Biographical Note

Tsvetana (Tsetsa) Ninova was born on 16 September 1923 in the village of Popitsa, Vratsa County, Bulgaria. She graduated from high school in 1942 in the town of Biala Slatina. She began her architectural studies at the University of Zagrel, Yugoslavia (today the capital of Croatia) in 1943 but, due to the war, returned to Bulgaria (1944) and continued her education at the recently founded (1943) department of Architecture of Sofia Polytechnic. She graduated in 1949 and began working at "Engergoproject" and then at "Glavroject" (1958-1966).

From 1966 to 1971 Ninova worked in Paris, France at the Institute for Urbanism (1966-1970) and Ecole des Beaux-Arts (1970-1971). She also worked in several architectural offices designing apartment buildings in Paris and the suburbs. Her thesis project, for urban development of Como and the Lake of Como near Milan, Italy, won her recognition in the 1970 international competition.

Moving back to Sofia, Tsvetana worked in the Regional Design Organization and, beginning in 1978, headed a design studio at "Sofproject", the design organization of Sofia Municipality. After her retirement in 1986, she opened a private office and continued to practice. For two years, from 1991 to 1992, Ninova worked again in Paris as a specialist in housing. In addition to her practice, she has been an adjunct professor at Sofia Polytechnic sharing her expertise in housing design and construction.

For her numerous contributions to the profession Tsvetana Ninova has been recognized several times. In 1981 she received first prize at the Biennial of the International Union of Architects for her housing estate "Mladost 4" in Sofia. The following year she was decorated with the order "Sts Cyril and Methodius". In 1983 she received the gold badge of the Union of Bulgarian Architects and in 1986 the order "Red Banner of Labor". For her large housing estate "Beli Brezi" (white birches), for which she won a national competition (1977), Ninova was awarded the Silver Hexagon at the international competition "Habitation Space" in Milan, Italy in 1980 and the Grand Prize of Sofia in 1983. At her exhibition commemorating fifty years of professional practice (October 1998) Tsvetana Ninova was recognized by the Union of Bulgarian Architects with its highest award, the Gold Badge with Precious Stone.

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