Church in Perm

This project details the architectural adaptation and reconstruction of the “Surb Grigor Lusavorich” church in Perm, located at 11a Chkalova Street. Its purpose is to align the building’s design with the traditional proportions of medieval Armenian church architecture while meeting modern Russian building codes.

Project for the Adaptation of the “Surb Grigor Lusavorich” Church in Perm

Our bureau has completed the project for the adaptation and reconstruction of the “Surb Grigor Lusavorich” church, located at 11a Chkalova Street in Perm. The project was developed in accordance with the strict standards of the Russian Federation and complies with all design norms and climatic conditions of the Perm region.

The main objective of the project was to harmonize the existing volumes of the building with the canons and proportions of medieval Armenian church architecture, which are based on the principles of a five-pointed star. We decided to keep the main layout solutions unchanged but made significant alterations to the vertical volumes to align them with traditional Armenian proportions.

Key Architectural Solutions

• Scale and Proportions: Our analysis revealed the need to expand the northern and southern apses from 7.18 m to 11.26 m. This was achieved by building out consoles at the 4.7 m mark, which visually widened the side facades and gave them a sense of greater scale.
• Stylobate: The high stylobate (2.5 m), traditional for Russian churches, was adapted to conform to Armenian canons. We created a pronounced basalt stylobate of four 40 cm steps, while the remaining part was camouflaged as a vertical wall, bringing the appearance closer to the traditional Armenian style.
• Entrance and Narthex: To better match Armenian architectural traditions, the entrance narthex was visually divided by horizontal lines. The basalt stylobate was extended around the entire perimeter, and the remaining part of the narthex was faced with tufa, with carved excerpts from sacred scriptures.
• Dome: A key decision was to expand the dome’s drum from 7.66 m to 11.22 m in diameter. Simultaneously, the height of all church apses was increased by reducing the height of the drum itself, giving the building a more harmonious look.
• Interior: The project includes the dismantling and relocation of the choir balcony to improve sightlines. A second level of a circular balcony was created at the 4.7 m mark, unifying all rooms on the second floor and adding a sense of fluidity to the interior.
• Ornamentation: The inner columns, bases, and capitals, as well as the cornices and arches, were crafted with rich carved profiles that reflect the traditions of Armenian architecture. Carved stone reliefs were also added to the facade and the dome’s drum, making the church more monumental and ceremonial.

Materials and Finishes

Both the interior and exterior of the church are faced with tufa. On the exterior, the facing stone is 5 cm thick, and at least 10 cm in areas with ornamentation. On the interior, the thickness is 3 cm. The outer cornices and arches are made of stone up to 12 cm thick.

The adaptation project for the “Surb Grigor Lusavorich” church is a unique example of how modern engineering solutions and construction standards can be combined with the deep historical and cultural traditions of Armenian architecture to create a cohesive and expressive final product.