bg Sofia

Former Chamber of Commerce and Industry

- Slavyanska Street 2 -
The construction of the building of the former Chamber of Commerce and Industry started in 1911 and was finished in 1912. The building was designed by the architects , and after winning the competition. It was one of the four chambers, which were established in 1895. The other three were established in , and . They aim to promote Bulgarian trade, crafts and production, improve vocational education and strengthen international relations of the domestic industry. In 1948 the building was renovated and upgraded, losing the attic floor and its striking group of sculptures located on Slavyanska Street. After the termination of the activity of the chambers of commerce and industry, the building was used by the state forwarding company Despred, the Ministry of Mechanical Engineering, and others.
An old photo showing the building before losing the attic and the group of sculptures
The most striking part of the building, which was built in the style of Art Nouveau, is the on the corner of the building. The , which can be seen on the second floor, is supported by four , each decorated with garlands and . Some more garlands can be seen on the balustrade and underneath the windows on the third floor. One of the corbels that support the balconet above it, is adorned with a . Underneath the , which is embellished with , that separates the third and fourth floor, you'll see four . One floor above this cornice you'll see four , all of which are crowned with an Ionic . The corbels that support the straight are adorned with guttae. Just underneath the majestic dome, you can see a cornice, which equipped with an motif.

Both sides of the building don't differ much from each other. There are many decorative ornaments around the windows on the second floor. Like a Greek style motif, , cartouches, and . The cornice above the windows on the third floor is interrupted by square and rectangular shapes, which are decorated with floral ornaments. At the same height, in the vertical part of the protruding wall, a cartouche with some floral decorations underneath it is locked between two corbels. The corbels, that flank the windows on the fourth and fifth floor are decorated with guttae.
The building is shown in an old photo