Phoenix Darbinyan was convinced that the “Tamanyan breath” should be preserved in Yerevan (video in Armenian)
On the initiative of the Hasratyan-Minasyan Foundation Newmag published Karen Balyan’s “Phoenix Darbinyan: the architect who gave a smile to the city” monograph. Professor, architect theorist, specialist in the history of modernism Karen Balyan’s book is
The former chief architect of Yerevan chose the place for the interview himself, near the fountain of his former leader. Tigran Barseghyan had arrived earlier and, while sitting near the fountain, he was mentally talking to Phoenix Darbinyan. “This is like a self-portrait of the author. While looking at this you can vividly see the author.”
Tigran Barseghyan joined Darbinyan’s team after graduating from the university. In the 1970s it was referred to as the number one studio of the Yerevan project. The atmosphere fully represented Darbinyan and his ideologies. There were representatives of both old and younger generations. “It was like a symphony, which reflected the lights and the water.”
The architect claims that lots of things have been distorted in the park, but the trace left by the skilled architect Darbinyan is still noticeable. This park was elaborated by Darbinyan's group in detail, paying special attention to each step of the process. It was constructed in a way so that future generations could renovate it. Tigran Barseghyan gets emotional, while having a retrospective look on the past. ” This is such an emotional moment, such a unique atmosphere.”
Architect Ashot Aleksanyan, while talking about Phoenix Darbinyan, stops talking for a few seconds and then continues. That’s how he tries to control his emotions. Aleksanyan is one of the authors of the Dvin Hotel, Northern Avenue, the Military Institute, the Russian-Armenian University. In the Yerevan project, he was one of the senior specialists. He preferred to talk about his friend in Sakharov Square. While walking in the city, looking at the buildings designed by his colleagues, the architect remembers that everything was built with moderate motives. “Nowadays it is partly distorted.”
Ashot Aleksanyan speaks about the distorted architectural legacy with restrained frustration. “It is impossible to resist the challenges of contemporary motives. We must look ahead, maintaining Tamanyan’s unique signature.
Speaking about the portrait of the capital Yerevan, the architect remembers Grigor Hasratyan. Hasratyan constantly claimed that the Yerevan project is the creative union of the capital. “He used to say that all of us should work as the constructors of Yerevan. We called him a world-class mayor.”
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