Grigor Doytchinov
Fig. 13
The place “Bulgaria” with the
National Palace of Culture,
1981, establishes as the most
attractive urban space in Sofia.
(Reproduction, Arhitektura)Fig. 12
The awarded but not realized
contribution of the Yugoslav
architect I. Straus for the
National Opera Competition,- (Reproduction,
Arhitektura)
ideas of modern architectural design in Bulgaria gradually exhaust and turn
to be banal. The stable political situation of the 1970s is a precondition of an
“official” type of design to spring up. The modernistic approach is abandoned
and symmetric compositions with imposing central spaces determine the main
stream appearance, typical of the period.^35
However the critic on the out-of-date ideological message, the palace is
perceived very positive by the citizens and visitors because of its high leveled
technology and its multi-functionality. Moreover the public perceives the new
square as a place of central meaning for the capital and one of the basic elements
of urban identification. With its luxurious surrounding areas it gradually turns
to be the main entertainment and recreational area of the city. The success
of the urban intervention is later on proved by a sociologic study.^36 According