Rain... construction...
Yesterday the skies opened up for 10 or 15 minutes, and a massive amount of rain poured down... it was so refreshing. Apparently all of Europe has been experiencing a massive heat wave, and Yerevan was no exception. After finally giving up on staying under an umbrella outdoors, I headed indoors for a bit, and when I ventured out again a half an hour later, the parched city had absorbed every drop of the water - there weren't even puddles. So finally, during the nightly breeze yesterday, there wasn't loads of dust in the air. With all of the construction, plus the lack of watering the parks and "green" strips along the streets, normally the evening breeze kicks up a fair amount of dust.
So speaking of the big construction projects, it is really crazy to see it all continuing without abating. There are just so many individual projects, plus the Northern Avenue which has made some serious progress, and now they have started what is being called the "Main Avenue", along all of Arami Street (or alley). Almost all of the smaller buildings have already been torn down, and the rest appear to have precious little time left. This project will extend a main street along a big park which will be extended in length, but shrink in width, and then lead to what I can only imagine will be the last huge project in the center - Kond. Kond will also be torn down for massive, highrise redevelopment. I can't think of any other spots in the center that are available for this sort of thing, but it would be interesting to see the city plans.
So as far as my thoughts go on all the construction, while it is a pain to live through, and I wish the buildings which for the most part are bland, but not unattractive, were more beautiful, overall it is a good thing. It will help to keep real estate more affordable in the center (yes yes, I know it's all expensive, but it is still serving to satiate a massive amount of demand which otherwise would have been channeled into existing buildings, thus causing continued price rocketing, which instead has stabilized). It is creating a lot of jobs. It will help keep traffic down as more people live more compactly. It will allow for at least some buildings and areas where the entire building is under one management, so the hallways, water, roof, etc can all be properly maintained and kept clean. I only hope that these projects are being build to proper seismic code, and will stand up in the next earthquake. I have no specific reason to believe not, except that the whole time I have been here I have met many more people who like to think of often shoddy workmanship as "good enough" and prefer to save a dollar on cement (at the price of safety), than people who worry about structural soundness, integrity, etc. I often see people bashing big holes into structurally supporting walls and foundations in Yerevan in order to change a floorplan, and see neither officials nor the people living in the building seem to pay much attention...
So next for me is a trip to Georgia - so I will report my observations about that for sure!
So speaking of the big construction projects, it is really crazy to see it all continuing without abating. There are just so many individual projects, plus the Northern Avenue which has made some serious progress, and now they have started what is being called the "Main Avenue", along all of Arami Street (or alley). Almost all of the smaller buildings have already been torn down, and the rest appear to have precious little time left. This project will extend a main street along a big park which will be extended in length, but shrink in width, and then lead to what I can only imagine will be the last huge project in the center - Kond. Kond will also be torn down for massive, highrise redevelopment. I can't think of any other spots in the center that are available for this sort of thing, but it would be interesting to see the city plans.
So as far as my thoughts go on all the construction, while it is a pain to live through, and I wish the buildings which for the most part are bland, but not unattractive, were more beautiful, overall it is a good thing. It will help to keep real estate more affordable in the center (yes yes, I know it's all expensive, but it is still serving to satiate a massive amount of demand which otherwise would have been channeled into existing buildings, thus causing continued price rocketing, which instead has stabilized). It is creating a lot of jobs. It will help keep traffic down as more people live more compactly. It will allow for at least some buildings and areas where the entire building is under one management, so the hallways, water, roof, etc can all be properly maintained and kept clean. I only hope that these projects are being build to proper seismic code, and will stand up in the next earthquake. I have no specific reason to believe not, except that the whole time I have been here I have met many more people who like to think of often shoddy workmanship as "good enough" and prefer to save a dollar on cement (at the price of safety), than people who worry about structural soundness, integrity, etc. I often see people bashing big holes into structurally supporting walls and foundations in Yerevan in order to change a floorplan, and see neither officials nor the people living in the building seem to pay much attention...
So next for me is a trip to Georgia - so I will report my observations about that for sure!
posted by Raffi K. at 8:09 AM
9 Comments:
I was out on the street yesterday when the rain started and I loved it!!!!
I guess I have good windows. I was at home, felt something was different, looked outside and everything looked normal except for a couple of puddles on one of the buildings that are being built on Northern Avenue. It was weird. I couldn't figure out if it had rained or not.
It's good to see Raffi seeing the positive side to all this construction. All we hear are negative remarks all day long from people and on the news.
I see they are also working on the Vernissage area ... FINALLY! (Part of the Main Avenue project ... Kond > Vardan M. statue.)
They've also planned to clean up the St. Gregory Cathedral area.
Raff, have a good time in Georgia, wish I was going. I wanna take a trip out there again this year. I loved my last trip.
is there a similar construction boom in georgia at the moment also?
or have they already passed theirs etc
is armenia in a unique position compared to the other CIS states because of diasporan investments and yerevan's "incomplete" state?
oh and another small thing... I really hate the glass theyve used on the fascia of the northern avenue buildings. If you look at the plans, the "blue tower" was meant to be clad with modern, blue tinted mirror glass, instead they are using a cheaper, older , and uglier form of glass with that brown tint that you see in buildings from the 80's. A real disappointment for me as that blue stuff looks nice, whereas the brown stuff just looks ugly. Also down know if they will have to change the name of the tower to brown mess?
All these created many homless people.
It could have been done in a better way if people who lost their houses received new apartments in the new buildings.
Also many historical buildings are being replaced with all those new ugly buildings.
It could definitly be done in a better way.
Haig n, all you've mentioned has been repeated over and over again ... beautiful old buildings replaced by new ugly buildings. I COMPLETELY agree with you, but if the Architects Union can't do anything, who's going to listen to us?
Next thing you know they'll tear down the buildings of Republic Square.
There are over thirty new 8-12 story (sometimes more) residential buildings being built in the center right now, and none of them look as nice as our old buildings. Something as simple as a few engravings on the facades or columns would completely make them look very similar to our old buildings. I suppose once they are built that can still be done. I'm being very optimistic.
Harmick as far as the "Blue Tower" on Northern Avenue goes, there is no glass on it yet. They just started placing the facades deep pink tuff this past week.
If you mean the glass on the "Plaza" business tower, I suppose it looks like a typical flat and boring business building from the 80’s. I know the pics of that building the realtors show are sort of beige with blue glass, but now it's purplish tuff with dark tinted windows. (Very rabiz)
yea..thats what i meant.. i m assuming the materials they use for the plaza will be the same as the tower...in which case..its going to be very very ugly. i will actually be annoyed every time i look at it...oh well
Well in that case Harmick, like you said, the name of the tower would have to change. I don't think they will use the same material. I will definitely post pics when the tower is done.
By the way, one 200 sq m apartment in the tower, and if I'm not mistaken not completely built (meaning no kitchen cupboards and so on) is about $375,000 US. No wonder only 2 apartments are sold so far.
Yup there is a lot of construction going on in Tblisi too, though I can't say if it's as much. It certainly isn't transforming the center in the same way. I have developed a lot of interesting new thoughts and ideas about tourism in Armenia during my travels in Europe and now Georgia that I'll share when I get back. I suspect they'll generate some lively conversation!
:-)
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