MAYBE IT IS WORTHWHILE TO BANISH CHIEF ARCHITECTS FROM THE CITY?
Hakob Badalyan

Lragir
Sept 4 2007
Armenia

On September 3 the City Hall of Yerevan broke the news of a historical
decision. The chief architect of the city Samvel Danielyan was honored
to break the news who was the star of the screen yesterday because
the City Hall has adopted new regulations for preservation of the
architectural style of Yerevan. The chief architect informed that
the owners or renters of buildings are responsible for violation
of the new regulations. The City Hall was modest but that is enough
because the society abused its modesty and spoiled the architecture
of Yerevan. If the City Hall delayed a little, Yerevan would lose its
appearance, and the planes flying for Damask might land in Yerevan
by mistake because the pilot would take Eurasian Yerevan for Asian
Damask. However, this is not the most shocking thing.

"Hereon the projects which comply with the urban planning legislation
and the regulations will be permitted," ARKA cited Samvel Danielyan.

In fact, the architectural concept of Yerevan was distorted not
by ignoring, pressuring on the City Hall or by connivance but by
written agreement. If the chief architect says hereon the projects
which comply with the urban planning legislation and the regulations
will be permitted, it means so far the projects which did not comply
with the urban planning legislation were permitted. Therefore, after
the development Yerevan looks like Gyumri after the earthquake.

However, Mayor Zakharyan or the president and the prime minister should
not reproach Samvel Danielyan for revealing the secret. In reality
he told indirectly but frankly what is known to every Yerevanite
that every act in urban planning is affirmed by the City Hall,
and it looks quite legal, although what happens can comply with
any human law. The point is how these anti-urban projects get the
permission of the City Hall. It is not a secret either, however,
because Armenia is too small a country. Those projects are approved
either because higher-ranking officials instruct the City Hall or the
City Hall which fulfills those instructions is granted the right to
permit some other illegal projects.

Afterwards Narek Sargsyan, who used to be chief architect and his
status was equal to that of deputy mayor and for 5 years he was one of
those who granted permissions, dealt with Robert Kocharyan more often
than his supervisor, says the owners who distort the architectural
style of the city should be banished from the city for 5 years. In
fact, Narek Sargsyan offers a rather interesting punishment. When I
asked him in a news conference a few years ago what should be done
to people who permitted this tastelessness by legalizing or shutting
an eye on it, penal enthusiasm collapsed in the former architect of
Yerevan, and he tried to explain somehow the objectivity of decisions
on permission.

In fact, it is hard to imagine parting from what you have created,
no matter you are Pygmalion and you created Galatea or you are Maestro
Cherry and your creation is ugly Pinocchio. It is hard but necessary
to banish those who build and those who approve this tastelessness
for 5-10 years from the city, for the sake of the fatherland indeed.

They could go to Barekamavan, one of the farthest villages of
Armenia. They would live there for five or ten years, one would submit
a project, the other would habitually approve, and they would build
up, develop Barekamavan. Then it would be necessary to banish them
from Barekamavan to save the architectural style of Barekamavan, and
they would then go and develop Agarak. And so on until the problem
of upgrading the regions to the level of Yerevan was solved.