site.btaUnion of Architects in Bulgaria Founded on March 17, 1965

The founding congress of the Union of Architects in Bulgaria was held in Sofia on March 17, 1965. The body was conceived as a voluntary creative and professional organization.

The first session of the congress was opened by the oldest delegate, architect Zhecho Kiselkov. After discussion and voting, the Union’s statute was adopted, and architect Georgi Stoilov was elected as its first chair.

A report outlining the main tasks of the new organization was presented by Petar Tashev, then chief architect of Sofia. In his address, he highlighted some of the key challenges facing urban planning in the capital as a result of the city’s rapid expansion.

During the congress, Ivan Rahnev, editor-in-chief of the Architecture magazine, presented the Kolyo Ficheto silver model award to designers Aleksandar Barov, Elisaveta Cholakova and Vasilka Tserovska from the Glavproekt design institute for the best project for a modern sports complex in Accra, in a competition organized by the magazine.

The facility was part of a broader series of projects designed between 1960 and 1990 by Bulgarian architects and engineers in more than 35 countries worldwide, mainly in Africa and the Middle East.

According to the website of the Union of Architects in Bulgaria, the organization continues the traditions of the Bulgarian Technical Society and the Bulgarian Engineering and Architectural Society. During the interwar period, professional activity was carried out by the Society of Bulgarian Architects and the Union of Bulgarian Engineers and Architects.

The Union of Architects in Bulgaria became an independent organization after previously functioning, between 1949 and 1965, as part of the Institute of Urban Planning and Architecture within the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences.