The Chirpan branch of UniCredit Bulbank is protected by the Monuments of Culture and Museums Act since 1974. Located in the central area of the town, it was designed to house a bank and was built over a period of 13 years.

Designed and built by Italian architects, its construction was completed in June 1925 and it began operations as the Bulgarian Agricultural Bank. The architectural design and the building’s initial appearance remain unknown, despite a search in the archives.

Nationalised by the Bulgarian state in January 1954, its title deed was passed to Bulbank in December 1998. Since its very first day and until now, the building has never been used as anything other than a bank.

The building itself has two storeys, a basement and an attic, with a total area of 1776 sq m. The brick outer walls and steel beams provide the main support for the construction, while the roof is made of timber.

The facade features rich plastic decorations. The ground floor, spanning 663 sq m, is where all front-office operations are carried out. The heavily-ornamented interior features a stained-glass ceiling and an imposing staircase to the upper floor with the back office, a conference room and storage space. The safes, including one with massive doors dating back to 1925, along with the archives, are in the basement. The yard, separated from the street by a brick-and-wrought-iron wall, spreads over 440 sq m.

Even the deadly earthquake of 1928, which caused massive destruction in central and southern Bulgaria, has left no visible mark on the building. It was repaired and reconstructed to meet the requirements of modern banking in 1994/97, but that did not affect the authenticity of the architecture. Despite the addition of new communications, security and fire alarm systems, the interior decorations have not been modified. At the same time, the bank was fitted with a safe garage and a diesel generator to ensure emergency power.

The building was renovated at the end of 2008 to further bring it in line with UniCredit Bulbank’s architectural style.