The norms of professional ethics and copyrights are grossly violated, the architectural appearance of the buildings is being distorted

President of the Chamber of Architects of the Republic of Armenia
Mr. Mkrtich Minasyan

To the Chairman of the State Urban Development Committee
of the Republic of Armenia
Mr. A. Eloyan

Honorable gentlemen,

Days ago, in presence of the Presidents of France and Armenia, a project of a “reconstruction” of the Yerevan Aznavour Center was presented to the public in the mentioned center. This project has never been discussed and never agreed in any competent authority of the Republic of Armenia.

A French-Armenian architect Aris Adamian was named as the author of the project.

It was a very disturbing fact that the author of the center, honored architect of the Republic of Armenia Mr. Narek Sargsyan refused to participate to the mentioned event, who, as it turns out, by virtue of copyright didn’t gave his consent to such modifications.

This unacceptable occurrence of arbitrary modifications of the creations of Armenian architects by foreign promoters is unfortunately becoming ordinary nowadays, considering the multitude of similar examples of the past years.

The norms of professional ethics and copyrights are grossly violated, the architectural appearance of the buildings is being distorted.

Recently, with the joint efforts of the RA Government and the Union of Architects of the Republic of Armenia, the RA National Assembly adopted the RA Law on Architectural Activity, on the basis of which the Chamber of Architects of the Republic of Armenia was created with the aim of, beside other functions, protecting the rights of RA architects in Armenia.

The law also envisages the process of obtaining a corresponding license for foreign architects to operate in Armenia.

Architectural ethics are of international character and are mandatory for architects of all countries.

Considering the fact that the arbitrary modifications of the Aznavour Center without the consent of the author can become a very bad precedent for the future of the architectural works of each of us, we hereby request to take steps in order to prevent the sacrifice of yet another unique building in Yerevan as prescribed by the above-mentioned law.

We call on foreign partners to be respectful in our country and to our creative approach. We welcome the participation of our Diaspora partners in the construction processes of Armenia, the use of the foreign advanced experience through them, but only in the atmosphere of professional solidarity and mutual respect, and not at the expense of our professional dignity.

Honored architect of the Republic of Armenia Ashot Aleksanyan

Honored architect of the Republic of Armenia Hovhannes Mutafyan

Honored architect of the Republic of Armenia Levon Vardanyan

19 Oct. 2018