Built in the Soviet era in 1926 and severely damaged by a major earthquake in 1988, the only remains of the Sevyan Cultural Center still standing were its neoclassical facades. In 2018, the Ballet 2021 Foundation proposed its rehabilitation under a new name and vision, the Kharatian Performing Arts Center.
A primary objective of the project is to strengthen Armenia’s cultural dialogue with the global art scene by providing Gyumri, its cultural capital, with a lively place that welcomes the world through an innovative and multidisciplinary school. It intends to make the site a node of physical connection that bridges separate points of the urban fabric but also of social connection between people, across borders and cultures.
To maintain a link between the old and the new, a parametrically designed geometric volume is inserted inside the preserved stone facade. The largest, an ovoid in shape, houses a state-of-the-art performance hall for 500 people.
The upper floors have been restored and fitted out as studios, research laboratories, library, café, conference and exhibition rooms.
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The historic entrance is maintained and enhanced by a stone parvis, which links the center and its community. The adjoining gardens have been redesigned to allow passersby to catch a glimpse of the vibrant creativity from the outside.
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