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Jutting out towards Lake Sevan, considered the pearl of Armenia, a short distance outside of Yerevan, Armenian Writer’s Union Resort is one of the prime examples of Soviet modernism. As it is located on the southern side of the lake, the location in the past was an island, which has become a peninsula due to the artificial draining that occurred during the era of Josef Stalin. The architectural style represents the era of Soviet modernist buildings displaying ingenuity and imagination.

 

Writers’ Resort is a complex of two buildings one of which was built in early 1930s by prominent architects of Soviet avant-garde Mikael Mazmanyan and Gevorg Kochar. Both architects were faithful apologists of conceptions concerning the potentiality of architecture to shape new forms of sociality derived from the situational/organic features existing in local vernacular constructive/architectural traditions. During the Stalinist repressions Kochar and Mazmanyan were exiled to Siberia and were rehabilitated only after the death of Stalin in 1955.

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After returning to Armenia, Gevorg Kochar was commissioned in 1963 to accomplish the interrupted project of Writers’ Resort architectural complex. In 1965 the construction of the new Canteen building was completed.

Shaped like a tongue, which is jutting out towards Lake Sevan, the canteen offers quite the spectacular views of the pearl of Armenia. Even though its exterior is not rich in decoration, it represents actually fish scales, which one could imagine to become alive and get into the lake. Because of the location and amazing architecture, one can find the beauty in it, as well as the surroundings and get inspired for creative work.

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Sevan Writers' Resort still maintains its original function to house authors seeking relaxation and inspiration.