Dot of intersection
After several sharp turns in his life and career, Dr. Pancho Georgiev opens DOT Sofia - a combination of boutique residence, restaurant and hub for contemporary art
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Meet DOT Sofia - a boutique urban residence, restaurant with signature cuisine, contemporary art hub and event venue all in one.
As well as an intersection of the multifaceted interests of its owner Dr. Pancho Georgiev (49), born in Bulgaria, raised in Switzerland and for 12 years with an address in the Middle East, where he lives with his family.
A doctor by blood, he is a senior partner at McKinsey & Company, a global management consulting firm, where he leads the company's Healthcare and Healthcare Services division in the Middle East, Africa and Eastern Europe, and a contemporary art collector. The latter dominates DOT Sofia's look and feel, and it's instantly noticeable: the staircase and common areas of the building are decorated with paintings by Nedko Solakov, a work by Lachezar Boyadzhiev hangs opposite the entrance. There are sculptures by Pravdoliub Ivanov and many other works by iconic and very young Bulgarian artists. This selection, called the DOT Sofia Art Collection, is part of Georgiev and his wife's personal collection and is a permanent presence here with the idea of promoting modern Bulgarian art and attracting new admirers and collectors.
Photo: Asen Emilov
The inspiration for DOT Sofia was born during their stay at an aparthotel in Zurich, where they stayed for a few weeks a while ago. They built on the model with the things they love and that have inspired them in their travels around the world - modern architecture, good design, great food because "I always dreamed of having my own restaurant", and "naturally, modern art was a given because that's how we live". Their wish is for DOT Sofia to become a platform for people from Bulgaria or abroad with similar interests who are looking for something "off the beaten track" in a multicultural urban environment. "This is our home that we open for others," says Pancho Georgiev.