Athens Conservatoire

What I can see

The Conservatoire of Athens (Athens Conservatory) is characteristic for its radical, modern Bauhaus architectural style. The building’s structure is of particular interest. It consists of basements, a pilotis with pillars and a first floor. It has 35 teaching halls, among which one for opera performance (350 seating capacity), one hall for theatre performance (150 seating capacity) and another for concerts. There are also teachers’ offices, a concert hall (820 seating capacity) as well as other halls for various events. The building’s exterior is austere, lined with marble from Mount Penteli and organized in a strict geometrical design/pattern. 

What I can't see

The design was by Ioannis Despotopoulos (Jan Despo), who was a student of Walter Gropius and received the first prize of the 1959 Greek architecture competition for this project. It is the only building that was built during the 1960s in the area, which was at the time slated to become the city’s cultural centre. The Conservatoire is culturally significant both artistically and architecturally. It houses a byzantine music school, which has to a great extent preserved and disseminated the musical tradition of Crete and the Peloponnese, brought European and Greek music closer and has also been a centre for the development of the dramatic arts. Artists of international class have graduated from the Conservatoire, including Maria Kallas, Emilios Veakis, Thomas Economou, Nikos Skalkotas, Manos Hatzidakis and Mikis Theodorakis.

Info

• Address: Rigillis St. and 17-19 V. Georgiou B St.
• Postal Code : 10675
• Phone: +30 210 72 44 260
• E-mail: [email protected]
• Website: http://www.odeionathinon.gr

Bibliography