CONTENTS
Preface 13
Chapter I: Looking Through A Cracked Rearview Mirror 15
Language Alphabet
Liturgy: A Layman's view Architecture: In The Beginning The Evolutionary Steps
1. Pre-Christian Period
2. Early Christian Incubation Period
3. Classic Period
4. Ani: The City of 1001 Churches
5. Dormant Period
6. Post-Genocide Revival
Chapter II: A Tale of Two Architectures, Armenian and Gothic37
Environmental Factors Function and Form The Influence of Mt. Ararat Gothic Cathedrals Differences
Chapter III: The Post-Genocide Revival 45
The Neo-Classic Period
Coming Out Of Hibernation
From The Old to The New World
A Story of Crossing Arches
The Geometry of Crossed Arches and Domes
Symmetry and Parsimony
Some Thoughts on Architecture
Chapter IV: From The Nebula To The Crux 57
In The Beginning was the Theme
Exploring the Next Evolutionary Step
Hand Drawn Churches: 1 To 10
Thinking Small: The Small Parish Church Problem
Computer Drawn Churches: 11 To 25 Why Do We Go On Building Churches? Design Principles and Church Data
Chapter V: Peripheral Reflections 145
An Armenian Dichotomy: Art and Science
The Dichotomy
The Role of the Church
The Homeland-Diaspora Remedy
Back to The Beginning: A Conjecture
Epilogue: 151
Cosmic Connections
Coda
Appendix A: Church 26 - Zvartnots Revisited 155
Appendix B: Collective Displays 159
Appendix C: Auxiliary Structures 165
Appendix D: Articles By and About The Author 171
1. Tradition: Impasse or Point of Departure
2. Living Armenian Architecture
3. The Poetic Vision and Integrity
4. John Halajian Has Finally Built His Church
5. Letter to the Editor
6. Lessons in Armenian Architecture, An Interview
7. A Tale of Two Churches