Project Spotlight - Simon Koumjian III

Interview with Simon Koumjian III , Architect, Armenian Heritage Walk

Philadelphia’s Armenian Heritage Walk is more than a public space; it’s a poetic convergence of history, culture, and design. At its heart is architect Simon Koumjian III, whose deep connection to both his Armenian roots and his hometown of Philadelphia shaped every aspect of the project. In this conversation, Koumjian reflects on how his American-Armenian heritage, architectural practice, and lifelong appreciation for art and landscape have guided his vision for restoring the Young Meher statue and transforming its surroundings into a living tribute to Armenian culture—one that invites visitors of all backgrounds to reflect, learn, and connect.

As an architect, how does your American Armenian heritage influence your vision for the Armenian Heritage Walk and the restoration of the Young Meher statue?

The spirit of any design project for me is driven by the inherent imaginative ideas of the strategic intention. I began by reeducating myself within the lyrical Armenian cultural and spiritual aspects from my past experiences, and this intuitively merged with my longstanding familiarity of the City of Philadelphia’s art collections, parks, and architectural history. These ingrained experiences for me of Philadelphia and Armenian cultures opened into a variety of poetic pathways to pursue leading a design team for this expanded Armenian cultural vision of the restoration of the Young Meher statue, into the Armenian Heritage Walk at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

 How has being an architect - a profession typically known for designing buildings, influenced your design vision to expand the refurbishment of the Young Meher statue, into the current site plan of Armenian Heritage Walk spaces?

When I experienced the existing site year after year earlier, I frequently envisioned the site as a large land mass, a volume of space, and not as the barren existing grass surrounding the Young Meher statue standing alone. Seen as a landmass volume, the regions above, on and below became malleable liquid expanses of space to reimagine into new places of light and shadow, rhythmic textures, in garden spaces with new art inspiring visitors to discover Armenian history within an outdoor gallery.

From my personal experiences as an architect, I intuitively organize a multitude of design characteristics simultaneously for maintaining an overall comprehensive design vision into all the details of a project. This has me accustomed to a collaborative spirit for a project of this scale. Teaming up with our landscape designer, Ned Moore, and other members from the Armenian Heritage Walk board of directors, provided a dynamic team in partnership with Philadelphia Parks and Recreation, Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and Philadelphia Public Art Director’s team which all enhanced the envisioned design purpose to stay in focus.

What has been the most meaningful part of working on a project that connects the Armenian community with the broader Philadelphia public?

There are several meaningful parts for me that are connecting the Armenian community with the broader Philadelphia public. One meaningful part for instance is the cultural- educational foundation of this design project. The educational component required several creative delivery systems of the design intent for embedding light-shadow poetic effects with specific orientations to enhance Armenian educational components within the complex of gardens, the placement of boulders from Armenia, the art, and the geometry of the Walk that are seamlessly integrated.

By highlighting the rhythm of the art and cultural institutions along Benjamin Franklin Parkway flowing in from the east, with the array of sculptures arranged along the Schuylkill River Trail from the west, these two streams of artistic activities crescendo; and assemble into a new array of gardens, sculptures, and Armenian cultural elements throughout its atmospheric design at the north entrance to the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Orchestrated throughout the new garden designs of the Armenian Heritage Walk, are 60 boulders consisting of eight geological varieties from regions of  Armenia, a country now surrounded by mountains. These Armenian stones aesthetically integrate into Fairmount Park’s rocky filled landscape surrounding the Philadelphia Museum of Art. As a lyrical design characteristic, along with new Armenian inspired art and landscaping topographies, this venture seamlessly connects the Armenian Heritage Walk within Fairmount Park while enhancing the park’s diverse history, and artful legacy.

What do you intend visitors—both Armenian and non-Armenian—will take away when they experience the Armenian Heritage Walk? 

I’d like numerous visitors to have a revised curiosity for exploring their own ethnic heritage while feeling included in aspects of Armenian culture that they will discover and may find resonating with themselves.

My intention is to inspire visitors to absorb educational aspects of the landscaped gardens and art, and to delicately expand their consciousness to value the diverse ethnicity of Philadelphia; inviting visitors to relax and learn within backdrop views of the Philadelphia Museum of Art while wandering along the lush topography of the Armenian Heritage Walk, admiring the new art and landscaped cultural elements.

Additionally, I anticipate visitors will find a renewed interest in the beauty of Philadelphia’s vast art collections, its parks, and its unique position in the birthplace of the United States of America; thereby realizing how we are all connected with a spirit of gratitude, faith and freedom in America.

 What were some particular challenges in working with the city or integrating the project into the existing urban landscape around the Philadelphia Museum of Art? 

Currently the challenges are to maintain the fundamental design vision within a multitude of existing practical site conditions known and unknown as they reveal themselves during the construction process. This demands rapid design modifications at the last minute that will not distract from the overall vision and organized specific design elements within the site. These challenges also require maintaining the design vision in the on-site details as these deviations of unexpected city utility lines, or other necessities do not distract from the project’s design intent and fall apart into a jumbled arrangement of practical elements not integrated into the vision, which many times happens on a project of this scale.

The Armenian Heritage Walk board of directors, and Mayfeild Site Contractors remain especially united in allowing the multitude of design intentions to stay in focus during the ongoing construction process and on-site changes around the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

In the earlier design phases, a particular challenge that remained was capturing the spirit and character of the Armenian culture throughout the site design without resorting only to nostalgic imagery; alternatively, I focused on refining qualitative aspects into the design such as materials, colors, textures, rhythmic proportions, and geometry of Armenian art and traditions.

Can you share any personal connection or story that made this project especially meaningful for you as an Armenian?

Over-all, I am continually in exploration and re-educating myself to the local and abroad Armenian communities with an expanded passion, a poetic focus, and a discernment of integrating specific Armenian cultural features within the realization of the Armenian Heritage Walk without resorting to literally representing the symbolic objects. This process of discovery, and reinterpreting through my heart the lyrical hymns, the music, literature, dance, and the religious-cultural symbols of Armenia, without operating only in typical imagery, has been spiritually meaningful for me. One easy example of this with the design are the ten new trees planted; we selected two types of trees. The first type consists of six trees with a specific color and texture and are planted throughout the overall site representing the six main-populated ‘Armenian Vilayets’ or “provinces" of the Ottoman Empire. The other type consists of four trees representing the four ‘historical Armenian dynasties’ and are grouped together. The project has numerous Armenian educational references such as this example, some more noticeable, interwoven within the overall design strategy.

This process of interweaving subtle and recognizable Armenian references into the project continues throughout the construction. For me it’s also a journey of healing, like an elegy work converting my wordless feelings about the dark periods of Armenian history, the loss of its land and more, through making a new place of capturing the lifeforce and beauty of Armenia into a consolatory inference of remembrance and celebration.  Through the language of color, light, texture, landscape, and geometry I am translating what the American-Armenian cultural experience is for me, and its silent spiritual presence.

This project represents thousands of hours of dedication—a blend of donated expertise and commissioned work—all thoughtfully crafted to honor our shared vision. A project of this scale requires immense resources, and your support truly matters.

👉 Please consider making a gift today. Together, we can bring this vision to life. We can not do this without your support. Click here to explore ways you can support this project.

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