We laid the foundations, established partnerships, traveled, built, danced, and learned. We continue.
We recall some of the key moments from the past year and how they gave further momentum to the development of the Colorful Factory project. 2024 was a year of laying foundations and building stable partnerships. In March 2024, we marked the groundbreaking and initiated the construction and renovation activities.
See also: The Beginning, The pot, The Lavender
The first phase of the project focuses on the establishment of the culinary school. Over the past year, efforts were concentrated on the reconstruction and reinforcement of the existing building. The main goal was to preserve the authentic spirit of the building while ensuring the necessary stability and functionality for its future use.
On-site, numerous demolition activities were carried out with maximum preservation of the building's existing elements. The vertical load-bearing elements along the external perimeter of the building were completed in accordance with the architectural vision for the facade, and the intermediate slabs of the second floor were cast.
℗ Sharena Fabrika
The first months of 2025 will be focused on completing the roof and installing the final roof slab. At the same time, construction and installation activities for the future restaurant of the school will continue, as the rough structure of its building is nearly finished.
Parallel to the future culinary school, significant progress has also been made on the future teachers' residence. In 2024, the demolition work was completed, including the removal of old building installations, doors and windows, flooring and cladding, as well as the existing roof.
Entirely new building installations have been completed, ensuring the modern functionality of the building. The spaces within the building have been reconfigured according to their new purpose. The new roof structure has been completed. A significant portion of the facade has been finished, with thermal insulation installed and the base prepared for finishing layers. Additionally, a large part of the new underground utilities on the property has been completed.
For the second consecutive year, we supported the four-day Jazz And Art Fest in the village of Oreshak and were among the main partners of the event. On the stage under the stars in the open spaces of the National Exhibition of Handicrafts and Arts - Oreshak, both local performers and musicians from around the world took the stage. We filled the program with various creative activities that continued even during the concert performances.
See also: Four days of Art & music at Jazz and Art Fest 2024
Outside the active construction phase, in 2024 we also managed to focus on building a network of partners consisting of individuals, businesses, and organizations.
We traveled to Paris and visited our partners at FERRANDI Paris. We witnessed exciting work processes, met wonderful professionals, and over the course of a week, Bulgarian and French chefs worked together on shaping the programs for Balkan and French cuisine.
In September, we welcomed Ms. Sophie Avril – International Director of FERRANDI PARIS, and Ms. Mathilde Bernez – Head of International Partnerships and Projects, who arrived at our invitation to be guests at the annual event for the presentation of Beaujolais Nouveau 2024, organized by the French-Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
At the end of the year, we announced UniCredit Bulbank as the financial partner of the project.
The financing provided by UniCredit Bulbank is supported by the European Union under the InvestEU Fund – part of the comprehensive framework for supporting micro, small, and medium-sized businesses, 'UniCredit for Bulgaria'.
See more: Нещо се готви.
With gratitude to all the people and the efforts they have made to move forward, we look toward 2025 with even more hope and readiness to face the challenges with a positive attitude, knowing that this is just a nuance in the vibrancy of the entire process. Each day, we will be one step closer to the opening of the International School for Gastronomy & Heritage Cafts 'Sharena Fabrika'.