Property owner
An empty unit becomes visible, cared for and active again.
A GoSo Projects concept · Sofia 2028
Concept proposal01 / Oborishte
One vacant storefront. A limited window of time. A new reason to stop, look and step inside.
The premise
What happens when one empty shop suddenly comes alive again?
The Empty Shop Project is a small-scale urban concept created by GoSo Projects. It explores how temporarily unused commercial spaces can become short-lived places for culture, creativity, meetings and new ideas.
The first suggested pilot is Oborishte - not because the district needs to be reinvented, but because it already has the right ingredients: residential streets, cafés, galleries, restaurants, cultural institutions and independent businesses.
The idea is simple: find one suitable vacant street-level shop, turn the lights back on and give it a temporary new life.
Empty Shop 01
“Curiosity becomes
the invitation.”
A familiar dark window changes. Light, people, objects and movement appear behind the glass. The identity stays restrained. The street does the rest.
On the glass
EMPTY SHOP 01
Something is happening here
OBORISHTE · SOFIA
One space
Different possibilities.
The Empty Shop does not need to become one fixed type of venue. Its temporary nature lets the content change while the identity remains recognisable.
The point is not to fill every day with programming.
The point is to create something worth discovering.Temporary is part of the idea
You cannot always say, “I’ll visit sometime.”
Visitors know from the beginning that the project will not remain. That creates curiosity, urgency and freedom to experiment.
Perhaps2 weeks
Perhaps1 month
More than a pop-up
Temporary urban activation.
A space that has stopped contributing to street life is briefly brought back into use. One modest intervention can create value in several directions.
Local creators
An unusual platform appears for work, ideas and experiments.
Neighbours
Businesses, residents and visitors gain new movement and encounters.
The city
A visible example of how inactive space can contribute again.
Start small
Enough to open the door.
The first edition does not need a festival site, major construction or a permanent venue. Its strength is the clarity of the format.
- 01One suitable empty shop
- 02One strong identity
- 03A limited period
- 04A carefully selected programme
- 05A reason to step inside
From Oborishte to a format
Every empty shop creates a new story.
If the pilot works, the concept can move. The visual identity remains recognisable while the location and content change.
The idea in one sentence
Take a temporarily empty commercial space, turn the lights back on and give people a reason to enter.
A door. A room. A few weeks. And an idea.
GoSo Projects · Sofia 2028Concept created byGoSo Projects
This is a concept proposal - not a confirmed production. It is a promising example of what could be possible in Oborishte.
The final location, duration, programme, partnerships and commercial structure would be developed with the relevant property owner and local stakeholders.