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Sevan Writer’s guesthouse, designed by Gevorg Kochar and Mikael Mazmanyan in 1932 is likely to be renovated. Getty Foundation informs that they’ve chosen the guesthouse as a heritage of Soviet modernism and will support the scientific analysis of the building providing USD 130.000.

“A Getty grant will support the methodical and scientific analysis of the Sevan resort, and the resulting conservation management plan will set a precedent for valuing modernist heritage not only in Armenia, but also in other post-Soviet and post-socialist countries,” Getty Foundation http://news.getty.edu/images/9036/KIM_Grant%20Descriptions_2016_Final.pdf informs.

Chairman of National Association of Art Critics of Armenia, Ruben Arevshatyan, who heads the restoration project told Panorama.am that before the building caught the foundation’s attention, he had written numerous scientific articles on Sevan Writer’s guesthouse considering it a unique structure.

“The foundation read my articles as well as the research on Soviet modernism, which I did with my Austrian colleague. We’ve been carrying out exhibitions for many years now, as Soviet modernism has become an important topic in architecture,” Mr Arevshatyan said.

Ruben Arevshatyan also described the process of renovation. “The scientific restoration of the complex assumes its theoretical, historical research, as well as structural analysis, based on which conservation plan should be formed. Only then the draft of the project will be developed. This stage will be summed up during a conference, attended by famous international specialists studying Soviet modernism, theoreticians and Getty Foundation specialists.”

Sahrat Petrosyan is the head of the project’s architectural design.

The restoration project will last 3-4 years, but the funding will cover only the 1st stage of the development of scientific research and conservation plan. “Considering the outcomes of the 1st stage, the development of the project implementation will be clear.”