Renovation of the school and the construction of a new cultural centre will change the central historical neighbourhood within the next 10 years.
Renovation of the former 13th Primary School on Cyril and Methodius Street, the establishment of a new educational cultural centre as an attractive place for communication, creativity, innovations and initiatives for the people, maintaining the connection with the shopping areas of the Women's Market and applying proven successful French models, were the main focus of the proposals of the young architects from Bulgaria and France, who for 10 days worked together in an architectural plein air for the preservation and renovation of the 143th neighbourhood in the Vazrazhdane District of Sofia Municipality.
The Scientific Director of the Paris-Belleville National Higher School of Architecture, Professor Jean-Paul Midan, is convinced that his and the Bulgarian students' proposal to modernize the school and create a new educational and cultural centre in the neighbourhood will change the central historical area within 10 years. He also emphasized the need to preserve the historical buildings and to renovate the colourful patios in order to preserve the spirit of Old Sofia.
The Bulgarian-French architectural plenary session was held in Sofia from October 25 to November 3, 2017 and was a follow-up of the work of the Sofia Municipality, Sofia Municipal Council and the Vazrazhdane District for the preservation and development of the Sofia Central Historical Area as part of the activities in implementation of the Memorandum for Cooperation signed in 2015 by the Mayor of Sofia, Yordanka Fandakova, and the mayor of the 3rd Parisian arrondissement – Le Marais. The plein air was organized by Vazrazhdane District in partnership with Vazrazhdane 2016 Association with the support of Sofia Municipality and the Sofia Municipal Council. For 10 days a team of 10 French architects /students from the National School of Architecture Paris - Belleville (ENSDPB) - Postgraduate studies in architecture and heritage worked with 7 Bulgarian students from UACEG and together explored historical 143rd neighbourhood in Vazrazhdane District – Sofia Municipality.
The Bulgarian-French architectural plein air is a follow-up of a series of projects that Sofia Municipality and Vazrazhdane District implement in pursuit of the policies for the modern development of Sofia and in search for a new approach to the protection and management of the territory, linked to the life of the citizens and in line with the system for preparation of plans and designs and the socially significant function of the cultural and historical heritage.
