What I can see

It is a building that stands out in comparison to the newer and larger buildings around it, thanks to its simplicity and small size, although in its time it was considered large and impressive. It is an urban Athenian house of the period of king Otto’s reign, an excellent example of early classicism and was probably designed by Stamatis Kleanthis. It belonged to the Soutsos family and was later purchased by Prime Minister Dimitrios Rallis. Today, it is an office building and a multi-storey office building stands behind it.

What I can't see

The plot belonged to Stamatis Kleanthis, who sold it to the Soutsos family. Alexandros Soutsos was a ruler of Wallachia and his sons bought it. Dimitrios Soutsos was a popular mayor, who proudly accepted the contemptuous characterization by his opponents as the “mayor of the shoe shine boys”, as shoe shine boys were identified with poverty. The opponents also characterized his followers as “shoe shine boys”. At the back of the courtyard there was a paved path that separated the house from the stable and in addition to the wide variety of plants and trees, animals such as cats, dogs, turkeys and goats coexisted in the garden. During the interwar period, there was a wooden structure in the courtyard that housed the well-known cabaret “Griffon” and later “Folie D’Ivère”. The house was almost demolished during the 1980s and 1990s, but was saved thanks to strong reactions from residents and architects.

Info

• Address: Panepistimiou/ El. Venizelou and Korai St.

Bibliography