This research project outlines key examples of Bulgarian architecture built in Plovdiv following World War II. It also assembles the collective image of postwar architectural heritage in the city and lists each building or site in relation to their level of significance or risk of threats.  

It builds upon the experience gained through developing the same research topic in Sofia and is part of the National Institute for Immovable Cultural Heritage’s regional program for 2022. In Plovdiv, similarly to Sofia, the main challenge in assessing the significance of postwar architecture is the multitude of buildings or sites, which until now have never been within the scope of a holistic approach in research and analysis. This research project produced a longlist of 92 buildings or sites arranged in relation to their type and site scope in order to establish their significance and level of threat, which would result in the level of urgency for their listing as heritage. The result is the following top 5 to-be-listed buildings and top 5 to-be-listed group assets in the city of this period: 

Listed Buildings:

1. Ivan Vazov People’s Library
2. The House of Science and Technology
3. The Fraternal Mound
4. The Headquarters of the Bulgarian Communist Party with a Concert Hall
5. The Youth House and Council Hall

Listed Group Assets:

1. Plovdiv International Fair 
2. Trakia Housing Estate
3. The Youth Hill (landscape and urban design features)
4. Bunardzhika (landscape and urban design features)
5. Recreation and Culture Park