The well-known businessman in the construction industry breathed his last last Saturday, July 13 at the age of 91. Babis Vovos.

The businessman who associated his name with glass skyscrapers was born in 1933 in Filiatra and managed to write his own history in construction with his name dominating many of its glass buildings Kifisias Avenue.

He was the owner of the Babis Vovos International Technical construction company. As indicated on the company’s website, Babis Vovos – International Technical was founded in 1974 by Charalambos Vovos himself under the name “Babis Vovos Hellenic Tourism SA”, which in August 1999 was renamed “Babis Vovos – International Technical SA”.

The buildings that the company has built and utilized during its 32 years of activity in the field of urban real estate exceed 30 and they include some of the most well-known, famous and modern buildings in Athens, such as ATRINA, AGORA, POLIS, DELFI CORNER, ATRIUM, MONUMENTAL PLAZA etc.

Babis Vovos took his first business steps in 1957 at the age of just 24 where he founded his first company together with the Mykonian contractors Yiannis Zouganelis and Panagiotis Famelis, Famelis-Zouganelis-Vovos O.E., taking over the scientific part, with the preparation of studies etc.

The company was mainly involved in buying and selling and building houses in Mykonos and it was she who opened the way for him.

Buildings with fragrance… USA

However, in 1974 he took the next big step with the establishment of Babis Vovos International Technique. Inspired by his trips to the USA and the impressive skyscrapers, Babis Vovos decided to bring them to Greece as well, giving them his own style. In the very first steps of his new company, in 1975, he participated in the renovation of the Presidential Palace. Almost at the same time, he put forward the ambitious plan for the “Atrina Center” which he named after the initials of the names of his children, Ari, Triada and Natalia. The property was based on plans by the great Ioannis Vikelas, with Vovos enlisting American and Italian architects, and it was completed in 1978. It consists of two buildings, one facing Kifisias Street and the second (tower) is 80 meters high and includes 18 floors.

“Atrina Center” also made a career on television, as it “played” the famous “Giant” of Iago Drakos, in the thousands of episodes of the popular television series “Shine”.

Then, he began scanning every vacant plot of land in Kifisias. He was the one who built the commercial complexes of “Agora” in 1987, “Polis” in 1995, “Monumental Plaza” in 1999. Later he expanded to the south, with the old building of Elfinko on Syngrou Avenue which was also made of glass , even hosting for a while the headquarters of New Democracy.

In 1999, the company’s profits exceeded 6.5 billion drachmas and MBDT was listed on the Stock Exchange.

The beginning of his end

When the first signs of the economic crisis began to be felt in Greece in 2009, the same thing happened to the businessman’s company. Two years later, in 2011, the group’s short-term debt obligations reached 223 million euros and total liabilities to the astronomical amount of 873.73 million euros. In 2012, the company filed for bankruptcy, while a little later he was temporarily arrested for debts to the State.

On February 22, 2013, Vovos was arrested for debt to the State.

On 20 March 2018, it was announced by the Greek media that his residence would be put up for auction. The property is located in Paleo Psychiko and has an area of ​​650 square meters.

Finally, in 2020 after two convictions for tax evasion, the businessman was arrested. He was taken to the Korydallos prison hospital, due to his age, and one day later he redeemed his sentence and he was released from prison.