An exhibition featuring 15 three-dimensional models of landmarks in the capital, designed for visually impaired people, opened on Friday at the Louis Braille 1928 National Community Centre for the Blind. The exhibition is titled “Touch Sofia”.
Among the models, created using a 3D printer, are the St. Nedelya Church, the Statue of Sofia, the Central Military Club building, the St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, the Church of St. Petka of the Saddlers, and the Banya Bashi Mosque. The models are accompanied by brief descriptions and “talking labels” to further assist visitors with visual impairments.
“This is the only way for blind people to get an idea of what an object looks like,” said Yordan Mladenov, chair of the community centre.
“This is the first time we have undertaken such a large-scale project using a 3D printer,” Yana Yordanova, a member of the community centre’s team and the project coordinator, told BTA. She added that similar initiatives have previously been carried out in Sofia by architects but noted that those earlier efforts were more expensive, difficult, and time-consuming. Yordanova stated that one of the goals of the community centre’s project is to demonstrate how three-dimensional models can be created within a short timeframe and at a relatively affordable cost.
Accompanying the 15 models is a two-volume book, compiled by Ana Kostova. According to Yordanova, the book can be read independently, even without visiting the exhibition. It contains historical background, information on when the buildings were constructed, interesting facts, and details about life in Sofia in the past. The book is available in Braille and in an electronic format, though there is no standard print edition. Readers can obtain copies from the organization’s library.
Before the project concludes, a complete set of the exhibition items—including the models and Braille brochures—will be donated to the Sofia History Museum. “We will also donate a set to the Louis Braille Secondary School for the Visually Impaired, because I believe children are the most curious about such things, and it will help them get to know the city they live in,” Yordanova said. According to Mladenov, the community center has already provided the school with models of world-famous landmarks. Now, however, the children will also have the opportunity to learn about the buildings in the city where they live.
Asked whether the exhibition would expand, and if models of other buildings would be added, Yordanova said that the project would continue, as there is both interest and demand. In addition to the three-dimensional figures, the organization is now also producing two-dimensional illustrations and booklets.
Exhibition Offers Visually Impaired Visitors 3D Models of Sofia Landmarks THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2026-10-23 14:43:05
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