PS Architects

Yablanski house - The Residence

Sofia, 2011

THE HISTORY OF THE HOUSE

The House of Dimitar Yablanski was built in 1906-1907. The owner was a wealthy man - financier who graduated in Paris, mayor of Sofia and later a minister of Building, Roads and Public works. And as his social status requires, he commissions the project of his house to one of the most famous architects in Sofia, in the beginning of 20-th century - Austro-Hungarian architect Friedrich Grünanger. The architect is also the author of the Kings Palace in Sofia, the Ecclesiastical Seminary, Jewish Synagogue and private houses.

His task was to design for Yablanski a small palace, and he did it brilliantly. The house has very rational plan and a façade in the spirit of Baroque style. The balconies, windows and oriels are richly decorated by Austrian sculptor Andreas Greis. The building is one of the best creations of Grünanger. A proof for this is that after he returned to Austria he made a copy of it for himself and lived there till the end of his life. During 1944 the house was nationalized and used as the embassy of the People's Republic of China until 1991. Today the house is in the heart of the town – right next to the building of the Parliament, Sofia University and Alexander Nevski Cathedral. From 1991 until 2009, after the restitution, several owners change and the building is practically self-demolishing.

WHERE WE STARTED FROM

First time I went to see the house, workers were already pouring strengthening concrete walls. The signs of former decay were still visible – slabs with large openings were in danger of collapsing, there were crannied walls, crushed wooden paneling and wood-carving railings, missing marble fireplaces and crystal mirrors, richly decorated gypsum ceilings in bad condition. But behind all destruction one can still see the spirit of the building and the beauty of the spaces.

THE COMMISSION

According to the commission of the investor, the building should be turned into a private club. At the first floor there should be a whisky-bar, on the second – restaurant and a piano-bar in the mansard. An agreement was reached that the design should be classical as an overall impression but to have also marks from present-day, from contemporary times, not to be a reconstruction or restoration of decoration from the past.

According to the regulations of the Institute of Cultural Monuments, a lot of typical elements of the interior should have to be preserved and restored – the staircase, wood-paneling, wall decorations in the entrance, ceilings.

THE IDEAS

When I faced the opportunity to revitalize one of the Sofia landmark buildings at first I was numb. I didn’t want to make full reconstruction of the décor of the past – this would have been an attempt for restoration. My desire was the new function of the building to go along with contemporary decoration. In the same time it was clear to me that I shouldn’t use the help of post-classical examples of nowadays (ala Marcel Venders, for example). In the context of the building they would have looked cheap and out of place.  Thus, in the process of looking for some type of balance between old and new, step by step I reached the concept.

The entrance zones keep their authentic decorative elements to a great extend – stairs, wooden paneling, a column with wood-carving work. As their counterpoint modern lightning with simple geometrical form were added. The accents are armchairs with high backs and stained glass of the unused doors towards halls of the bar. The flooring is made from 3 types of granite. The figures and color intensity of the materials create optical effect, borrowed (often seen in) from the Italian architecture of the Renaissance. 

In the first story hall (where once was the living zone of the house) is organized night bar. According to the commission from the investor it has to be in heavy style, a whiskey bar as those in the lobbies of the expensive hotels. That’s why the concept is in some sense dramatic. Dark red and black are used in combination with elements in wood, processed with dark stain. In the big hall, which consist of three spaces, dominates massive bar, and its location aims to unite this spaces. Its fronts are from illuminated “golden” onyx. Near the entrance a podium with three zones with sofas is organized. The small hall (with the fireplace) according to original project was fully furnished with sofas in four groups. Later, according to the investor’s desire, it also was transformed into a second hall with bar and high tables.

In the first story halls (where once was the living zone of the house) is organized a night bar. According to the commission it has to be in heavy style, a whiskey bar as those in the lobbies of the expensive hotels. That’s why the concept contains a dramatic element. Dark red and black are used in combination with elements in wood, processed with dark stain. In the big hall, which consist of three spaces, dominates a massive bar, and its location aims to unite the spaces. The front of the bar is from illuminated “golden” onyx. Near the entrance a podium with three zones with sofas is organized. The small hall (with the fireplace) according to original project was fully furnished with sofas in four groups. Later, according to the investor’s desire, it also was transformed into a second hall with high tables.

The textile wallpapers on the walls, massive volumes of the chandeliers and appliqués in black, the textile of the curtains with their discreet luster are elements of the decoration, which define the concept. They are supplemented with discreet half-tones of the leather and textiles of the furniture as well as with rich palette of the stained glasses. The toilets on this floor are in the same coloring (black and red), but despite of using classical decoration, wall tiles are embossed and with geometrical modern vision.

The new function of the second floor (once the floor with bedrooms in the house of Yablanski) is a restaurant. The idea was to create light place with gentle and fresh coloring. There are three halls – main triple hall, a small hall with winter garden and VIP hall. The walls in all spaces are covered with wallpaper with diverse discreet textures and different shades of beige. On this discreet base are upgraded variations in two modes (colors) – blue with green and violet. The discretion of colors and shades play an important role here. Accents in the rooms are the chandeliers - contemporary replicas of the classical ones with enlarged proportions. The toilets on this floor are a continuation of the fresh and discreet play of halftones and details.

The space under the roof of the house once was used only for service needs. Today a night club - piano bar is organized there. The concept this time is much different from that on the first two floors. Relying on the fact that the bar will only function at night, the interior is fully built with illuminated walls. Basic and determinant elements in it are the illuminated floor in the main space under the piano, illuminated ceilings over the boxes on the podiums and over the volumes of furniture, which are also lightened. All these elements are made in a way which allows them to change coloring – in different days, interior colors in red, green, pink, blue or yellow. The spheres of the lamps are mesh of diodes and they finish the composition in vertical direction. The toilets on this storey are black and white, as a counterpoint of the colorful piano-bar.

I EXPRESS MY GRATITUDE TO:

I thank the investors from BOLSA Ltd – for giving me the opportunity to work on such an interesting and difficult project, for the patience with which we discussed all variations and ideas, for the cooperation of every stage of the project. To Stanislava Georgieva for her patience and tolerance, for the infinite energy she put into the project.

EVERYBODY, WHO WORKED ON THE PROJECT AND SUPPORTED ME THROUGHOUT ITS REALIZATION:

-          Nikalay Ivanov (more known as NIKI OM) and his team of young people, who restored the gypsum ceilings, wall decorations and the façade of the building;
-          GENESIS and Jordan Kuzmanov, Neli Dimitrova, Valio Minchev, Roza Angova – for their cooperation in choosing wallpaper and textile, for the precise installation (assembly);
-          IKIS and Philip Shkembov – for his responsiveness in the process of producing and assembly of illuminated floors, ceilings and volumes formed the bar on the third floor;
-          Gamma Design and Caneta Luchkova – for her cooperation in choosing lightning, for their delivery and installation as well as for the total support she gave me during the time of realization of the project;
-          NIDO and Jordan Abadjiev – for his cooperation in choosing products for WC furnishing and their full specification, for they offered me the right pieces of furniture for the equipment of the restaurant and bar, for their fast and professional work on full specifications of the project.
-          SENZA and Peter Dimov – for delivery and installation of the part of the lightning in the house;
-          SKV, Damian Kostov, Ivan Konakchiev – for their professional work in producing of all element from technical stone;
-          City Design Development and Mariana Chalykova, Marina Becheva – for delivery and installation of all vinyl floorings and doormats;
-          NS parket and Diliana Stoilova – for delivery and installation of all wooden floorings;
-          Top Group and Peter Kotzev for delivery of part of the porcelain tiles for tiling of the toilets;
-          Classic Ceramics and Rumen Romanov for delivery of part of the porcelain tiles for tiling of the toilets;
-          Nikolay Zorov and SIPER – for their professional work on the sound proofing and acoustics;
-          Rumen Dobrev for his support when it comes to decisions about illumination and synchronization;
-          MOSKOM and Dimitar Moskov, Yavor Dimitrov – for producing the windows woodwork and doors;
-          Mebelor and Ivan Skachkov for the cooperation in making details of the furniture;
-          Strahil Nenov and Perar Savov for the excellent stained glass they made and through which the idea of the project has been continued;
-          Bilian Denev for execution of all types of work concerning the toilets on all floors;
-          Dimitar Dimitrov for the energy and desire he put into his work on granite floorings;
-          Grigor Naidenov for the execution of HVAC installation;
-          INTERSYSTEMS and  Ivaylo Stefanov who secured laying of cables and mounting of the synchronization and security technic of the building;
-          CST Story and Vlado Todorov for providing and implementation of all concrete work and hardware, for the organization and support during the finishing work of other firms at the site;
-          LUX Cleaning team, Emil Venkov and Atansa Samardjiev – for their help in cleaning the site;
-          Boris Misirkov and Georgy Bogdanov for making photos for decoration of the restaurant and for shooting the fully implemented project.

ON THE PROJECT ALSO WORKED:

-          BELAR, Dimitar Glushkov – they produced with a few months delay and not in good quality, part of the furniture in the building – back and front of the bars, wooden paneling, receptions;
-          D&I furniture, Ivailo Mitov – produced with great delay and not in good quality the new metal railings for back staircase, restored the fence of the yard;