The use of marble combined with the relief compositions of Yannis Moralis, give a Greek touch to the hotel – Why they reacted to its construction – ERT video from the opening
It can Hilton (or Hilton for the older ones) to enter a new era, no longer as a hotel, but as one new multi-dimensional destination called ‘The Ilisian’, but it has a long history behind it.
Hilton Athens (also known as Hilton Athens internationally) was one of the largest and most luxurious hotels in Athens. The building is located in the center of Athens, on Vasilissis Sofia Avenue, facing Vasileos Alexandrou Avenue and Michalakopoulou Street and is one of the landmarks of the city.
The Hilton was built in the period 1958-1963, after a study by the architects Emmanuel Vourekas, Prokopi Vasiliadis, Spyrou Staikou and Antonis Georgiadis. With its construction, it marked the entry of the country into the global luxury tourism market, itself being a pre-eminent symbol of the country’s post-war development.
Its inauguration took place in April 1963, with three days of events that gathered distinguished guests from around the world, and were something unprecedented for the social life of the city. The owner of the series himself attended the ceremony, Conrad Hilton, who had stated among other things that “The Hilton Athens hotel is the most beautiful Hilton in the world“. In its first years of operation, it hosted several popular personalities, such as heads of state, artists and scientists of international prestige. From Aristotle Onassis, Frank Sinatra, Ingmar Bergman to Anthony Quinn.
In the period 2001-2003, in view of the Olympic Games, it was added a new six-storey wing to the hotel towards Ventiri Street, work of the architectural offices Al. Tombazi and H. Bougadeli. In 2004 it was the seat of the International Olympic Committee, while in 2011 it was used as the seat of the Organizing Committee of the Special Olympics World Games, held in Athens.
The facade of the building presents certain peculiarities, thanks to the combination of modern and classic, while the use of marble in combination with the relief compositions of Yannis Moralis, they give a Greek touch to the hotel.
The original purpose of the building was to be a state-of-the-art hotel unit which would surpass any previous one in size and technology. Its construction, however, was the cause of many discussions about the aesthetic integrity of the intervention, as it was referred to as a “skyscraper”. which was in confrontation with the until then dominant Acropolis. In particular, it was indeed considered by many as the “world’s most beautiful Hilton”, but on the other hand, by just as many as a vandalism against the historic landscape of the city.
The original plan included 960 rooms, ballrooms, shops, restaurants, parking spaces, swimming pool and rooftop recreation. All communal functions were concentrated on the ground floor, except for the nightclub on the top floor, thus creating a clear spatial structure, and freeing up more space for the rooms. Its main faces consist of the vertical wings, and the parapets of the balconies in the horizontal direction, while the two narrow faces were shaped sokoro, i.e. blind faces, which bear the reliefs of G. Moralis. The shows depict the main elements of Greek hospitality such as the goddess Athena, a boat, an altar with priestly offerings, entertainers, a horse, and other related subjects.
Source: Skai
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