The area behind Yerevan’s monumental Republic Square is known for a cluster of buildings with historical significance. One such building, the new headquarters of the Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU) has been literally rebuilt stone by stone.

The original neo-classical structure, built in 1906, housed Yerevan’s city hall during Tsarist times. It was demolished in 2000, but thankfully, most of the stones were saved. These stones were later incorporated into the modern building’s facade, with the addition of 2 extra glass floors. The new building was inaugurated in 2015. It was redesigned entirely by the renowned local architecture studio, Storaket. Each floor is unique.

The building contains AGBU’s World Headquarters as well as the offices of IDEA Foundation, the Yerevan Impact Hub, and other entities. The ground floor also features an open space, which frequently hosts art, design and photography expositions. These are usually open to the public.

I visit this building pretty much every day, since I rent out a small office space on the top floor. I bump into important Armenian personalities in the lobby pretty much every time i take the elevator.