YEREVAN

The idea for the Cascade first appeared in the master plan for Yerevan, developed by architect Alexander Tamanian in the 1920s. He envisioned connecting the city center with the northern hills of Kanaker through a system of terraces, waterfalls, and flower beds. However, at the time, the project was deemed too ambitious and did not receive funding.

In 1967, the “Revived Armenia” obelisk was erected on the top of the Kanaker plateau, thus completing the main “north-south” planning axis of the city. After its installation, the idea arose to create a stairway complex connecting the city center to the monument.

In the early 1970s, architects Jim Torosyan, Sargis Gurzadyan, and Aslan Mkhitaryan began developing a new design for the Cascade. However, Torosyan envisioned it not as a utilitarian structure, but as a multifunctional public space where architecture, nature, and art interact. He added exhibition halls within the terraces, escalators hidden within the complex, courtyards creating cozy relaxation areas, and a sculpture garden—a space for contemporary art in the open air.

In 1974, a monument to Alexander Tamanyan was erected in front of the complex. The authors of the monument are sculptor Artashes Hovsepyan and architect Seda Petrosyan.

Construction of the cascade began in 1980. However, in the late 1980s, following the 1988 Armenian earthquake, the dissolution of the Soviet Union, and the First Nagorno-Karabakh War, construction was suspended.

In 2002, the government of Armenia decided to reconstruct the existing sections of the Cascade and complete its unfinished sections. The project was initiated by the Gerard Cafesjian Museum Foundation, a museum founded by Armenian-American philanthropist Gerard Cafesjian, who teamed with architect David Hotson to design the museum, which opened in 2009 and became the Cafesjian Museum of Art. The philanthropist donated $128 million toward the complex's reconstruction.

In 2011, the Aznavour Centre opened on the upper tier of the Cascade.

In April 2019, one of the original co-authors of the Cascade, Aslan Mkhitaryan, presented two draft versions of the completion of the upper part of the complex. The first envisioned a multipurpose concert hall in the central portion of the structure, a hotel on the left side, and a 3,000-seat open-air amphitheatre on the right. The second option proposed replacing the hotel with a 1,200 m² museum, and replacing the amphitheatre with a Charles Aznavour concert hall, designed for 1,500 spectators. Both projects included recreation areas, cafes and fountains, an extension of the internal escalator, and the use of solar panels to provide autonomous power supply for the complex.

From September 2 to 29, 2024, two options for completing the complex—"Cascade Gardens" and "Cascade Cultural Center"—were presented to Yerevan residents on the Active Citizen online platform. Only 2,030 people participated in the vote. 44.4% voted for "Cascade Gardens" and 55.6% for "Cascade Cultural Center." The majority of Yerevan residents who did not participate in the vote opposed both projects, citing flaws and a lack of alignment with the city's spirit. The Chamber of Architects of Armenia also criticized the Cascade's completion and proposed that Jim Torosyan personally oversee the design. However, the project received official approval; its implementation is estimated at 20 billion drams (approximately $7.8 million) and is scheduled to take approximately five years.