This Netherlands-based architecture firm has a 340sqkm canvas in Armenia to play with.
by Kenneth Lee / February 16, 2022
Prior to the pandemic, Armenia was shaping up as one of Europe’s understated tourism gems. Tourist numbers first blew past half a million back in the 90s, and has since nearly quadrupled to a record-high of 1.9 million inbound visitors as of 2019. This is thanks to the wealth of natural, cultural, recreational and historical wonders the former Soviet nation has to offer. A multihued, self-sufficient reimagination of Gagarin Valley – named after Soviet cosmonaut and first man in space Yuri Gagarin – might just be adding to that list.
The 340sqkm valley’s transformation is part of a proposal recently presented by Netherlands-based architecture firm MVRDV to Armenian government officials. The project itself was commissioned by Armenian non-profit DAR Foundation to reinvent the valley (just 50km out of Armenia’s capital Yerevan) into a veritable tourist destination. Armenia, after all, is aiming to attract 2.5 million tourists a year by 2026.
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Situated in the nation’s highlands, Gagarin Valley is already home to some preexisting 11,000 inhabitants across a number of villages. The masterplan sees the addition of 12,000 future-proof housing units and 10,000 different plant species across the area to redefine it as a sustainable, ecotourism hub.
This reimagination doesn’t mean an abandonment of what was. The mosaic of existing plots will be preserved, though additional infrastructure like roads will be enhanced with walking and cycling paths, along with canal systems to redistribute waters from the Hrazdan River and nearby mountain reservoirs to irrigate farmland.
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The region will also be vivified with a host of new facilities, including a market hall, commercial centre, and a sunken stadium that can fit 4,500 visitors. An educational agricultural centre surrounded by a central park that contains all of the 10,000 species in the region will underpin the vision for Gagarin Valley – as an ecotourism hub of the future.
“The area is named after Yuri Gagarin, who was the first human to orbit the earth; he saw the planet’s vulnerability, a house in need of extra care, as many other astronauts have since stressed. I share that concern: stimulating biodiversity, improving water management and the ecosystem is of great importance for the future of the Gagarin Valley and the world,” says MVRDV founding partner Winy Maas. “The valley can be seen as a series of test fields for the 10,000 species that will soon flourish there, an enrichment that will give the area the appearance of a garden of Eden.”
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The rebirthed Gagarin Valley joins Armenia’s growing list of tourist destinations, which already includes three UNESCO World Heritage sites, beautiful mountains, wine country and everything in between – assuming that the proposal goes through, of course.
For more on MRVDV.
