This house was reconstructed over the foundations of a former municipal building, burnt down during the wars of 1877. It’s located in the affluent town of Bankya, a short commute from Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria. The structure is entirely new with few stone masonry walls preserved as an archaeological vestige. The spaces are oversized to mimic the scale of the traditional mansions. (Note the double-height semi-open dining area.) The architecture replicates the volumes of the old building, with simplified details to distance it from the original and to throw a bridge towards the present. The house was to be used mostly as a second home and for entertaining. The overall gross area is around 6,000 sf. Design was developed in 1998, construction was completed by 2002.