NPAK Armenian Centre for Contemporary Art

The Armenian sailing vessel “Kilikia” is a true copy of a merchant ship of the Middle Ages, which was able to overcome the route from Yerevan around Europe from 2004 to 2006 while passing through seven seas. In the Middle Ages, the ship was a symbol of the unification of nations, and travelers and merchants played an important role in the intercultural dialogue and exchange. Taking the story of a journey of “Kilikia” as a starting point and an inspiration, we refer to its potential to provide a platform for dialogue between artists and other professionals of the cultural sphere.

Squeezed in the city structure The NPAK building today is the part of the architectural ensemble that had lost its original function. The disconnection will enable the future NPAK center to form new urban scenarios and turn the existing extension into a building with a new history.

The internal structure of the building includes three main cores: Public, Art, and Education. Public space is the “storage” and transmission of space that supports the growth of the environment. Lectures, workshops, masterclasses, and debates are taking place at Education space. Art includes three types of gallery spaces, that are White Cube, Black Box, and Serpentine. White Cube is an exposition that is not intended to interact with the environment. Black Box is the space for Theatre, Cinema, and Media Art, where the visitor dissolves in the darkness of the action. Serpentine allows you to view the exposition from different levels.

The educational function is partially moved outside the building using the Pool. The Pool form is consonant with the elements of urban planning in Yerevan and is also a reference to the previously existing fountain near the side facade.

The traffic scheme in the art-center is organized in a way that allows visitors to enter the Large exhibition hall first, and then the Small exhibition hall. The unique elements of the gallery are the transforming plates that are connecting two halls and becoming a space to present large-scale artworks.