National Palace of Culture

The National Palace of Culture (NDK) was built in connection with the 1300th anniversary of the Bulgarian state. The building’s chief planner and designer was architect Alexander Barov supported by an impressive array of experts. Inaugurated formally in 1981, the National Palace of Culture is the biggest convention center on the Balkans. Built over an area of 18,300 sq m, the edifice is the largest multifunctional complex in the entire South-East Europe. Scores of outstanding Bulgarian artists decorated and painted the numerous halls and lobbies, turning the place into a genuine museum of late XX c. Bulgarian art. The author of the symbol of this emblematic architectural complex is Georgi Chapkanov. Mounted high on the facade, it features a stylized sun, executed in full compliance with the original traditions of Bulgarian National Revival woodcarving traditions.