Amphitheater after Terteryan

Palyan Arch

Ready to Build (Permitted Projects) – Culture. Education. Display

Armenia

Company Name

Palyan Arch

COMPANY COUNTRY:

Armenia

ARCHITECTURAL CREDITS

Palyan Architects

Project Team

Tigran Palyan/architect, Rafayel Chtchyan/structural engineer, Diana Petrosyan/visualization-graphic designer, Mery Palyan/designer

CLIENT OR OWNER NAME:

Varazdat Karapetyan

Project Name:

Amphitheater after Terteryan

Project Country:

Armenia

Project City:

Sevan

Project Category:

Culture. Education. Display

Project Area:

858

Completion Date:

Project overview

Inspired by Avet Terteryan's symphonies, the amphitheater emerges from the landscape as music carved into stone. Chaotic walls echo the composer's powerful language while shielding the stage from the wind. The seating flows with the natural slope, dissolving architecture into nature. At night, light rises from the tallest wall toward the sky, expressing Terteryan's dialogue between earth and the universe. The estimated total construction cost of the project is $400,000

Project history

The project began with a recommendation from a trusted collaborator who believed our architectural language would resonate with the client’s vision. During our first visit to the shores of Lake Sevan, the proposed location placed the amphitheater on a flat plateau, interrupting the visual connection between the reconstructed Terteryan House and the lake. The landscape, however, suggested another path. By moving the amphitheater onto the natural hillside, the terrain itself became the architecture, shaping the seating while preserving the uninterrupted horizon. Inspired by the timeless logic of the ancient Greek amphitheater, the project is carved into the land rather than placed upon it. The concept was embraced instantly; the site and budget were approved, and within weeks the first sketch became the final vision. No alternative was ever requested—a rare moment when architecture felt inevitable.