Bulgarian Revival Houses

During the 19th century in Bulgaria there were different ways of construction, depending on the geographical location of a given region, but they all represented one and the same spirit, conventionally called ` Bulgarian Revival Architecture` / it will be more precise to call it Bulgarian Classical Architecture /. It has exceptional qualities which make it different from all other construction traditions in the world and it can be assumed that it reflects the character, culture and mentality of the Bulgarian people. It`s these qualities that make it attractive to Bulgarians and foreigners.It corresponds in its own way to the `eternal values` of mankind since 18th and 19th century buildings remain attractive to people from the 21st century.

There are the following types of houses: WESTERN HOUSE / Montana and Vratsa regions /, NORTHERN BALKANS HOUSE / Teteven, Troyan, Tryavna, Elena /, KAMCHYISKA HOUSE / from Kotel /, BLACK SEA HOUSE, STRANDZHA HOUSE, KARLOVSKA HOUSE, PLOVDIVSKA HOUSE, RHODOPSKA HOUSE, SAMOKOVSKA and PIRINSKA HOUSE, and each of them has its varieties. Some of them differ in the way of construction and the materials used, others differ in the way of dealing with the architectural look and there are some more which differ in the organization of the living space, usually taking a bit from the other two types.

At that time the main centre of influence is Tsarigrad / Constantinople /. The buildings there were traditionally constructed mostly by Bulgarian builders. Most of them came from Macedonia / Debar / and they were the main builders working abroad in the European part of the Ottoman Empire. Later there appeared the skilled builders from Tryavna region. The biggest and the most beautiful buildings in the old town of Plovdiv / as well as some buildings in Koprivshtitsa / were built by builders from Tsarigrad who were specially brought in Bulgaria to construct the buildings in harmony with the metropolitan architecture of that time.

After the liberation the European way of construction came into fashion and the Bulgarians turned their backs to their own building tradition and became alienated from their own culture. As a result we have the buildings, constructed during the past 100 years. Even the most beautiful houses, which impress everyone with their workmanship, beauty and individuality, look somewhat foreign and don`t carry the spirit of the buildings in Plovdiv, Koprivshtitsa, Zheravna, Tryavna, etc. Tradition is discontinued and succession is cut short.

The building mastery and methods are irrevocably lost. With the appearance of the new building material – concrete and the new industrial methods of construction it`s impossible to talk about tradition. If we add the fact that we are still slaves to the megalomania, which began a few decades ago, we get the present architectural picture before our eyes. The modern architects and designers in one way or another share the philosophy of `industrial aesthetics` / as they are taught in university / and according to them the more `highly technological` a building is, the more beautiful it is.

In addition, we can see that this type of modern architecture is in a particular kind of way aggressive, disharmonious and to some extent inhuman. It inspires respect and impresses people, but it doesn`t predispose and attract them.

If a building has to be in harmony with the environment, the people in it and around it and the neighbouring buildings, then the above mentioned type of architecture definitely doesn`t meet these requirements.

And here comes the obvious contrast with the old Bulgarian tradition, not only as separate buildings, but also as entire settlements. The harmony, humanity, predisposing presence and unique impression are beyond doubt and everyone can notice them. It`s also obvious that they represent the Bulgarian character with its most valuable qualities and virtues.

So, along with the increasing nostalgia for Bulgarian classical times / which may be considered a new revival of the Bulgarian spirit and character / there comes an increasing negative attitude towards the artificial materials / concrete, steel, glass / for both aesthetic and health or even psychological reasons. In this sense, concrete and the other modern building materials are materials of the 20th century, not of the 21st century. Materials, characteristic of an age, in which man tried to conquer and predominate nature, instead of living in harmony with nature as a part of it.

And here we are, facing the necessity to revive, though in a new way, what we once lost and turned our backs to. In the beginning architects will object to that because of their time-serving and they will suggest solutions that will be far from what is expected or they will contain only formal elements of the Bulgarian architecture / which means poor taste /.

It will be necessary for an architect to be absorbed in and to affiliate himself with the spirit and philosophy, hidden behind the form of the Bulgarian architecture, and then to give a new meaning to it and to express it in a way, which is adequate to the modern ways of life.

In the beginning it will be very difficult for such architects and many of them would claim that it is impossible to built a house, organized in a modern way and at the same time carrying the spirit of the Bulgarian revival.But let`s hope that in the course of time and under the pressure of the public opinion and the convincing successful examples, things will start to change in that direction.