Bageion Hotel

What I can see

Identical to the earlier “Megas Alexandros” hotel by the same architect (Ernst Ziller), Bageion is a work of late neoclassicism, it exudes solidity and the two hotels together frame the corners of Athenas Street in Omonia. The top floor with the red decorative surfaces was added later, at the beginning of the 20th century. The openings are framed by false pilasters and some are decorated with caryatids that support the balconies above them. The interior is significantly altered due to the different uses of the building during the second half of the 20th century. Today, the ground floor houses shops and the upper floors host theatrical and other artistic events.

What I can't see

Before the construction of the hotel, there was a house where the Trikoupis family lived until 1883. The Bageion or Pageion Hotel was named after Ioannis Bagas and was built by the committee of his bequest. It is also called “Bageion Hotel Philip II”. It attracted wealthy merchants from the countryside and the hotel’s revenue went to charity. A pioneering design for the time was the central glass-roofed atrium, around which the spaces were developed. It was severely damaged by British soldiers during the Greek civil war (1946-1949). It managed, however, to operate as a category C hotel until the 1960s. On the ground floor, the historic “Café  Chantant” and the “Bageion Cafe” operated; both were hangouts for artists and writers.

Info

• Address: 18 Omonoia Sq. & Athinas St.

Bibliography