The Transformation of Green Zones in Yerevan, Armenia: Domestication of Nature, Times of Ruination and the Idea of 'New Hanging Gardens'

Abstract

The layout of the contemporary Armenian capital Yerevan is based on a 1924 master plan by the Soviet Armenian architect Alexander Tamanyan, who was inspired by the English concept of the 'garden city'. Still, the city has a much longer 'green tradition' that is documented for pre-Soviet times and might reach back to - or at least allude to - the parks and gardens of ancient Mesopotamia. In this article, we give insights into this local green tradition. First, we describe the changing attitude towards the city and urban green space and the city's and city dwellers' changing relationship to nature more generally. We then introduce the Cascade, a Soviet fountain structure, as an example to illustrate some of the recent developments and to map out the tangible and intangible links with the ancient past. Finally, building on our interpretation of the ancient and recent past of Yerevan, we make some suggestions for how to (re)turn the Cascade into a green project that is both traditional and at the same time modern.