A wound in Athens that has remained open for more than 11 years is beginning to close as the block surrounding the historic Attikon-Apollo cinemas, which was set on fire in February 2012, is headed for redevelopment and development.

This was announced by president of the Museum of the City of Athens – of the Vouros-Eutaxia Foundation, Mr. Antonios G. Vogiatzis in his recent greeting at the exhibition of Ms. Dina Anastasiadou.

This renovation coincides with the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the foundation (October 5, 1973) of this particular Museum. However, in order to reach this point, as Mr. Vogiatzis mentions, it was necessary to overcome a series of time-consuming and difficult procedural, legal, bureaucratic, internal issues between the bodies and institutions involved in order to reach an agreement with the investor, which will undertake the reconstruction of the complex, which is managed by the Museum of the City of Athens – Vouros-Eutaxia Foundation.

In particular, just about 4 weeks ago, as Mr. Vogiatzis, a lawyer by profession, who has dedicated and continues to dedicate more than 3 decades of his life to the service of the Museum, non-profit, holding the position of president, told APE/MPE since 2002, an agreement was signed between the Museum and a company of Mr. Yiannis Perrotis Group of Companies for the redevelopment of the area, reminding us that the two historic cinemas have not suffered any damage internally and are theoretically ready for operation.

But what are the scenarios for the regeneration of the entire complex?

The first (minimum) is to shape the buildings, exactly as they were before the fire of February 12, 2012. The second is to erect other buildings with other uses, without affecting in the least the facade of the buildings on Stadiou Street, but in depth. As Mr. Vogiatzis emphasizes, the facade of the existing buildings is preserved, as are the cinemas during their use. The third, also respecting the monuments, will provide for the creation of even more spaces. The work will start as agreed. However, not immediately.

Mr. Vogiatzis, in the detailed and documented historical review that led not only to this agreement, but also in general to the preservation of the Museum’s life, focuses more on the decisive contribution of the Museum’s employees, who, except for one, in the difficult times supported the efforts , laying back, as he typically states. He also makes a special mention of the members of the Museum’s Board of Directors, who from the beginning are reputable personalities, who always act in accordance with the instructions of the Museum’s founder, the late Lambros I. Eutaxias..

For the record, it is mentioned that today’s new beginning for this “square” of the Center of Athens would not have been reached without the legislative regulation (paragraphs 2-5 of article 94 of Law 4714/2020) for the transfer to the Foundation of Museum of the “Stamatio Dekozi Vouros Foundation (ISDB)”, as an “independent management capital”. ISDB was founded in 1959 by the ambassador Alexandros Vouros (1871-1959) and the great-grandson of Stamatios Dekozis Vouros, Lambros I. Euftaxia (1905-1996). The “Museum of the City of Athens – Vouros-Eutaxia Foundation”, was founded in 1973 by Lambros Eutaxia and ISDB. The 2020 arrangement led to the problems being overcome and we are now in the regeneration of the heart of the center of Athens.

The Museum of the City of Athens

From the website of the Museum, we convey some information about its route, its buildings, urging the city’s residents and its visitors, at the first opportunity, to visit it by traveling not only through the historical course of Athens, but also of the current city (intangible content of the Museum).

The Museum of the City of Athens-Vourou Eutaxia Foundation is a museum dedicated to the evolution of the city of Athens essentially in modern times. It is housed in two of the oldest buildings of the Greek capital on I. Paparrigopoulou Street at numbers 5 and 7. The neoclassical of Chiotis, a native of Constantinople, banker Stamatis Dekozi Vouros (1792-1881) at number 5, the “Old Palace” , as it was often called by the ancient Athenians, is a milestone in the history of the Greek state as it was the first place of exercise of power for the royal couple, Otto and Amalia. Then, together with the second building at I. Paparrigopoulou 7, it housed the members of the family of Constantinos Stamatiou Vouros, among whom was the founder of the Museum, Lambros I. Eutaxias, a politician and great benefactor of Athens. The Museum was founded in 1973 and opened its doors to the public in 1981.

The “old” palace

In 1833, the construction of a neoclassical house begins on the northern outskirts of the then city of Athens according to the designs of the architects Gustav-Adolph Lueders (1805-1880) and Joseph Hoffer. The house of Stamatiou Dekozi Vouros was completed in 1834. It is a two-story early neoclassical building with a three-part facade. The tripartite layout of the facade is distinguished by the floor levels with the straight capitals, which together with the balcony in the center emphasize the vertical axis of the building. On the opposite side, the horizontal axis is represented by the horizontal frame that runs through the facade at the height of the cantilever, characteristic of the neoclassical style. However, the neoclassical work of Stamatis Dekozi Vouros, in addition to its high aesthetics, is also significantly favored by the times.

After his arrival in Athens in 1834, Othon initially resided in the house of the also Chios banker Alexandros Kontostavlos between Stadiou and Kolokotroni streets. The house, mostly wooden, although bought by the Greek state, was not suitable for hosting the royal couple, so in 1836, after his marriage to the Duchess of Oldenburg Amalia (1818-1875) in Bavaria, Othon he rents the house of Vouros and the adjacent houses of Afthonidis and Mastronikola (not preserved today), in order to house the needs of the palace.

The buildings are joined by the Bavarian architect Hoch with the construction of a bridge, while the space in front of the buildings is shaped by Amalia into a garden, which later develops into today’s Klathmonos Square. In the same year, the royal mint and seal was established in the “old palace” building.

The “new” building

The building at I. Paparrigopoulou 7, which is being built according to the plans of the military engineer Gerasimos Metaxas, is a two-story building with the original facade having been altered by later interventions. In particular, in 1916 a radical reformation was carried out with plans by the architect Anastasios Helmis, according to the trends of eclecticism, which prevailed at that time in Greece, while later both the mansion of Stamatios Dekozi Vouros and the house of his son Konstantinos were renovated by the architect Ioannis Stuttering. This second building (at number 7), today, as part of the Museum of the City of Athens, houses the memories of the family of Constantinos Stamatiou Vouros and is a sample of the urban lifestyle in Athens in the 19th and up to the middle of the 20th century.

For more information, those interested can visit the Museum’s website https://athenscitymuseum.gr/