Functional and Aesthetic Decay

   Functional and Aesthetic Decay

A reflection of my opinions on the first days and prior research
by Ulla

Upon first entering the outskirts of the city of Plovdiv we drove past a glass clad building, but as we rounded the corner I could see that the building was boarded up, decaying and missing its ceiling. The new glass facade contrasts with the bridge we drove over which had statues of men and one woman adorning it, described as Greek looking by some people in our group.

Google Maps

I struggled to find websites prior to the trip which concretely talked about the greek influences in the city and only found one example of Byzantine era ruins, which was a wall. I assumed the lack of references was due to a lack of archeological evidence or some difficulty in distinguishing the different eras but the more we were there and the more people we met the more reasons there could be for this phenomenon. Plovdiv itself is presented as an ancient city deeply intertwined with its history and people therefore when I did some googling before our trip I was interested in the presence of this history and the influences in the physical world through architecture.

https://rehope2018.febsevents.org/location

I wondered if the glass buildings decay was perhaps a reflection of Bulgaria’s low economic status or if there was another reason for this architectural abandonment, although on reflection the position of the glass building on the outskirts of Plovdiv could be the reason for the lack of use or investment in its upkeep. There were also examples of investment in building which seemingly contrasts the modern looking glass buildings being left to decay, without a purpose.

Further on into the old town we passed by buildings, covered in ivy and tumbling down which were and are (depending on when this is being read) beautiful, adding to the atmosphere of the old town and heritage. As we trudged our way up the cobble stone hill with our large bags and exhausted grumbling, we could all still appreciate the aesthetics of the old town and the deep sense of historic soul of the city. This first impression of Plovdiv I had was after reading about the history online which although depicts the old town as historic does not mention the decay. To me the decay is as beautiful as the renovated buildings, the wild plants provide a sense of nature in what would otherwise be an unnatural setting. I understand why the decay is not described online as (for one of many reasons) this may be seen as a negative to tourists.

I wondered why these historical buildings were being left to decay with so much historical importance but again maybe this was due to the economic status of Bulgaria. After the second day I had yet more questions about these buildings, our tour guide informed us that some of these buildings were in private ownership and, given a loophole in Bulgarian Law, if these buildings decayed enough then the owner can destroy it and create something new. This creates an unexpected function of these buildings and a process of modernisation by private owners. Therefore the decay would also be unlikely to be publicised since it, to me, suggests weakness in the Law thus contrasting legal certainty and security.

https://www.booking.com/hotel/bg/blacksmith-house-old-town.html

Our tour guide also spoke about how the old town houses were once owned by wealthy Greeks and this history was virtually erased from the political historical narrative which could feed or follow the anti or negative greek sentiment present in Bulgaria. The Byzantine wall was also being renamed or rebranded as yet more Roman ruins, which could explain another reason of why there was a lack of online information about Byzantine evidence in Plovdiv.

The presence of Plovdiv's history influences through architecture represents and encompasses many different areas and concepts, such as modernisation, the 'tourist gaze' and the staging of areas for certain narratives all within the mega event of being the European capital of culture. The staging of areas can be seen through the perhaps lack of information of the Greek and Byzantine influences therefore leading some to see these historic remnants through a different frame, perhaps to some in a positive manner and to others a negative manner. The modernisation in this case can be represented in the decay of buildings for the new, but could also be represented in the political narrative of the history of Plovdiv which could provide a certain directional goal to the population for the future. The 'tourist gaze' is the way to mediate encounter between place and tourist, to me this can be seen to some extent in the way in which I viewed Plovdiv given the prior research I had done and the knowledge of their position in the European Union.

I look forward to spending more time in Plovdiv which will further challenge my ideas, create new questions in my mind and foster interesting discussions in our group.