New Educational Center Rises in Yerevan’s Tumanyan Park
Construction has officially begun on a major educational and research facility in Yerevan, Armenia. The five-story building will expand an existing campus dedicated to free technology and creative education. Located in Tumanyan Park, the project sits on a hilly outcrop above the Hrazdan River Gorge. Work commenced on February 24, with local and international representatives attending the ceremony.
Site Response and Architectural Concept
The architectural design responds directly to the steep slopes surrounding the site. A 120-meter-long monolithic bar rests on a recessed base podium. The structure cantilevers dramatically over the terrain at both ends. Large windows frame views north toward the river and south toward Mount Ararat. Additionally, the elevated podium extends the adjacent park while integrating rocky landscape features into outdoor circulation areas.
Interior Organization and Spatial Strategy
Internally, the layout revolves around two central cores and three large atriums. These atriums, named Grotto, Valley, and Canyon, structure circulation and social interaction throughout the facility. The Grotto serves as the main entrance with lounge spaces. Meanwhile, the Valley contains a flexible event hall for gatherings. The Canyon connects multiple floors and supports co-working areas.
Moreover, this arrangement balances communal spaces with focused work zones. The design fosters openness and connectivity across educational and professional activities. Floor plans remain flexible for future reconfiguration needs.
Materials and Sustainability Features
The facade uses translucent polycarbonate panels to filter daylight into interior spaces. At night, the material casts a soft glow without overwhelming the natural context. Consequently, the building maintains presence while respecting its surroundings.
The construction incorporates several sustainability measures. Floor slabs use a bubble-deck system to reduce concrete consumption and structural weight. Furthermore, atriums function as thermal buffers with zoned heating and cooling systems. Low-temperature floor heating and anti-stratification fans minimize operational energy consumption.
Program and Function
The facility will house educational spaces for teenagers and adults. It also includes research areas and co-working spaces for technology and design professionals. Therefore, the building bridges formal education with practical industry engagement within a single framework.
This news marks continued expansion of educational infrastructure in the region. What role should architecture play in connecting education with professional practice?
A Quick Architectural Snapshot
The five-story educational center spans 120 meters in length within Tumanyan Park, Yerevan. The structure features translucent polycarbonate cladding and bubble-deck floor slabs. Positioned above the Hrazdan River Gorge, the building cantilevers over steep slopes at both ends, framing views toward Mount Ararat.
✦ ArchUp Editorial Insight
Free education models in post-Soviet economies consistently depend on external institutional funding. That dependency shapes architectural scale, program ambiguity, and symbolic visibility before any design decision occurs. The requirement to house education, co-working, research, and events within a single envelope reflects a financing logic that demands maximum programmatic justification per square meter. Cantilevered forms over dramatic topography serve donor optics more than spatial necessity. Translucent facades broadcasting interior activity at night function as accountability infrastructure, proving occupancy to distant stakeholders. The bubble-deck slab and thermal zoning are efficiency responses to operational budget anxiety, not environmental conviction. Flexible floor plans signal institutional uncertainty about long-term demand. This building is the logical outcome of international development funding plus post-Soviet educational reform plus architectural visibility as political diplomacy. The 120-meter bar is not a design gesture. It is a funding condition made structural.
