A team of young architects is taking up the initiative for the restoration of the former residence of social leader Todor Zhivkov in Bankya, BNR reported.
Currently the property is abandoned and mired in dirt and ruins.
"An important point in our thinking is to enable the residence to be used by more people. To become a field of different people with different interests. Mineral water and clean air are a big factor as a place to relax. We want to preserve the original concept of the building, introducing new programs and attracting people from different target groups", shared the architects Mikhail Sugarev and Mikhail Vladimir Raynovski.
The architectural collective “Afterpast“ has announced a competition for architectural ideas for the restoration of the residence. The property occupied by Todor Zhivkov is the property of the Sofia City Regional Administration and the Ministry of Culture.
„I have a diploma thesis with a focus on Bankya and the residence, planned as a state government spa resort and used by the head of state Todor Zhivkov. It is a place of residence, but it is planned with a building for rehabilitation, a swimming pool, a cinema - for the nomenclature in 70 years, by arch. Pavel Nikolov“, shared arch. Sugarev.
„Arch. Pavel Nikolov, my grandson, is my godfather and I am the godfather of his child, and he attracted me as an expert, as a person who deals with design, with construction and experience in urban interventions. That's how I got into this initiative," said Arch. Rajnovski.
There were less than 20 candidates in the announced competition for architectural ideas. The eight best candidates are divided into two teams of 4. They will work on the topic “How they imagine the future” of Todor Zhivkov's former residence in Bankya.