Textures of Yerevan
From its early years to its present days
September 25, 2019 | by Stefano Corazzin, Anush Ter-Khachatryan
Cities change their textures like snakes shed their skin, reassuring that urban life is reminiscent of natural order. The multiplicity of Yerevan’s textures contains the hints of all the time periods the city has gone through and their juxtaposition forms a chaotic yet unique identity. You may find an early soviet facade side by side with the latest travertine or cemented surface, may see a row of buildings follow a clearing of green public space—and these all team up to define Yerevan.
The texture of nature
Stone predominates in the city, but greenery comes out from its cracks to claim its space. Old mulberry, poplar, and oak trees spread their shadows over the ever-changing urban textures and survive as witnesses of timeless Yerevan. Meanwhile the water of lakes runs through the solid city exhibiting its many shades and choreographed waves.
The texture of walls
The pink, warm tuff stone, the key element of Yerevan from it’s early age, has been gradually replaced with cheaper and more handy textures such as basalt and travertine or more modern glass walls. Still, tuff continues to peek out from behind its successors reminding us of Old Yerevan.
The texture of the ground
Just like the walls, sidewalks also request special attention, otherwise you’ll miss the transitions under your feet: the modern colorful sidewalks of the wine street of Saryan, the faded yellow paint of the crossings that periodically gets new layers of yellow, and the grey tiled sidewalks that tempt you to step inside each block as the city passes under your feet.
PHOTOGRAPHER
Stefano Corazzin is an Italian photographer currently living in Yerevan.
AUTHOR
Anush Ter-Khachatryan is a writer living in Yerevan.