bg Sofia

Kolchakov Building

- Hristo Botev Street 70 -
The building was built in 1916 and was designed by the Bulgarian architect . The first owners of the building were the Kolchakov and Zafirov families. The building is also known as the "house of parrots", because of its unique window sills with parrots and floral motifs. Subsequently, according to a project from 1956, it was upgraded with another floor, which is the third floor.
The technical drawing of the project from 1956
Later, a part of the first floor of Pirotska Street was removed in order to build a pedestrian zone under the building, necessary in connection with the construction of a tram line. The latest renovation took place between 2020 and 2021, restoring the building to its former glory.
How the building looked like before the last renovation
The building is richly decorated with ornaments and details typical of the Art Nouveau style. The first notable feature is the on the southeast corner of the building. The dome on top of the turret is crowned with a solid . The , which is located underneath the dome is adorned with an motif. The windows underneath the dome are embellished with some beautifully decorated . A is placed between the windows, which is crowned with a Corinthian .

There's a cornice, between the third and fourth floor, that's adorned by and is interrupted by two balconies, which are placed on top of an . The stone balustrades of the balconies are embellished with decorative vases, as well as . On the west side of the building, just above the balcony door, you'll be able to see two pairs of , within their midst a . Both oriel windows contain two pilasters, which are both crowned with a Corinthian capital.

The fragments, which are located between the second and third floors are decorated with parrots and bunches of grapes. The ones between the first and second floors are decorated with three geometric forms and four . On the first floor, above the main entrance and between the two corbels that support the oriel window, you can see an oval window surrounded by beautiful floral ornaments. A little bit to the right of it, located at the pedestrian zone, there's a plaque for , which is the name bearer of the street.
The plaque for Hristo Botev