Rivers of Sofia

Rivers of Sofia is an initiative of The Collective Foundation to revitalize the artificial river beds of the channeled rivers Perlovska and Vladayska that cross the center of Bulgaria’s capital city. Using pop-up architectural interventions and cultural and educational programming, Rivers of Sofia made these spaces accessible to the public for the first time in 80 years and increased their visibility as urban heritage. The initiative changed the attitudes of Sofia’s citizens and local governance towards the artificial river beds, from an area in disuse to a place with cultural, natural, and social value.