Sofia, Bulgaria: Corian® Exteriors for a fascinating and highly functional façade.

“This extraordinary design solution is only possible due to the superior thermoformability of Corian®. The company SOLIFORM Ltd masterly fabricated the complex three-dimensional shapes of the façade and successfully met both client and architect requirements in terms of functionality and aesthetics.”

In the heart of Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria, a new multi-purpose building catches the eye with its amazing futuristic façade made with Corian® Exteriors, boasting flowing lines and rounded corners. The eight-storey B73 building, designed by the Bulgarian architectural studio STARH, aims at becoming a landmark for its innovative aesthetic approach and construction process.

B73 residential building in Sofia, Bulgaria, with a façade made of Corian® Exteriors, an innovative solution based on Corian® Solid Surface; project by STARH; photo by Diyan Stanchev, all rights reserved.

Fun fact: the B73 building is named after its location at number 73 on the James Bourchier Boulevard, a main road in Sofia’s city centre, and coincidentally it is also the 73^rd completed project by the client. The B73 building was made to meet all the requirements of an urban contemporary top-quality construction. A furniture design store uses the ground and first floor of the building. Four apartments, one on each floor and a penthouse on the last two floors, are fully furnished and equipped with all comforts. Its innovative design is showcased by the amazing building facade made of Corian® Exteriors. This material is the first exterior cladding system to receive the CE marking. It ensures a durable exterior cladding system that will maintain optimum performance for many years.

The outer shape and facade feature distinctive, flowing, elegant lines with characteristic details inspired by automotive design. This required the STARH architects to use extraordinary accuracy while designing, as well as exceptional skill from the fabricators and contractors during the on-site implementation. The futuristic design approach was supported by a visionary investor, enabled by an advanced material such as Corian® Exteriors, and came to being with the expertise of all the professionals involved.

Detail of the amazing façade of the B73 residential building in Sofia, Bulgaria. The façade is clad with Corian® Exteriors, an innovative solution based on Corian® Solid Surface; project by STARH; photo by Diyan Stanchev, all rights reserved.

The façade of the B73 building is clad with a horizontal black and white pattern made with Corian® Exteriors, the visual impact of which is enhanced by the streamlined tapers of the window front. At these points, the façade also gently deepens into concave recesses in the walls of the building. This extraordinary design solution, in addition to the rounded corners of the building, is only possible due to the superior thermoformability of Corian®. The Bulgarian company SOLIFORM , an Exterior Cladding Convertor, part of the Corian® Quality Network Partner Program, masterly fabricated the complex three-dimensional shapes of the façade. The company embraced the challenge and successfully met both client and architect requirements in terms of functionality and aesthetics. The building was clad with Corian® in the pristine white colour Glacier White (1.000 square meters) that beautifully contrasts the dark Deep Titanium colour (350 square meters).

B73 residential building in Sofia, Bulgaria, with a façade made of Corian® Exteriors, an innovative solution based on Corian® Solid Surface; project by STARH; photo by Diyan Stanchev, all rights reserved.

“B73 is not the only project that we have carried out using Corian®. Therefore, we already knew during the project development phase that it was the ideal cladding solution for our design concept. In fact, we would not have been able to achieve these shapes, the smooth and sleek look and the precision of details without Corian®.” said Svetoslav Stanislavov, STARH.

“The biggest challenge in the design and execution was the ‘swallow-tale’ pattern in the façade, which comes from the transition between staircase landings and floor slabs. In order to achieve the smooth lines and their accuracy, the ‘swallow-tale’ needed to be twisted along all axes. This required a complex manufacturing process of thermoforming moulds and then exceptional on-site skills to join these parts to the other panels of the façade. Thanks to the great engineering skills and professionalism of companies SOLIFORM, TAL Engineering and Bigla Detail, we were able to achieve an extraordinary result, helping us to implement our ideas. Thermoformability is a fundamental performance offered by Corian® Solid Surface. It is also durable, colourfast and can be renovated in the eventuality of scratches and graffiti.” added Svetoslav Stanislavov, STARH.

As a confirmation of the stunning features and impressive look of this project, SOLIFORM has won with the B73 project the BIGSEE AWARD in 2021. This international recognition clearly testifies the unique and original creative achievements of this architecture and its relevance in the international design and execution environment of facades.

Detail of the amazing façade of the B73 residential building in Sofia, Bulgaria. The façade is clad with Corian® Exteriors, an innovative solution based on Corian® Solid Surface; project by STARH; photo by Diyan Stanchev, all rights reserved.

Corian® Solid Surface is the first solid surface in the world to be CE-marked for Exterior Cladding. The Corian® Design business has completed in early 2020 a European Technical Assessment (ETA) certification process concerning Corian® Solid Surface in collaboration with Deutsches Institut für Bautechnik (DIBT). This certification means that customers can count on a durable exterior cladding system that will maintain the original high performance for many years.

About SOLIFORM (www.soliform.com) – А company, expert in the design and fabrication of products from Corian® Solid Surface. They combine the twenty years of experience of their team with innovative thinking to create quality products and build excellent relationships with customers and partner companies. Their package service includes consulting, pricing, management and process planning, design, product development, delivery and installation.
In the last years they have been the undisputed leader for Bulgaria in the design and fabrication of Corian® Solid Surface products, with realized interior and exterior projects in the country and abroad. They are a trusted member of the Corian® Quality Network Partner Program.

About STARH (www.starh.bg) – Bulgarian architect, Svetoslav Stanislavov, is recognized as one of the most notable figures in the contemporary architecture realm in the country today. He founded his own practice, STARH, in the city of Varna, majoring in residential, hospitality and office architecture with wide variety of scale. In the time since its founding, STARH, has created an impressive portfolio of completed projects in the country, having recognizable quality in design. Exceeding all expectations, the studio has succeeded to positively affect the context with their work. The formula that they use is always striving for a balance between aesthetics, functionality and quality in architecture that will last in time. Stepping out from the design comfort zone and experimenting with innovative materials is a part of their character.

Beauty Meets Versatility with Corian® Exteriors - Corian® Exteriors solutions based on Corian® Solid Surface bring personality to virtually any type of environment, enhancing and facilitating the lives of those who use and enjoy its unique potential. It can be crafted into almost any shape, for any place, for any purpose, and is available in a wide range of colours, offering you the freedom to design, explore, and create. Long-lasting, durable, and elegant, Corian® Exteriors solutions, such as cladding panels, have a three-dimensional formability that has been liberating inventive and artistic minds for over 40 years.
To know more about Corian® Exteriors: www.exteriors.corian.com

About Corian® Design - Corian® Design, a division of the DuPont company, is a global organization which creates, manufactures and markets advanced materials, products and solutions for interior design and architecture, originating from a foundation of world-class technologies and expertise. Marketed under the Corian® brand and the Make your Space™ tagline, its materials, products and solutions meet the most demanding requirements in terms of beauty, functionality and durability. The Corian® Design global portfolio is continuously evolving, and it currently includes Corian® Solid Surface, Corian® Quartz, Corian® Endura and Corian® Exteriors.
To know more about Corian® Design: www.corian.uk

About Quality Network Partner – Fabricators - The Corian® Quality Network Partner Program is an international system created by DuPont to optimize the delivery of the beauty and of performance of Corian® Solid Surface to the market, to transform the potential of Corian® Solid Surface into reality. It includes companies able to help consumers, architects, designers, and industries to extract the highest value from the performance and the properties of Corian® Solid Surface Fabricators who are members of this network are trained by Corian® Design specialists and technicians, who regularly monitor and certify their skills, preparation, and service. Dealing with a fabricator of the Corian® Quality Network Partner Program means counting on state-of-the-art training and knowledge in terms of fabrication and installation, it means dealing with people that are used to managing complex tasks, dealing with companies supported by the know-how of the Corian® Design division of DuPont and whose creations and installations are associated to the DuPont 10 Year Warranty on Corian® Solid Surface.
Be sure to deal with a member of the Corian® Quality Network Partner Program when you have an idea, a project, or a need that can be met through the potential of Corian® Solid Surface.

About DuPont - DuPont (NYSE: DD) is a global innovation leader with technology-based materials, ingredients and solutions that help transform industries and everyday life. Our employees apply diverse science and expertise to help customers advance their best ideas and deliver essential innovations in key markets including electronics, transportation, construction, water, health and wellness, food and worker safety. More information can be found at www.dupont.com.

Media contact:
Łukasz Gągało
Corian® Design EMEA Commercial Segment Marketing Leader
Email: lukasz.gagalo@dupont.com