Kamen Petkov

Kamen Petkov
Architect Kamen Petkov, 1863–1945
Born	1863 Belogradchik, Bulgaria
Died	1945 Plovdiv, Bulgaria
Nationality	Bulgarian
Occupation	Architect
Awards	(1938)
Buildings	Cathedral of St Louis, Plovdiv Bulgarian National Bank Building, Plovdiv (1989–1900) French Girls' College, Plovdiv (1915) Tobacco Warehouses, Plovdiv (1925–1932) Catholic Church, Gen. Nikolaevo, Plovdiv (1931)

Kamen Petkov (Bulgarian: Камен Петков) was a Bulgarian architect based in Plovdiv, Bulgaria.

Arch. Kamen Petkov was born in 1863 in the small village Beloptichene (today Ruzhintsi) Belogradchishko, son of Petko Simeonov. After completing high school in Vratsa, completed his military service and worked for several years as a teacher. He had a desire to study in the Academy of Arts. At that time, scholarships for this school not leave because it was considered that Bulgaria it need more builders - engineers and architects. Thus, in 1892, Kamen Petkov goes to study architecture as a government scholar at the Polytechnic of Karlsruhe, Germany, where he graduated in 1896. After graduation, he returned to Bulgaria and began working in Vratsa, Vidin and some time in Sofia where together with the artist Alexander Bozhilov and other take part in the Circle "Bulgaria".

In 1898 he moved to Plovdiv, loves the city and worked there for 47 years until his death on February 17, 1945.

Arch. Kamen Petkov (1863, the region of Belogradchik, north-west of Sofia - 1945, Plovdiv) graduated from the Technical University of Karlsruhe (TH), Germany in 1896. Back in Bulgaria he worked for a short spell in Sofia where he collaborated, together with the painter Alexander Bozhinov , in the “Balgaran” group. In 1898 he established his practice in Plovdiv and worked there for 47 years till his death in 1945.

He designed and built more than 800 buildings in Plovdiv alone. Most of them still shape the specific architecture of the city centre. Ten exquisite buildings can be seen along the Main Street alone, beginning with the powerful impact of the Bulgarian Bank (1898), and followed by smaller elegant buildings very much influenced by the Vienna Secession architects. Their façades are lavishly decorated with fluted pilasters crowned with composite capitals; arched windows articulated by decorative columns, curvilinear ornaments and many other elegant details. Plant-inspired motifs such as blossoming small trees, ornamental garlands, festoons of flowers, etc., disclose a strong Art Nouveau influence.

In the French girls college, 1915 and boys college, 1932 respectively, however, he opted for a drastic geometric design. The contrasting frames of the shallow-arched windows and the dark highly stylized stucco pilasters create a strong graphic effect.

The four- and six-floor high tobacco warehouses are among Petkov's biggest works. The mansard above the main cornice is supported by massive consoles. Fluted risers articulate the large volumes into proportionate shapes. The design is an excellent mature integration of the functional and aesthetic aspects of a building for the industry.