Karen Balyan presented his “Phoenix Darbinyan” Monograph in Gyumri (photos, video in Armenian)
The book about the architect who gave a smile to the city reached Gyumri. Author of the monograph spoke about his extensive work in his birthplace, Gyumri. Professor Balyan presented the book and the exclusive information that can be read in the monograph
Karen Balyan presents some fascinating details from Darbinyan’s legacy. Phoenix Darbinyan's rich creative path began with a water fountain, a small student project, and ended with the construction of the Great Fountain beautifying Yerevan. THe next famous work was the construction of Ani hotel around 50 years ago. “Darbinyan was very versatile in his profession. He mastered the art of building from stone and concrete, masterfully used the flexibility of metal, mastered the poetics of the simple language of modernism. Yerevan was Phoenix Darbinyan's working space and he constructed it beautifully.”
In the book Karen Balyan also presents the national program of Yerevan Mayor Grigor Hasratyan. Darbinyan has become one of the key figures in Grigor Hasratyan’s great idea - the “Project-2750”. “The combination of technical proficiency and artistic solutions made his works even more unique.”
The programs of the Hasratyan-Minasyan foundation have two directions. The Hasratyan direction each year will publish a conceptual work dedicated to the Armenian architecture or paintings of the 20th century. The first book in this project is the monograph about Phoenix Darbinyan. Grigor Hasratyan has also been the Mayor of Gyumri. Only after his extensive work in Gyumri he became the Mayor of Yerevan. Eventually Hasratyan turned to be the author of the biggest modernist reconstruction after Tamanyan. “Leninakan was not a so-called open-minded city. In two years Hasratyan managed to bring up fresh perspectives to the city. Ultimately, giving them a chance to feel freedom.”
Many of Darbinyan’s creations were not preserved, but it is possible to find his breath everywhere in Yerevan. In the early 1950s, Kievyan, considered a suburb of Yerevan, became a central street in a few years. The same can be said about Abovyan and Sayat Nova. “His works were full of beauty. They were based on the idea of freedom. Phoenix Darbinyan was a pioneer in various aspects.”
Phoenix Darbinyan is one of those architects whose works are all based in Yerevan. The students and professors of the Academy of Fine Arts in Gyumri are interested in the style of the modernist architect, the materials he worked with, and the golden age of Armenian architecture. The students of the Gyumri branch of the Academy of Fine Arts are quite interested in modernism. The head of the academy, Vahagn Ghukasyan, claims that students of the academy frequently have meetings with field professionals. “We constantly invite interesting guest speakers in order to organize constructive discussions with our students.”
An architect from Gyumri has a key question for Karen Balyan. After 40 years of professional research, he could not find out how Alexandropol became one of the Soviet modernist cities, without having at least one architect. According to Balyan, the answers to all those questions are in the “Phoenix Darbinyan” book published by Newmag Publishing House and the Hasratyan-Minasyan Foundation.
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