National Palace of Culture Congress Centre

The National Palace of Culture is the biggest, multipurpose conference and exhibition center in south-eastern Europe, situated in Sofia, Bulgaria. It was inaugurated in 1981 to commemorate Bulgaria’s 1300th anniversary.

The center was founded at the proposal of Lyudmila Zhivkova, the daughter of Todor Zhivkov, the communist leader of the erstwhile People’s Republic of Bulgaria. A team of Bulgarian and international architects headed by Alexander Georgiev Barov (1931–1999) and Ivan Kanazirev developed the project. Another team of architects and landscape engineers headed by Atanas Agura developed the landscaping of Bulgaria Square in front of the National Palace of Culture. Internally, the structure has a coherent style, with an octagonal theme and heavy, dark colors. The main walls of several of the smaller rooms are covered in large vivid paintings representing historical characters and events.

During the 1990s, right after the country’s political paradigm changed, the NDK lost a substantial chunk of its property, including infrastructure, commercial areas, and parking lots. The NDK has been reformed as a commercial corporation since 2011, although it remains a state property. It is self-sufficient and receives no government funding. The Palace’s first public financial report was issued in 2012. Annually, a significant portion of the income are spent in new initiatives and its own cultural events.

The Festival and Congress Centre (FCC) is the NDK’s Varna branch. It was formed in 1986 and is progressively becoming the site of some of the most important art and cultural events. FCC hosts a variety of creative events and festivals, as well as scientific meetings, seminars, and other activities. FCC represents Bulgaria in major international congress organizations such as ICCA, EFCT, and AIPC, and it is a member of Europe Cinema, the European Union’s sole pan-European cinema network (EU).

The International Organization of Convention Centres named the National Palace of Culture the finest congress center in the world for the year in July 2005.

The conference center can accommodate a range of events, such as concerts, multilingual conferences, exhibits, and performances. It has a total size of 123,000 square meters and is divided into eight storeys and three basement levels. The National Palace of Culture has 13 rooms and 15,000 square meters of exhibition space, as well as a commercial center and a parking lot. The main hall has a capacity of around 3,000 people.

The NDK hosts the Sofia International Film Festival.

• The National Palace of Culture is an eight-story skyscraper with three basement floors and four panoramic terraces that provide some of the best views in the city.
• The facility has a total size of 123,000 square meters (1,323,961 sq feet).
• 300 parking spaces + an additional 40 for VIP parking
• Every year, the Palace hosts over 300 events, attracting around one million people.
• The National Book Centre, Azaryan Theatre, and the Literary Club “The Feather” are all housed within NDK
• In the NDK’s foyers and halls, 80 massive artworks are on display.
• The Palace is Bulgaria’s most notable music venue for foreign performers.

Floor space and facilities

The entire functional area of the structure is 123,000 square meters, spread across eight floors, four panoramic terraces, and three basement levels. There are 12 multi-functional halls with capacities ranging from 50 to 4,000 people. Each hall has a distinct theme.

There are additionally 54 offices and lecture rooms, 17,000 square meters of display space in the lobbies, and five restaurants and catering firms.

The venue’s workforce includes expert conference teams to help with event planning and execution. Sound systems, lighting, simultaneous translation, video and recording equipment, stage sets, and display modules are all available.

Hall 1

It is the largest hall, measuring 11 000 square meters, and has fixed armchair seats for 3 380 spectators, which may be decreased to 2 800 or 2 000. The parterre has a capacity of 2 100 seats and may be reconfigured with congress chairs for 1050 people and a presidium on the stage with more than 190 seats. It features lower sails above the moving circle, as well as detachable acoustic barriers, built-in equipment, and an air conditioning system.

Hall 2 Azaryan Theatre

It is a 955-square-meter amphitheater with 504 fixed armchair seats. The basement level hall is equipped with built-in equipment and an air conditioning system.

Hall 3

The hall is situated on the 7th level and has a floor size of 2 350 square meters. It includes a carpeted floor and detachable chairs for 1200 people. When set up for a conference or private party, it has the capacity to seat 500 people.

Hall 3.1

Because it is linked to Hall 3, it is ideal for supporting events, briefings, and meetings, as well as events for up to 200 people. It is on the 8th level and boasts a stunning panoramic terrace view of Vitosha Mountain.

Hall 3.2

The hall is linked to Hall 3, making it perfect for supporting events, briefings, and meetings, as well as events for up to 200 people. It is on the 8th level and boasts a beautiful panoramic terrace view of Vitosha Mountain.

Hall 4

It has a floor space of 380 square meters and is situated on the first level. The hall contains 60 detachable chairs as well as a carpeted floor. The area may be reconfigured to accommodate a cocktail lounge for up to 150 people.

Hall 6

It is positioned on the first level and has 400 square meters of space as well as natural sunlight. There are 200 detachable chairs in the hall.

Hall 9

It is on the 5th level, with a floor size of 380 sq. m., and has natural daylight. There are 260 detachable chairs in the hall, as well as a parquet floor. It features moveable walls and two tiny halls that are linked (next to halls 7 and 8).

Hall 10

It sits on the 8th level, with 420 square meters of space, and has natural daylight. The hall features 200 detachable chairs as well as a carpeted floor.

Hall 11 – Lumiere Cinema

The hall, which has a floor space of 400 square meters, is also known as the Lumiere Cinema theatre. It is situated on the first floor of the complex’s smaller structure and has 370 amphitheatrically arranged fixed armchair seats.

Activities

Over 300 events are held annually at the NDK, including international conventions, political forums, business conferences, scientific symposiums, music and film festivals, concerts, dance performances, theater, exhibits, and fairs.

Other frequent activities include media presentations, training seminars, and lectures in a separate 60-seat “Press Club.”

Artworks

Over 80 major works of art – paintings, sculptures, mosaics, murals, woodcarvings, and metal works – made expressly for the interior of the Palace by renowned Bulgarian artists from the second half of the twentieth century have found a natural home at the NDK.

The NDK’s main building has works by some of Bulgaria’s most well-known master painters, including Dechko Uzunov, Marin Vurbanov, Svetlin Roussev, Pavel Koychev, Teofan Sokerov, Anton Donchev, Dimitur Kirov, Ivan Kirkov, Hristo Stefanov, Galin Malakchiev, and others.

The palace’s logo is a phoenix formed of curved strips and rays arranged in a circle. Stefan Kanchev, a graphic artist, created the insignia.

Georgi Chapkanov created the bronze artwork over the main entrance, which depicts a stylised sun evocative of the ceilings of traditional Bulgarian homes. The sign is about 7 meters in diameter. Corn ears protrude from its concave hemisphere.

The golden sculpture Revival, also known as Mother Bulgaria by artist Dimitar Boykov, sits in the Palace’s foyer and represents a welcome and revitalized Sofia. Another significant sign may be seen within the NDK – a bird braided into sun rays, signifying the journey towards knowledge and illumination.

History

The government determined that Bulgaria required a large-scale cultural center in the mid-1970s. The deadline for completion was 1981, in time for the events commemorating the 1300th anniversary of the creation of the Bulgarian state.

The facility was built in just three years (1979-1981). The foundations are comprised of a total of 10,000 tons of steel.

The NDK officially opened on March 31, 1981, to commemorate the 1300th anniversary of the creation of the Bulgarian state.