the architectural heritage of the late 20th century.

Studying World Heritage Studies at the BTU

The international Master’s programme in World Heritage Studies (WHS) equips students with the practical skills and theoretical foundations essential for the identification, protection, management and presentation of cultural and natural heritage sites. The programme can be completed on-campus or entirely online.