The document discusses architectural competitions in Bulgaria and how they often fail due to being poorly organized, marketed, and realized. It then focuses on a few specific competitions in Sofia that attracted many international submissions but were later cancelled or unrealized. The document argues that private companies run competitions more successfully. Finally, it outlines a competition run collaboratively in Plovdiv for redesigning a central square that engaged the public and attracted many international submissions, with the winning design yet to be realized.

1. Aneta Vasileva, WhATA
Ljubo Georgiev, OAW

2. BULGARIA AND
THE COMPETITIONS

3. Architectural
competitions are
excellent PR tool

4. Architectural
competitions are
excellent PR tool
But no one knows it

5. Where do (Bulgarian)
competitions fail?

6. 1.Ill-organized

7. 1.Ill-organized
2.Badly popularized

8. 1.Ill-organized
2.Badly popularized
3.Generally not trusted

9. 1.Ill-organized
2.Badly popularized
3.Generally not trusted
4.Remain unrealized

10. Metrostation 20
Sofia, 2011
139 entries
26 countries
2 winners

11. Metrostation 20
Sofia, 2011
139 entries
26 countries
2 winners
Cancelled

12. Sveta Nedelya Square
Sofia, 2013
27 entries
2 countries
6 finalists

13. Sveta Nedelya Square
Sofia, 2013
27 entries
2 countries
6 finalists
Unrealized

14. Monument
1300 Years Bulgaria
Sofia, 2014
9 entries
3 finalists

15. Monument
1300 Years Bulgaria
Sofia, 2014
9 entries
3 finalists
Cancelled

16. Then…

17. One private company
finally got it

18. Collider Activity Centre
Sofia, 2013

19. Collider Activity Centre
Sofia, 2013
369 entries
63 countries
1 winner

20. Collider Activity Centre
Sofia, 2013
369 entries
63 countries
1 winner
Ongoing realization

21. Architectural
competitions are
excellent PR tool

22. Architectural
competitions are
excellent PR tool
And some private companies know it

23. And then…

24. Finally, one municipality also got it right

25. Architectural
competitions are
excellent PR tool

26. Architectural
competitions are
excellent PR tool
And some politicians know it*

27. Especially when they are competing for
European Capital of Culture 2019
*

28. HOW WE STARTED

29. Public institutions fail to be

30. Public institutions fail to be flexible

31. Public institutions fail to be flexible, understandable

32. Public institutions fail to be flexible, understandable, trendy

33. Plovdiv Municipality >

34. Plovdiv Municipality >
One Architecture Week >

35. Plovdiv Municipality >
One Architecture Week >
WhAT Association

41. The task

43. The public survey

44. 15
2300
questions
interviewed

45. plovdivsquare.com/survey

46. The public discussions

48. The competition brief

53. The website

68. plovdivsquare.com

69. Our PR attack

70. 559 emails exchanged

71. emails exchanged
international online publications
559
37

72. emails exchanged
international online publications
downloads of competition brief
559
37
1110

73. emails exchanged
international online publications
downloads of competition brief
unique visits of plovdivsquare.com
559
37
1110
16 305

74. emails exchanged
international online publications
downloads of competition brief
unique visits of plovdivsquare.com
email subscriptions
559
37
1110
16 305
210

75. The Q&As

77. 120 questions answered

78. The social media

83. HOW WE FINISHED

85. 24 Bulgarian entries only

86. The finalists

87. Veit Eckelt
Sigmund Eckelt
Philipp Mecke
Ana Fillipovic
Germany

88. SMARCK studio
Italy

89. FORA
Portugal

90. The finalists’ videos

92. The public voting

95. The Municipal council
chose one winner

96. FORA
Portugal

97. … to be continued

98. Thank you
plovdivsquare.com