Armenpress
CAFESJIAN FOUNDATION TO LAUNCH CONTEMPORARY MUSEUM CONSTRUCTION IN LATE MAY
YEREVAN, MAY 10, ARMENPRESS: Madlen Minasian, the head of the Cafesjian
Museum Foundation press office, told Armenpress the Foundation is set to
launch in late May the construction of the Gerard L. Cafesjian Museum of
Contemporary Art in central Yerevan. She said the construction is supposed
to be over by 2007.
Madlen Minasian recalled that that the Cafesjian Museum Foundation has
selected New York Architect David Hotson to design the Gerard L. Cafesjian
Museum of Contemporary Art. Its location, known as the Cascade, will be
fully renovated at a cost of $3-5mln, or 20% of the total $25 mln the
Cafesjian Foundation has thus far allocated for the project.
During the official launch of the construction eight large-size
sculptures that will be set up near the Cascade, will be presented to the
audience.
David Hotson Architect, is known for the following projects: the design
of the United Nations Offices for the Secretary General; the design of the
new facilities for the media art organization, Eyebeam Atelier, located in
West Chelsea in Manhattan; the design of the residence of architect Santiago
Calatrava; and acting as Principal Architect working with designer Maya Lin
for the Museum of African Art in Manhattan, New York.
Slated for construction in 2004-2006, the museum will house Mr.
Cafesjian’s pre-eminent collection of glass artwork, including the
definitive collection of works by renowned artists Stanislav Libensky and
Jaroslava Brychtova. The permanent displays will also include a broad range
of prominent 20th century pieces including both paintings and sculpture.
Additionally, the museum will host a program of world-class traveling
exhibitions.
The design treats the principal Museum building as an extension of the
Cascade, completing an animated pathway linking Tamanyan Park to the
Monument by exterior stairway and interior escalators. The Museum building
will provide a public plaza, ornamental pool, sculpture courts, a cafe and
an exterior cinema all accessible to passers-by as well as visitors to the
Museum itself.
A prominent glass tower, housing the Cafesjian glass collection, creates
a vivid emblem for the Museum on the skyline and compositionally balances
the cinema screen while preserving the central visual access of the Cascade.
The Museum design organizes major circulation paths to create framed vistas
of important symbolic elements of the surrounding cityscape, such as the
Mother Armenia Monument and Mount Ararat.
Minasian said David Hotson suggested that a third building -the Statue of
Independence, be erected. In the two years of its work on the Cascade
complex the Foundation has repaired 9 halls, the fountains and water
removing system, has put into the action the moving stairway and installed
public toilets in the area. Some 10,000 people make use of the moving
stairway daily that provides a shortest travel from downtown Yerevan to
northern quarters of the capital city.
Since its inception in Armenia the Foundation has invested $50 million in
Armenia, including such projects as alternative energy sources, real
property, television, press and banking.