Heritage with a Future

The project develops a concept for the development of the complex “National Exhibition of Arts and Crafts — Oreshak”.

The project “Heritage with a future” lays the foundation for a concept for the development of the “National Exhibition of Arts and Crafts” — Oreshak”. At the initiative of the Municipality of Troyan and the management of the exhibition, the team of GRADOSCOPE invites students from the Faculty of Architecture of the University of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Geodesy in Sofia to conduct their summer internship with supervisors Dr. Arch. Aneta Vasileva and Dr. Arch. Emilia Kaleva in the complex to study and analyze its potential and problems, to participate in a discussion about its potential with the local community and to prepare a concept for the future development of its unused spaces at the exhibition.

Within a week, students gathered archival and up-to-date documentation and information about the condition of the two buildings, held talks with the author of the architecture and management of the complex and participated at a public discussion on their ideas and proposals with local community representatives. The analysis and suggestions of the creative team were organized in two stages and four topics: ideas for improving the environment; ideas for development and use of buildings; proposals for imposing a brand on the Exhibition on the basis of its historical identity; and directions for working with people to attract more masters and audiences to the exhibition.

The team developed and presented a complete functional distribution and organization of the spaces. For the first stage, this includes:

• Introduction of a system of visual markers at the entrances;
• Development of visual connections in the complex;
• Creation of a demonstration brandy shop in pavilion 4 with a view of the Troyan Monastery;
• Idea for reconstruction of Hall 6 similar to the other one-storey palaces;
• Forming a covered open space and stage for festivals by removing the walls and preserving the original roof structure of Hall 5;
• Temporary functionalization of Pavilion 3 in a branded bar for coffee and soft drinks to be consumed under the pleasant vineyard in front of the pavilion.

The next stage would include:

• Landscape development of the peripheral areas of the complex;
• Development of pavilion 9 in a multifunctional center with space for a children’s workshop, cafe, bookstore and a new entrance with a connection to the interior of the complex;
• Imposing the visual identity of the Exhibition as a regional brand.

People from Oreshaka and Troyan, ceramics, masters of woodcarving and icon painting, craftsmen and producers of typical products and other cultural institutions in the region such as the Natural History Museum and the Chitalishte in Oreshak took part in the discussion of the project moderated by GRADOSCOPE with representatives of the local community. They also outlined several main directions for the development of the proposed ideas in the direction of spatial organization, upgrading the content and program of the exhibition and working with institutions. The need for a more clearly separated and visible entrance was confirmed and the idea of ​​a pedestrian connection with the monastery through plum orchards was proposed. Regarding the events and the content of the Exhibition, opportunities for more active participation of craftsmen, more events with visiting crafts and traditions from other countries and more ethnography and crafts from the region to be presented in a new way, were discussed and proposed in line with the new vision and goals of NIHZI. Possibilities to achieve state status at a national exhibition were also discussed, which would contribute with more funding opportunities and better work with other state and European institutions.

“The upcoming 50th anniversary of the Exhibition, which we celebrate this year, is an incentive and motivation to work for the realization of these meaningful ideas that coincide with our vision for the development of NIHZI,” added Ivanka Jabrailova, manager of the National Exhibition of Arts and Crafts. the arts” — Oreshak “. “Our anniversary plan will include strategic proposals such as the more successful branding of the Exhibition, on which we can start work immediately.”