The plein air competition "Architectural Heritage of Plovdiv" will take place from July 2nd to July 4th, from 9:30 AM to 1:00 PM, as an interdisciplinary project involving students from the National School of Arts "Tsanko Lavrenov" - Plovdiv and the Humanitarian High School "Sts. Cyril and Methodius" - Plovdiv.

During the plein air event, citizens and guests of the city will have the opportunity to observe young talents painting buildings with the status of cultural heritage at several locations throughout the city. Organizers expect that by focusing attention on these buildings, the students will provoke passersby to also look up and appreciate the beauty of the facades. Unlike traditional student plein airs, graduates of the Humanitarian High School "Sts. Cyril and Methodius", who have a strong interest in history and cultural heritage, will participate in this event. They will be prepared to inform citizens about the architectural objects depicted by their peers from the Art School, essentially acting as presenters of the cultural heritage. Thus, passersby will have the opportunity to learn interesting facts such as who the architect of a specific building was, when it was designed, its function over the years, who lived there, and characteristics of its architectural style.

Each of the four locations for the plein air will be individually presented in the days leading up to its start on July 2nd. Here is preliminary information about the locations:
Location No. 1 - part of Ivan Vazov Street (from the National Library to the Military Club) and Central Square;
Location No. 2 - sections of Main Street (Knyaz Alexander I Batenberg) and Otets Paisiy Street, between Patriarch Evtimiy Street and Dr. Georgi Valkovich Street;
Location No. 3 - the area around the Roman Stadium Square (near Dzhumaya Mosque);
Location No. 4 - section of Small Main Street (Rayko Daskalov Street) to the building of the Bulgarian National Bank.

Students from the Art School will primarily use acrylic paints for their artwork, but additional materials such as sketchbooks and pencils will be available at each location. Therefore, if any passerby spontaneously wishes to sketch a building that has impressed them, they can do so under the guidance of the art teacher responsible for that location. (If desired, citizens may also bring their own materials.)

The initiative's organizers invite citizens to participate in a motivational game: anyone who visits at least two locations (out of a total of four) to learn about the history of the architectural objects will receive a reproduction of a work by architect Belin Mollov, artist and creative director of the project.

The concept of an interdisciplinary approach to raise awareness among citizens about architectural values is spearheaded by Maria Ivanova from the KREA Foundation. Another driving force behind the initiative is architect Belin Mollov, whose love for painting dates back to his school years in his hometown of Ruse. Among the main goals of the project is to attract public attention to the beauty and value of architectural heritage at a time when its preservation faces significant challenges in many cities across Bulgaria. Another goal is to provide youth from two specialized high schools with long-standing traditions in Plovdiv – the Art School and the Humanitarian High School – the opportunity to develop their skills in architectural representation and presentation, as well as to enrich their knowledge of architectural heritage, building upon the solid foundation they receive at school.

The initiative is realized with the support of the Plovdiv Municipality as part of the Cultural Events Calendar for 2024. Partners of the KREA Foundation in the initiative include not only two of the most elite high schools in the country – the Humanitarian and Art Schools – but also the Chamber of Architects in Bulgaria, Regional College Plovdiv. The National Library "Ivan Vazov" is also a partner.

The exhibition opening is scheduled for October, during the week commemorating World Architecture Day. Additional information about the event, including awards for outstanding works, will be published later.