bg Sofia

Andrey Arsov House

- Graf Ignatiev Street 33 -
The residential building was built somewhere between 1910 and 1911 and the design was made by the Austrian architect Karl Heinrich. The Austrian decorators and his son Edmund were also involved in the project. The building was built for the merchant and entrepreneur Andrey Arsov.

An earthquake destroyed the two domes and in the 60s of the 20th century, they were removed. But during the restoration in 2012 they were rebuilt in their original form according to the preserved sketches of Karl Heinrich and old photographs. After the end of the , Arsov's heirs left the house and rented it out. In the early 1960s, the family returned to their home, which they later sold to an international company.
In this old photo you can see that the domes are missing
The building, which is built in the Eclectic and Art Nouveau style, contains two that really stand out. The two octagonal domes are covered with copper cladding and have a on top. The bell-shaped dome on the left is a little bit higher than the one on the right. The larger turret contains , while the smaller turret has wooden underneath the roof . You can see some beautiful floral ornamentation around the windows on the second floor. The in the are decorated with vegetables and fruits, which is a symbol of fertility and abundance. The beautiful panels under the first floor windows are a tracery of geometric elements and embedded flowers.

Another nice feature, which can't be missed, is the impressive balcony above the main entrance door. In particular the wooden structure with its raster of vertical and horizontal elements. The railing is distinguished by its different patterns, and an opening remains at the center that is reminiscent of an apple cut from the bottom. On the right of the balcony, there's a beautiful festoon, which is adorned with a garland wreath.
The wooden structure seen from the inside