ZION X SKIA 2026 - Main Partner of the International Event for Architect Skiers

Architecture as the foundation of a reimagined way of living: tradition, international experience, and a contemporary architectural vision — ZION is the main partner of SKIA 2026.

This year, architect skiers from across the world will gather in Georgia with the support of ZION, where they will once again engage in discussions on contemporary architecture and the challenges shaping the industry. Distinctive architecture and international experience are integral parts of ZION’s brand identity. It is this same philosophy that gave rise to SKIA, which will be held for the 49th time this year.

Each of our projects is created to shape a new experience — a reimagined way of living. At ZION, we believe that architecture defines the rhythm of life, functional order, and the way people experience space. This is precisely the mindset that connects us with SKIA, whose annual meetings and competitions will take place this year with our partnership.

For ZION, it is a priority to support initiatives that further highlight the role of the architect in the modern world — initiatives that bring together professional vision, a healthy lifestyle, and a constant drive toward new heights.

This year’s international event began in Tbilisi. On 15 February, guests attended exhibitions and lectures at the Ceramic Combine, with a focus on traditional Georgian architecture — a subject closely aligned with our own vision. In its projects, including those located in the historic districts of Tbilisi and Kutaisi, ZION consistently engages with the local context.

The main location of the event will be Mestia, where SKIA 2026 participants will arrive on 26 February and remain until 3 March. There, architects will work on identifying contemporary urban planning issues and key challenges within the profession.

Naturally, the ski slope will also be at the center of attention, where competitors from different age categories will take part in a giant slalom race. Sporting activities have always been an inseparable part of SKIA and trace back to the event’s founding in the 1970s.

With the support of ZION, this year’s edition will also feature SKIA’s traditional international competition — this time focused on a conceptual design for a 12-room family hotel in Svaneti. Subject to approval by the Mestia Municipality, the project may have the opportunity to be brought to life.

The winners will be selected by an international jury. The authors of the best architectural proposals, along with the winners of the sporting competitions, will be announced in Mestia on the closing day of the event.

The Union Club of Architect Skiers was founded in 1977, while it gained international scale in 1985, during a gathering held in Bakuriani. At that time, Georgia’s mountain ski resort hosted more than 100 international guests, including world-renowned architects such as Massimiliano Fuksas, whose work has also shaped several landmark projects in Tbilisi, including the House of Justice and the Bridge of Peace.

From the 1980s to the present day, the SKIA Club of the Georgian Architects’ Union has hosted annual seminars and competitions, with a central focus on the harmonious relationship between architecture and environment, and on the search for new aesthetics.

This year’s event is expected to welcome up to 200 guests. Architects from Italy, France, Germany, and countries across the region will once again come together in Georgia to exchange ideas and perspectives on new, reimagined visions of architecture.