bg Sofia

Phoenix Palace

- Kniaz Aleksandar Dondukov Boulevard 3 -
The construction of the administrative building, which was built by a design that was created by the Bulgarian architects , , and , was completed in 1927. The project for the decoration of the facade is executed by the German architect , and the sculptures are the work of the German sculptor . It was built for the joint-stock insurance company called Bulgarian , which was founded in Sofia in 1917. The company quickly became one of the leading insurance companies in the country, which led to the purchase of a plot on which they constructed this representative building. The building was erected in partnership with the insurance company Riunione Adriatica di Sicurtà that's based in .
The side of the building states Insurance Company Bulgarian Phoenix in an old photo that was created in the 1930s
Like a true phoenix, the building survived the during the , although the facade of the building suffered damage from the nearby blast waves. The statue of the phoenix, which was towering above the building and was two and a half meters high and two meters wide, was dismantled soon after 1944 for ideological reasons. After clearing the rubble, and during the restoration an extra part was built in connection with the existing building, which on the other side is connected to the building of the Council of Ministers. Later on, the building became in use by the Employment Agency.
The building after the Allied bombings
The sculptural work of the Neo-Classical building, which is topped with a broken segmental , features a male figure holding a bundle of lightning, which is a symbol of storms and unexpected calamities, and a female figure with a ship in her hands, which is a symbol of entrepreneurship. Between the two figures, a clock is placed, and above the clock a fragment that contains the initials of the Bulgarian Phoenix. This spectacle was placed on a plateau that is supported by a total of four within their midst a . Above almost all the seventh floor windows, you'll be able to see a .
A beautiful colorized postcard showing the building before the Allied bombings
Underneath the that separates both the seventh and sixth floor and the cornice that separates the second and first floor, as well as the huge open segmental pediment, you can see a strip of . The four that can be seen underneath the huge pediment are crowned with an Ionic . Six balconies are placed between these pilasters, which are all secured with a curved wrought iron railing that is adorned with even more rosettes. Above the fourth floor windows, you can admire a pointed pediment, while above the third and second floor windows, you can admire a straight pediment. The that covers the main entrance door is supported by two corbels that resemble a phoenix. A torch is attached to four of the pilasters that can be seen on this same floor.
A print of the sculptural spectacle