The interwar modern movement in Athens Modern architecture in Athens

a primary school in makrygianni near acropolis of athens. designed in 1931 patroklos karantinos.



the ble polykatoikia on exarcheia square, designed in 1932 kyriakos panagiotakos.



apartment building on stournari , zaimi streets designed in 1933 thoukydidis valentis , polyvios michailidis. features no bay windows long horizontal windows.



rex theatre on panepistimiou street. designed leonidas bonis , vasileios kassandras , built between 1935–1937, 1 of few buildings inspired american art deco in new york s skyscrapers.



the refugees apartment buildings on alexandras designed in 1933 kimon laskaris , dimitrios kyriakos in bauhaus style. dilapidated. see photograph of how used when completed.

despite initial conservatism, modern architecture became more prominent during end of 1920s. recent graduates of school of architecture of national technical university of athens (ntua) founded in 1917, graduates other european architectural schools managed make modernism more popular. ambitious plan construction of many public schools, not in athens in of greece, ministry of education of 1928–1932 venizelos government. program led architect nikos mitsakis (1899–1941), graduate of ntua, who, in 1930, appointed director of office construction of new schools. designs of new schools based on le corbusier s principles, unadorned large horizontal windows, , built abundant , cheap materials such stonemasonry , reinforced concrete. of important examples of modern school architecture dimitris pikionis s school under mount lycabettus designed in 1931, kyriakos panagiotakos s school in pangrati designed in 1933, , many others. during fourth congress of ciam took place in athens in 1933, public schools discussed. during visit in athens congress, le corbusier visited school designed panagiotakos on liosion street , wrote compliments de le corbusier on wall.

the cityscape of athens in 1930s formed, though, great number of modern private apartment buildings built during decade. many neighbourhoods of athens saw construction spree fuelled more powerful middle , upper-middle class friendly modernism , wanted invest in property, increase of population. such neighbourhoods include kolonaki, exarcheia, kypseli, area around amerikis square, , other central areas.

influenced le corbusier, walter gropius, , erich mendelsohn, more conservative architects such michel roux-spitz, virtually every apartment building built in athens during decade followed style. these buildings characterized bay windows can protrude 1.4 metres under 1929 general building regulation, non-existent or subtle ornamentation such occasional art deco motifs, on ironwork, , spacious entry halls. have permanent decorative pergolas on terraces of top floors. use of bay windows produces plasticity effect façades. example of apartment building unadorned façades , many bay windows famous ble polykatoikia near exarcheia square designed in 1932 kyriakos panagiotakos. other architects used bolder corbusian features on buildings flat façades without bay windows , long horizontal windows. 1 such example apartment building on stournari , zaimi streets designed thoukydidis valentis , polyvios michailidis in 1933.

although private buildings built in modern style, public prestige buildings during 1930s still built according simplified classical style, mentioned above. special-purpose public buildings built according modernist principles. include; apartment buildings on alexandras avenue designed in 1933 kimon laskaris , dimitrios kyriakos , built government accommodate refugees of 1923 population exchange; sotiria hospital designed in 1931 ioannis despotopoulos; wing laundry , kitchen @ sotiria hospital designed in c. 1937 periklis georgakopoulos; , industrial buildings.