Asbarez: UACC to Host Lecture on Monasteries and Churches of Ancient Armenia

The United Armenian Congregational Church will host an illustrative lecture by Ronald Altoon, Fellow of the American Institute of Architects, on the Monasteries and Churches of Ancient Armenia on Friday, April 17 at 7 p.m.

Between 1989, following the horrific 6.8 Richter Spitak Earthquake, and through 2024, architect Ronald Altoon made eighteen trips to Armenia. On each visit, he traveled to and photographed over 40 ancient religious and educational historic landmarks. His illustrative and in-depth lecture documents these early Christian building complexes.

Despite Armenia’s precarious location, the nation and religion have survived over the centuries. This Christian nation continued through 500 years of foreign occupation, and the subjugation of atheistic Soviet rule as well. Due mostly to their remote and rugged locations, these religious and educational landmarks have endured, even if somewhat damaged by relentless forces of nature and sinister intent.

Altoon is focused on what has survived the political, military, and religious onslaught. The lecture presents the early Christian buildings of the 5th-14th Centuries constructed in strategically defendable geographic locations of historic Armenia and Artsakh. These buildings pre-date the early churches and all the great cathedrals of Europe, establishing architectural design paradigms which exist into this century throughout the Western World. Constructed mostly of a single native building material, tufa stone, these structures strategically blend into the geographic terrain and landscape. This collection of buildings has been organized chronologically to best demonstrate the evolution of the building prototype. It is worthy to note that they survive to this date in a very active seismic region, a testimony to the evolution of the architectural and engineering prowess of their designers who deployed keen understanding of the three-dimensional aspects of Euclidian geometry.

To produce site plans, floor plans, elevations and building cross-sections, Altoon engaged an architecture student fluent in both the Armenian language and the computer programs necessary in documenting each of these buildings and complexes. Working collaboratively, he and she located available drawings and sketches, and interpreted what would be the most likely missing elements.

Ronald Altoon is a former National President of The American Institute of Architects, and was founding design partner of Altoon Partners, LLP which he established in 1984 and ran for 30 years. He is an internationally recognized architect and has worked on projects in 46 foreign countries achieving over 100 design awards.

A third-generation American Armenian, Altoon organized and led a design intervention task force to Armenia following the horrific 1988 Spitak Earthquake to create a master plan to direct rebuilding the epicenter city. For his professional leadership efforts, he was awarded the Memorial Medal from the Supreme Soviet of Armenian SSR.

A long-time member of United Armenian Congregational church, Altoon has recently served as the Moderator of the church, overseeing the two successful Senior Pastor Search Committees and numerous building projects at the church campus.

Located at 3480 Cahuenga Boulevard West Los Angeles, CA 90068, The United Armenian Congregational Church serves the greater Los Angeles area. The church is committed to gathering Christians for the purpose of worship, missions, instruction, spiritual growth, fellowship, training and leadership development.

The lecture will take place in the church sanctuary and is free for all who would like to attend. Light refreshments will be served following the presentation. Please contact the church office for additional information.

—