At the corner of Slivnitsa and Opulchenska streets, time passes a little differently. There, under the watchful gaze of the clock tower, stands the building of the National High School of Applied Arts. The school is named after the saint who is considered the founder of Christian painting and the patron saint of the arts. ‘St Luke’ — the place where future artists, sculptors and designers begin their journey.

Founded in 1953 as a craft school on the outskirts of Sofia, it moved into the old building of the Craft School attached to the Sofia Chamber of Commerce and Industry in 2008. Built between 1922 and 1929 to a design by architect Mihail Pushkarov, the building is today a true architectural inspiration with attention to detail.

Look up: the clock tower gives the building a striking appearance. The preserved plaster medallions on the façade depict a series of symbols of craftsmanship – scissors, pliers, a hammer, a saw and so on.

If the building looks familiar to you, you’re not mistaken – it bears a resemblance to the Finance and Economics High School in Lozenets. Both were designed by architect Pushkarov, and the similarity is no coincidence.