UAB Burgas
Burgas, Bulgaria

The location of Burgas between the Black Sea and the two lakes determines the natural development of the city in a north-westerly direction. The situation around the property illustrates this trend. The northern industrial area is beginning to transform into a mixed-use area with housing and public services. Two factors play a role in this – the spacious areas with great potential and the communication capabilities of the district, which at first glance is located on the outskirts of the city. In fact, the site is near schools, kindergartens and the university, as well as with convenient and fast access to the ‘Arena Burgas’ sports hall and the ‘Burgas Plaza’ shopping centre.

Due to its location in an important place – along the main boulevard and the entrance road of the district, the aim of the project is to become an urban accent, a visual landmark and a point of attraction at the beginning of the new district

The project introduces several public and semi-public spaces and creates various opportunities for informal communication, as well as zones for play and sports for children. They create a variety of passage options and underline the importance of the complex as an entrance to the newly created urban area.

The building volumes respond to the irregular shape of the site. A system of parallel and perpendicular lines to the surroundings shapes the walking lines, visual and spatial connections and forms the characteristic pentagonal floor plan of the four buildings. The individual sculptural volumes thus fit into their surroundings and respond to their scale and functionality. The high residential tower in the southeast part characterises the entire complex with its character and memorable silhouette and becomes an urban landmark at the entrance to the new quarter. The central location of the mail hall of the Union of Architects in Bulgaria, reinforced by its sculptural presence, underlines the importance of this public function in the project. The colour accent of the ground floor highlights it as a primarily public area, and the colonnades increase the architectural value and create a series of different passage and recreation areas.

The public function of the ground floor is strongly expressed by the contrast in the colour palette, which not only clearly distinguishes this floor from the others, but also visually makes it a base on which the four volumes of the buildings are located. In this way, the ground floor serves as a connecting element between the outside environment and the interior spaces of the building and provides a basis for the dynamic interaction of the various functional areas.

The two highlights in the overall architectural picture are the main hall of the Union of Architects in Bulgaria and the creative workshop. Their special functions are emphasised by their facade design. Here, perforated metal panels are used, which highlight the volumes during the day and mark them as light bodies at night, thus adding another level to the colour and material solution of the building.

Client: Union of Architects in Bulgaria
Location: Burgas, Bulgaria
Year: 2024
Services: Competition – 2nd place
Size: 31.250 m2
Team: Ventsislav Kartselin, Georgi Marchov