The above-ground section of Yerevan’s Republic Square metro station is marked by an eight-petaled, flower-shaped opening surrounded by bird-like ornamental sculptures.

The focal point of the station's semi-open courtyard is a magnificent, rosette-shaped fountain. It features a complex, tiered system of 40 fan-shaped basins that gradually decrease in size toward the center․

Just a few meters from Republic Square station, the Museum-Institute of Architecture is hosting an exhibition that opened today, presenting the life and work of Jim Torosyan, the Yerevan-born architect who gave the city this beauty.

The exhibition entitled Jim Torosyan: Master of Beauty is dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the famous architect’s birth.

Torosyan, who designed some of Yerevan’s most recognizable landmarks—including the Cascade complex, Republic Square metro station, and Yerevan City Hall, died in 2014 at the age of 87. The exhibition was conceived and curated by architect and architectural theorist Karen Balyan. Its hall is arranged like a temple, with an entrance hall, lobby, two altars, and a central space.

The exhibition features previously unseen original projects from the collection of the Museum-Institute of Architecture, drawings of architectural monuments and city panoramas from the Torosyan family archive, as well as exclusive materials from other  personal archives. Also available is a video series of interviews with Torosyan.

Torosyan, who shaped the modernist and national architectural image of Yerevan once said:

“The twentieth century was cruel for our people, but a miracle happened: we had a new capital. Alexander Tamanyan did the impossible, and those who can, let them continue that impossible, those who cannot, should not approach the construction of the city. We must approach the city seriously, carefully, with a high degree of feeling. God willing, Yerevan will be built using this approach.»

The exhibition runs until August 23.