We were designing the library for the American University. The Vice President was a very energetic and emotional person. Throughout the design process, a lot of attention was placed on the budget to ensure it wasn’t too expensive but still met the requirements. Most of the budget went toward metal structures that supported the tables and chairs. Our engineer had designed a table with a very high tension in the metal.
Once the table was built, the provost came to inspect it. He looked at it and asked, “What is this?” He kept looking and then suddenly said, “Everyone, get up on this table!” So, one by one, we all stood on the table. He told us to move, so we started swaying like we were doing the kochari dance on the table. Seeing that the table was holding up fine, we said, “Well, this table is designed to withstand anything.” To which he replied, “No, nothing will happen to this table. Even if an atomic bomb hits this building, nothing will be left of Yerevan, but this table will survive.“
