Largo, Sofia

Independence Square

Largo
View of the Largo from the west
Native name	площад „Независимост“ (Bulgarian)
Type	Public square
Length	200 m (660 ft)
Width	50 m
Location	Sofia, Bulgaria
Coordinates	42°41′52″N 23°19′23″E / 42.69778°N 23.32306°E / 42.69778; 23.32306
Construction
Completion	1955

The Largo (Bulgarian: Ларго, definite form Ларгото, Largoto) is an architectural ensemble of three Socialist Classicism buildings around Independence Square (Bulgarian: площад „Независимост“) in central Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria. It was designed and built in the 1950s with the intention of becoming the city's new representative centre. Today it is regarded as one of the prime examples of Socialist Classicism architecture in Southeastern Europe,^[1] as well as one of the main landmarks of Sofia.

The Largo complex consists of three buildings around Independence Square: The Council of Ministers and the TSUM department store on the north side, the National Assembly (former Communist Party headquarters) with its iconic spire on the east side, the Presidential Administration (former Council of State) and the Balkan Hotel to the south side. Plans for a 16-storey City Hall on the east side, resembling the Moscow State University main building, were not carried out following de-Stalinisation.^[2]