Green Rock has launched a comprehensive development program in Dilijan that brings more than $160 million in planned investments to the region and has already secured over $25 million in funding. The initiative includes more than eight tourism, residential, and educational projects expected to create over 800 jobs and form a unified 60,000 square meter multifunctional complex designed to strengthen Dilijan’s cultural, economic, and community infrastructure.
Development Plan and Complex Overview
All initiatives are part of a unified development plan and are integrated within a multifunctional complex covering 60,000 square meters. The complex features:
- A new hotel
- An international-standard music hall
- A campus for Green Rock and Green Rock Foundation employees and students
- The reconstructed brick building of Cabinet Café
- The community hub Villa 3
- A new recreational Art Park, which will include an art residency, eco-friendly walking trails, a central event square, and an amphitheater connected to the concert hall, as well as areas for children, sports, and meditation
Four projects, the Campus, the Villa 3 Community Hub, the Apicius School, and the reconstructed Cabinet Café building, will be completed in 2026, after which the buildings will open to visitors. The remaining four projects are in the design phase and are being developed in collaboration with partners and the local community.
Partners, Standards, and Methodology
The Green Rock team exercises rigorous due diligence in selecting project partners, collaborating exclusively with firms demonstrating proven international expertise and professional recognition. Key partners include MVRDV, WOWHAUS, GMP Architekten, Centroproject from Serbia, IND Architects, DG Jones & Partners, and other reputable organizations.
In delivering its projects, the team applies internationally recognized standards and methodologies, including FIDIC contract frameworks, Value Engineering practices, Building Information Modeling (BIM), and sustainable and resilient design principles consistent with EDGE Certification requirements. For projects involving heritage or historically significant structures, the team engages qualified restoration architects to ensure that interventions balance conservation, adaptation, and structural integrity.
Education, Community Engagement, and Tourism Programs
To support these initiatives, engage the local community, and address the challenges Dilijan is currently facing, Green Rock, in partnership with the Green Rock Foundation, has launched several educational programs, including the Apicius International School of Hospitality, developed together with Apicius Florence.
To promote Dilijan as a tourist destination, strengthen its identity, and support local entrepreneurs, Green Rock and its partners, with the support of the local municipality, have launched Meet Dilijan. This program aims to address challenges such as tourism seasonality and enhance sustainable tourism development.
In addition, the Green Rock Foundation, together with local stakeholders, has supported the Dilijan Municipality in developing the Dilijan Urban Design Framework, a strategic document aimed at ensuring the modern and coherent improvement of the city’s public realm and shaping a cohesive, attractive, and recognizable urban identity for Dilijan.
Katerina Danekina, CEO of Green Rock, said, “Our vision is to create projects that shape the future of Dilijan as a vibrant cultural and economic center of the region. The hotel will not only become one of the largest outside Yerevan and a new benchmark for the region, but also a growth driver for the hospitality industry and the local community. The Music Hall will serve as a venue for reviving the city’s cultural heritage and will attract hundreds of cultural events each year. Every project we develop is driven by a strong idea and a meaningful purpose, together, they will create a lasting positive impact not only on Dilijan, but on the entire region and on the country.”
About Green Rock
Green Rock is a company rooted in Dilijan that develops large-scale territorial projects by shaping ecosystems of the future. It works at the intersection of infrastructure, culture, education, and economy, designing spaces that are locally grounded and globally relevant.
The Green Rock Foundation serves as the CSR guardian of Green Rock, leading projects in community, culture, ecology, and education. It creates a foundation for future transformation and long-term public value, enabling Green Rock’s strategic projects to grow in more inclusive and context-aware environments.
