The topic of this text is inspired by the course work of the talented photographer Yavor Berov, who with the eyes of an artist notices the more specific architecture of some of the houses on his route from home to work. Most of them are old, with a dilapidated appearance, but they are not protected by the Cultural Heritage Act and it is quite possible that at some point they will be replaced by new cooperatives or renovated not in the spirit of the era. We seal them here as well, together with the stories of the guide of the tour - Teodor Karakolev, who told us more about the specific architectural features and the owners of the buildings.
In fact, this "phenomenon", called by Yavor houses on a corner without a right angle, appeared when Plovdiv received its new urban plan, prepared by the architect Josef Schnitter in 1891-1892. Then, with it, straight streets and rectangular neighborhoods replaced the crooked alleys of old Filibe from Ottoman times.
The first house in front of which you can stop and see the typical slope in the part towards the street is that of the famous Veleganovi family. They came from Bansko, but in 1870 they moved to Plovdiv and opened their foundry in the Zarzavatchi charshiya on 10 Abadzhiyska Street. Today their bells can be found all over the country, and heirs continue to make various elements in the spirit of the craft, started by their ancestors. The building has been recently renovated, preserving the characteristic features of the style - Sezession, and the rounded bay windows above the first floor are those that compensate for the rounded shape and the removal of interior space due to the bevel.
Continuing down the street and especially along the Aleko Konstantinov school, you can find some more interesting examples in this style. At some of the corners they form completely natural mini squares, which give us a complete view of various buildings. Standing in the middle, you will notice for yourself how similar they are in style and this implies their design by the same architect. Bay windows have again been used as a way to straighten the corner and the typical Sezession ornamentation is observed almost everywhere.
An interesting example that all Plovdiv residents will immediately remember is the building of the children's department of the Ivan Vazov Library, next to the entrance of Tsar Simeon's Garden by Avksentiy Veleshki Street. Its architect is Svetoslav Grozev and it is now in a more modern style, quite clean and with larger windows.
The tour ended in the area around the Music School in Plovdiv, which also belongs to the buildings at a corner without a right angle. It was built in 1927 for the needs of the German school "Deutsche Schule" in Plovdiv. The project of the building is by the Sofia architect Stancho Belkovski, and it was completed in five months. In 1944 the school ceased to exist, and later the Music School was housed in the building. With it, the rounding is compensated with an impressive stepped element.
The house diagonally of it is also quite interesting, as the heirs of the prominent Plovdiv public figure Nedko Kableshkov still live in it.
This tour, although incomplete, revealed to us another part of the beloved Plovdiv, which we rarely pay attention to in our daily lives. You will be amazed at how many similar examples you can find around you, and the secret is just that - to open your eyes and look around!
Тhere are no comments yet.