"Preslav" Hotel

The building was probably built at the end of the 19th century. In 1930 according to the project of arch. A. Frangya (arch. Anton Ivanov Frangya, 1888-1969), its reconstruction and extension is being done within the framework of its function at that time as the "Preslav" hotel. The building is located on the corner of "Tsar Simeon I" streets (formerly "Gurgulyat") and "Preslav" streets. It is located on the street regulation, on a shield to the two neighboring properties. The original building of the former "Preslav" hotel was two-story, and on the second floor the window openings were vaulted with segmental stone arches in the style of the building of the current State Archives and that of the old municipality (it existed on the site of the current "Independence Square" ), as evidenced by archival photo-cards from the beginning of the 20th century. This allows us to assume that it was built like the cited buildings at the end of the 19th century. In 1930 according to the project of architect Frangia, a reconstruction and addition was made to the already existing "Preslav" hotel, as evidenced by the preserved archival documentation. On the first floor, intended for shops, the annex to the courtyard was made for a cafe and a pub; the entrance to the hotel part was redesigned, and a new baroque double staircase was built. On the upper floor, the window openings on the facades facing the two streets have been converted into rectangular ones. Two sanitary facilities have been added. The project provided for beveling the corner of the building, which was later rounded. The corner of the building is further accentuated by the placement of a balcony and the step-like design of the cornice. The new design of the facades emphasizes horizontality: the two floors are separated by a cornice, the windows of the hotel floor are united by a cornice and decorative plaster in horizontal stripes. A peculiar rhythm, in the otherwise long facades, is introduced by shaping the cornice of the building with stepped elements at the barbicans. The construction of the building is massive, and it is likely that the original structure was of stone. The outhouse from 1930 has bearing brick walls. The original mezzanine floor and roof structures were wooden, and research is needed for possible reconstructions and alterations made over time. The windows of the building have been completely replaced, on the facade and on the roof an indiscriminate number of advertising signs of different character have been installed, the first floor is lined with ceramic tiles. Undoubtedly, the building is a valuable representative of the public buildings of Varna from the end of the 19th century - the beginning of the 20th century, as of particular interest is its original function as a hotel. A comprehensive and detailed study of the internal transformations made over the years is necessary.

From an urban planning point of view, the building is part of the history of "Preslav" street and "Nezavisimost" square. It marks the scale of the construction from that era. The facade was reworked by arch. Frangia in 1930 , in turn, is the bearer of the features of the transition to the style of Modernism in the 1930s. and is an interesting illustration of the architect's work.

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