What I can see

The central library of the Municipality of Athens is housed in a building which consists of a central part and two wings on either side. It was a military building, as can be seen from its architecture. The modernist style propylon exudes Doricism and is a classicist reference. The space includes two reading rooms and various events (e.g. book presentations, exhibitions, tributes) and educational programs take place. Behind the library, the philharmonic orchestra of the Municipality of Athens is housed in a separate building.

What I can't see

The building was built by the Germans in World War II, to house Gestapo services. After the war, it became property of the Greek Army and later, of the Municipality of Athens. It is not a very citizen-friendly building, not only because it resembles a barracks, but also because it is not located in a central area and the front sidewalk is too narrow. There were plans to upgrade the building, but the project was not completed. The library has rare editions, 65,000 titles, newspaper archives from 1852 to 1999, 900 magazine titles from 1849 to this day, government gazette archive from 1833 to 2007, a big photographic archive and donor collections.

Info

• Address: 2 Domokou St.
• Phone: +30 210 8846011, 210 8846012

Bibliography