Sevan Writers’s Resort gets a fresh start from Getty Foundation - Mediamax.am

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Sevan Writers’s Resort gets a fresh start from Getty Foundation


Photo: from R. Arevshatyan’s archive

Photo: from R. Arevshatyan’s archive

Photo: from R. Arevshatyan’s archive

Photo: from R. Arevshatyan’s archive

Photo: Nemrut Baghdasaryan/Photolur archive

Photo: from R. Arevshatyan’s archive


It became known this August that the Getty Foundation included Sevan Writers’ Resort of the Writers’ Union of Armenia, designed by Gevorg Kochar and Mikael Mazmanyan, in Keeping It Modern project for conservation of modern architecture.

 

Mediamax asked head of the research project, art critic and curator Ruben Arevshatyan to tell us details about realization of this project.

 

The Getty Foundation addresses the issue of preservation of modern monuments worldwide, now carrying out this project for the third time.

 

In the first two stages the foundation itself selected the monuments, for instance, world-renowned modern buildings of XX century such as Erich Mendelsohn’s Einstein Tower, Jorn Utzon’s Sydney Opera House, a Le Corbusier house, Louis Kahn’s Salk Institute, a Walter Gropius mansion, Frank Lloyd Wright’s Robie House, Alvar Aalto’s Paimio Sanatorium, and others.

 

In 2016 candidates had to take part in a competition before the selection. Sevan Writers’ Resort, presented by Armenia, managed to get through the contest stage and became one of the nine sites selected by the foundation.

Photo: from R. Arevshatyan’s archive

In recent times Sevan Writers’ Resort found itself in the centre of attention of various experts studying modern architecture. The resort’s image was placed on the cover of Soviet Modernism book published in 2012 within the Vienna exhibition, dedicated to the same topic.

 

The exhibition poster also wore Sevan Writers’ Resort picture, and entire Vienna was flooded with images of the building.

Photo: from R. Arevshatyan’s archive

Talks about Sevan Writers’ Resort grew in number after the book was published. Tourists arriving in Armenia made specific trips to the building just to see it and take some pictures.

 

Although the resort complex needs thorough scientific reconstruction, this is one of those rare cases where the building preserved the initial image and features of its time. It also helps that the monument’s purpose didn’t change.

Photo: Nemrut Baghdasaryan/Photolur archive

The project implies historical, theoretical, constructive and physical analysis of the resort. We’ve been scrupulously studying the site since August, analyzing the state of the materials and seismic stability. We also intend to touch on the history of the resort’s development, stage-by-stage changes, evolution, and the principal ideas of the architects, which remained unrealized due to social and political splits and economic limitations.

 

The project also implies restoration of the interior. This is an important and responsible work that can become an example of reconstruction of a modern site in all its conceptual integrity.

Photo: from R. Arevshatyan’s archive

The study involves a large international team with famous specialists and agencies. In particular, we received consultation on management plan for preservation of the complex from Alvar Aalto Museum, and renowned architectural historian, culture expert Vladimir Paperny is one of scientific consultants of the project.

 

The scientific analysis stage of the restoration will be completed next year. For this reason we intend to hold a conclusive international seminar and conference in Yerevan in autumn 2017.

 

Lena Gevorgyan

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