Glavbolgarstroy Wins Controversial Tender for 'Bulgarian Louvre'

Bulgarian Culture Minister Rashidov (left) and Regional Development Minister Pavlova (right) signing the funding contract for the Bulgarian Louvre. Photo by BGNES

Bulgarian construction company Glavbolgarstroy has won the government tender for the construction of the "Bulgarian Louvre" in a tender in which all other bidders were disqualified.

Bulgaria's National Museum Complex, more widely known as the "Bulgarian Louvre", is supposed to be completed in two years, according to government ministers.

The project for the Bulgarian Louvre was originally estimated to cost BGN 27 M, with all the funding provided under EU Operational Program Regional Development.

The company owned by Simeon Peshov will be building the Bulgarian Louvre for a price of BGN 24 M, which is BGN 0.5 M lower than the asking price of the Bulgarian Culture Ministry.

The commission in charge of holding the tender for the construction of the Bulgarian Louvre disqualified the other eight applicants on the grounds of flawed or insufficient paperwork or execution proposals.

Glavbolgarstroy's bid states that it can complete the National Museum Complex in 10 months. The final decision of the tender commission on awarding the construction to Glavbolgarstroy will be made public by the end of the week; the decision may then be appealed within 10 days.

The Bulgarian Louvre is expected to have large exhibition halls, and modern storage facilities for art; the complex has been designed by architect Yanko Apostolov.

The future National Museum Complex will consist of several buildings in downtown Sofia between the Vasil Levski Blvd, the Moskovska Str, the 19 February Str, and the Oborishte Str. The location currently hosts the National Gallery for Foreign Art, and storage facilities of the National Art Gallery.

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