Cascade Pre-History
The idea of establishing a direct link between the Monument and the city center occurred still in the Soviet Union era, more precisely in 1970s. Back then Yerevan city architect was Alexander Tamanyan (1878-1936), who proposed that the northern and central parts of the city be connected. In other words, the city’s historical residential and cultural centers were to be linked. The picture he had in mind included a large green area with waterfalls and gardens. Nevertheless, this idea remained on the paper and would be completely forgotten if one day it were not brought forth by Jim Torosyan, Yerevan’s Chief Architect. It was in late 1970s.
Torosyan used Tamanyan’s plan as the basis, but at the same time incorporated his own ideas. The way he pictured the link between the northern and the central parts was via an exterior monumental stairway and a series of indoor escalators. Accordingly, the two parts of the city would not only be linked, but would also be easily accessible. Other than the stairway and the indoor escalators, Torosyan’s plan envisaged courtyards and outdoor gardens, which would include various sculptural works portraying Armenia’s history and cultural heritage.
The construction of the complex based on Torosyan’s plan started in 1980s. The construction was, however, frozen because of the earthquake that occurred in 1988 and later on, because of the collapse of the Soviet Union. In 1991 Armenia became an independent state, which was great but it also meant to face every problem on your own, for which Armenia was never prepared. Besides, Armenia appeared in a most severe economic hardship. In this regard, the construction of Cascade was definitely not the first thing to be completed. As a result, it remained neglected for over a decade and it was not until 2002 that the construction resumed. It was initiated by Gerard Cafesjian, who founded the Cafesjian Museum Foundation and restored the Cascade monument turning it into one of the world’s principal centers for arts. Notably, every piece of the monument was renovated.
Cascade Basic Facts
Currently, Cascade includes 572 steps. It is 50 meters (164 feet) wide. The distance from the bottom to the top of the Cascade is 302 meters (991 feet), and the distance from the bottom to the top of the Monument Terrace is 450 meters (1476 feet). The unfinished section is 78 meters (256 feet).
At the top of Cascade a large glass museum was planned to be built. The construction began, unfortunately, it has not ended yet.
Outside the Cascade Complex
In front of Cascade there are numerous small green areas with flowers beautifully planted in a way as to make a piece of art work. There are lots of interesting statues sure to attract every visitor’s attention. The statues are very valuable. Among them works of such renowned sculptors as Lynn Chadwick (British sculptor, one of the giants of 20th century art), Barry Flanagan (Welsh sculptor), Stanislav Libensky and Jaroslava Brychtova (Czech couple), Paul Cox (English sculptor), Jaume Plensa (Spanish Catalan artist and sculptor) and Fernando Botero (Colombian artist) are presented.
Some of Sculptures at Cascade:
- “Stairs,” “Two Watchers,” and “Sitting Forms” by Lynn Chadwick.
- “Acrobats” and “Hare on Bell” by Barry Flanagan.
- “Open Window” by Stanislav Libensky and Jaroslava Brychtova.
- “Ahoy,” a cartoon-like boat by Paul Cox.
- “Black Cat” (right in front of Cascade) and the Roman Warrior (at the top of Cascade) by Fernando Botero.
All these sculptures together make up the Cafesjian Sculpture Garden.
Cafesjian Center for Arts
The goal of the Cafesjian Center for Arts is to introduce the best of the contemporary art to Armenia and all those people who will visit Armenia and this center. In this regard, a number of exhibitions are held there. As of 2011, over 1,200,000 people visited the Cafesjian Center for Arts. It includes several galleries, out of which the most notable ones are the following: : Gallery One (includes works of such glass artists like Ivan Mares, Jaromir Rybak, Pavel Trnka, John Kuhn, Herb Babcock Jan Zoricak and Bertil Vallien), Khanjyan Gallery, Eagle Gallery, (includes works from the private collections of art historian Poghos Haytayan, painter Robert Elibakian and architect Oshin Yeghiazariantz), Sasuntsi Davit Gallery (includes pieces of glass works by most renowned Czech glass artists Stanislav Libensky and Jaroslava Brychtova), Eagle Garden Gallery and Swarovsky Gallery.
There is also the Museum Store. This store is more a gallery than a store. It can be accessed through Gallery One. It offers not only exclusive merchandise from around the world but also unique works by such artists as Dale Chihuly, Andy Warhol, and Isamu Noguchi. Exclusive Armenian arts and crafts can be found as well.
Though Cascade is a relatively new building with a history of only 40 years it has passed a long way with being continuously reconstructed and renovated since 2002. And now it has emerged into one of the most visited and most beautiful places in Yerevan, which not only offers a perfect view, but is itself a perfect piece of architecture.
Location
Cascade is located in the center of Yerevan. The nearby places include the Opera House and Matenadaran.
