Gumuchdjian Architects

The ambition of this project is pertinent to the spirit of the FREESPACE theme in the way it promotes culture over consumerism and promotes an alternative to the “dead hand of conventional tourism”.
This collaboration between the architects and an adventurer is focused on forging a 750km long walking trail from the north to the south of Armenia, called the Transcaucasian Trail. The architects see their role as catalysts, as makers of public spaces along this route, generating places where cultural experiences will engage with the local communities. This will be a labour of love, built up patiently over time, in six stages. There is a conviction in the proposal made by the architects that small interventions in this enormous landscape will bring people together. The idea is that such a project would both value the past and look to the future and that its implementation will engage the creative activity of the young. There is a refreshing feeling of impatience to move away from the sentimental and the opportunistic approach to both the culture and the landscape of Armenia and to facilitate a way of looking at resources and at historic legacy with fresh eyes. They describe this work as “a gentle architectural manifesto with an ambitious cultural objective”.
YF+SMcN