Mooradian Studio has won an open international contest for a new US$9 million culinary school within the historic market of Gyumri, ArmeniaThe London firm was unanimously chosen ahead of rival bids by New York-based SO-IL teamed with Bollinger Grohman engineers and STOHA, and Russian practice KET. The contest received a total of 150 entries.The two-stage competition organised by the TUMO Centre for Creative Technologies and Lyon-based Institut Lyfe sought proposals to create a new unique culinary ecosystem in the centre of the historic city, which was devastated by an earthquake in 1988.The project due to complete in 2027 aims to revitalise the citys now demolished historic food market and create a new culinary school in its centre with surrounding restaurants and shops that are symbiotic with the market and the school.Mooradian Studios winning concept, the Civic Farm, will transform over 7,000m in the historic city of Gyumri into a unique culinary district featuring a public culinary garden, food market, restaurants, and a culinary school. The practiceThe design fuses earthquake-resilient stone construction with Armenian craft techniques and includes a canopy made from reclaimed steel sourced from Gyumris Soviet-era factoriesa nod to both sustainability and heritage.Marie Lou Papazian, chief executive of TUMO, said The Mooradian Studio design stands out for its innovative organisation of the projects main functions, establishing a flexible and mutually reinforcing balance around a civic core.Its repurposing of local materials not only reduces the projects carbon footprint but also cultivates a distinctive architectural expression.The studio previously won the competition entry prize in the 2024 AR Future Projects awards.Mooradian Studios winning concept to transform the historic market of Gyumri, ArmeniaThe competition launched in July four years after IND Architects of Moscow won an earlier international contest to revamp Gyumris nearby 7.2ha Friendship Park.Formerly known as Alexandropol and later Leninakan, Gyumri is the second-largest city in Armenia, with around 120,000 inhabitants. The settlement was devastated by a large 6.8-magnitude earthquake in 1988 which left many buildings in ruins and thousands of people homeless.Key aims of the latest project include delivering a new facility to promote an emerging culinary scene within Gyumri which results in a permanent exchange with local products, vendors and restaurateurs, putting students in direct contact with food, farmers and foodies.The contest focused on the citys abandoned former market which was devastated by the 1988 earthquake resulting in traders moving to nearby street sides and has yet to fully recover. The site is located southern part of Gyumri, close to Freedom Square and on the main boulevard which links together all of the citys main public spaces and attractions.Mooradian Studio has teamed up with environmental designers Atmos Lab, structural engineers Webb Yates and stonemason Pierre Bidaud to deliver the project. The civic farm and orchard will be designed in collaboration with Mark Emil Hermansen, director at Noma, Copenhagen and founder of Empirical.Studio founder Aram Mooradian said: This project is an incredible opportunity to set a new standard for sustainable, earthquake-resilient construction in Armenia a place where stone is cheaper than concrete.By partnering with Webb Yates and Pierre Bidaud, we aim to create not only a market and culinary school but also a platform for local builders and craftsmen to learn, innovate and develop skills.The winning design responds to Gyumris cold, sunny climate and uses traditional local black tuff stone to limit reliance on mechanical heating and cooling. Photovoltaic (PV) arrays and ground source heat pumps will meanwhile ensure the space remains functional year-round.Steve Webb from Webb Yates said: The structural scheme was developed with the goal of creating a low-carbon development in terms of both embodied and operational carbon that responds to the local conditions in Gyumri.Additional local consultants include architects Zanazan and food ethnographers Karine Bazeyan and Grigor Aghanyan. Pre-fabrication is expected to begin by the end of next summer.