The AI9 Startup Campus is located in the Circular Park area, in the very heart of Yerevan. AI9 Startup Campus is a unique project whose mission is to empower Armenian and international entrepreneurs, accelerate startup growth, and strengthen the technological ecosystem by offering facilities, advanced programs, and a supportive community network, while simultaneously building bridges with global centers and investors.
Spanning a total area of 2,900 m², this multifunctional hub features two underground and three above-ground floors with café-workshop areas, offices, IT meet-up halls, art galleries, and a spacious terrace surrounded by greenery. The 3rd and underground floors are not yet operational, but their completed design aligns with the overall architectural and functional concept.
While implementing the project, we faced the complex challenge of giving a coherent architectural identity to an irregularly constructed existing building. During the Soviet era, this site functioned as an underground public restroom. In the 2000s, certain areas of the Circular Park were leased out and developed in a fragmented manner: green zones were replaced with cafés, and this area was also transformed into the “Triumph” restaurant complex by the late 1990s, later expanding even further. This layered history demanded a redesign that could unify the structure architecturally while giving it a bold, contemporary identity.
We seized this opportunity to reinterpret the building, transforming it into a sculpture-like structure within the chain of artworks throughout Circular Park. The exterior walls were in a deteriorated condition, so we installed curved styrofoam panels covered with reinforced concrete mesh. This approach allowed us to create soft, inflatable-like contours while improving thermal insulation, keeping the interior cool in summer and warm in winter.
By introducing these inflated biomorphic forms and a bold color palette, we shaped a contrasting sculptural presence within the classic Soviet urban panorama — a structure that almost resembles a living organism, as if generated by artificial intelligence — emphasizing its role as an innovation and creativity hub, aligning form with function.
In contrast to the façades, the interior design moved in the opposite direction: instead of enclosing the structure in a “soft mold” like the façade, we deliberately exposed the building’s skeleton, revealing its industrial framework. Exposed ceiling grids, visible pipes, and steel details create a deliberately rugged, almost brutalist atmosphere, which became the dominant feature of the interior. The space is further enriched with graphic patterns and material contrasts, including glass partitions with circular cutouts, linear tiled panels, and veneered surfaces in plywood and walnut. Mid-century modern seating and custom-designed lighting fixtures serve as key decorative accents, complementing the raw, industrial aesthetic.
The bold red styling of the building extends into the surrounding park through its terrace. The architectural expression continues in the outdoor seating areas, where colors and materials blend harmoniously to create a fluid transition between the structure and the natural landscape. The “Summers — Open Air Cafe”, with its circular mirrored canopy, reflects the greenery and enhances a sense of immersion in nature, while slender red steel columns echo the building’s sculptural rhythm.
