HISTORICAL BUILDINGS
HOUSE OF CULTURE “KANAZ”
1958
State index: 1.3.18
Аrchitects: Sos Manukyan, Vilen Tonikyan
Sculptor: Grigor Badalyan
Client: “Kanaz” factory
Construction organization of the Ministry of Construction of the ASSR
N 9 trust
Located at 19th Azatutyun Avenue and surrounded by public and administrative buildings, the structure was built in 1958 and designed by architects Sos Manukyan and Vilen Tonikyan. Originally serving as the cultural house (club) for the Kanaker aluminum factory (KANAZ), the building is a four-story rectangular structure.
The lobby, featuring staircases in the corners, and a 600-seat hall with a stage and balconies are aligned along the main axis. To the left of the hall is a vaulted, open summer foyer, while the club rooms are situated to the right of the hall on the fourth floor. The main facade is adorned with a decorative arch supported by columns with capitals. Flanking the arch are sculptures of a worker and a collective farmer, created by sculptor Grigor Badalyan. The facade culminates in a fronton with a rampart-like cornice. The building is constructed from Armavir tuff, and features a color scheme of pink, light orange, brown, and dark red both externally and internally.
The building features elements of national architecture. After the sale of the Kanaker aluminum factory in the post-Soviet years, it remained unoccupied and was repurposed for various uses, including a sewing workshop, brick factory, taxi service, and auto parts assembly. Due to its deteriorating condition, the space was only partially utilized and changed ownership several times.
In
2007, the building was acquired by the Ministry of Economy of the Republic of
Armenia and was subsequently renamed from “Kanaz” House of Culture to “Art
Kanaz” House of Culture.
Since 2017, the Yerevan Council of Elders has granted the building to the “Art Alphabet” Cultural Foundation, directed by National Artist of Armenia Hrant Tokhatyan, free of charge for a 10-year period. The foundation plans to establish a children's cultural center, including a school and theater. Restoration work began in 2019.
“Scientific Research Centre of Historical and Cultural Heritage” SNCO
Yerevan Municipality
