Armenia’s Architectural Language: Getting Lost in Translation

The Expeditioner, January 2007
Earthwatch Institute, Maynard, MA

On December 7, 1988, an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.9 shook
northwestern Armenia, and was followed four minutes later by a magnitude 5.8
aftershock. Waves of aftershocks, some as large as 5.0 in magnitude,
continued for months. Whole towns were leveled, 25,000 people died, and half
a million people became homeless. As if this was not enough, this enormous
disaster was followed by a series of other social challenges. In 1989, the
Soviet Union collapsed; in 1991, Armenia declared independence; also, in
1991 a war between Armenia and Azerbaijan began, and didn’t end until a
truce was called in 1994.

Architect Jane Britt Greenwood has watched Armenia’s struggles first-hand.
After touring Eastern Europe in 1988-89 with the Boston Society of
Architects, Greenwood, a Boston-based architect, and her husband, an
engineer, jumped at the opportunity to teach at the new American-style
university being opened in Armenia. The living conditions were hard in
1992-93: gas lines were constantly blown up, food was limited, and any
bathing was done from a bucket, yet the people were warm and open, and
Greenwood says it was really a life-changing experience.

Although the earthquake hit almost 20 years ago, and war ended more than 10
years ago, Armenia is still in recovery. For years, residents of Gyumri
(pronounced Goom-ri) were actually living in shipping containers that make
FEMA trailers look comfy in comparison. But during the last four years,
Gyumri, the capital city of the Shirak region of Armenia, has seen major
economic growth and development, and is undergoing a building boom. This
prosperity and growth is spreading throughout the country.

After leaving Armenia, Greenwood stayed in touch with friends, and when
conditions started to improve in 2000, she started looking for a way to be
involved in the reconstruction of this country she had come to love. As an
architect, the rebuilding of Armenia’s infrastructure interested her, and
she was disappointed to find that the new buildings generally lack the
traditional Armenian character. In the quest for modernization, Armenia’s
distinct heritage and character is being lost. `What they are doing is
building another Times Square, something that could be anywhere, because of
the desire to appear prosperous,’ says Greenwood.

Greenwood’s Earthwatch-supported expeditions, which will start this April,
will take volunteers to Gyumri, a city founded in the 5th century B.C.E. by
the Greeks. However, archaeologists have found remnants of human life dating
back 100,000 years that suggest almost continuous habitation. Gyumri has had
a series of names and hosted a multitude of cultures over the years, which
have lent the city its unique conglomeration of architectural styles.
Working with Greenwood, Earthwatch volunteers will identify and document the
historical architectural elements and patterns in the historic districts,
which will contribute to a database of architectural information that can be
access and shared by Armenian planners, architects, and designers.

`Despite all the hardship, Armenia has an incredibly resilient, positive,
and optimistic culture,’ says Greenwood. `I want to help them keep what’s
unique about their heritage by documenting their historical and vernacular
patterns, so that they can use this as a guide for managing future city
growth and economic development.’

To find out more about Greenwood’s expedition, please call our friendly and
knowledgeable Expedition Advisors at 800-776-0188.

Photos: An old stone church that collapsed during the earthquake in Armenia;
New construction beside vernacular architecture; Stone mason repairing a
damaged wall; Interior of a Roman style bath

Photos © NOAA NGDC, Jane Greenwood.

0107Expeditioner/Jan07enewsfull.html?tr=y&auid =2321222#armenia