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Lycabettus Theatre

The Lycabettus open theatre is in a hill's former quarry and is a listed monument.

  1. Modern and Contemporary era (1821 - )


    1964 Beginning of construction. It was completed a year later.

    1970 A fire in the dressing rooms caused serious damage and it was renovated in 1977.

    2008 Closed for safety reasons. It reopened a few years later for a very short time and closed again.

    2023 The renovation was completed; it has been equipped with state-of-the-art technology and reopened to the public.

  2. Ottoman era (1453- 1821)


  3. Byzantine era (331 AC- 1453)


  4. Roman era (30 BC- 330 AC)


  5. Hellenistic era (322- 31 BC)


  6. Classical era (478-323 BC)


  7. Archaic era (800-479 BC)


  8. Geometric era (-1100- 800 BC)


  9. Prehistory (-1100 BC)


What I can see

On the site of the old quarry on Lycabettus hill, the architect Takis Zenetos designed an open theatre with 3,000 seats and is considered a landmark of Greek modernism, because he harmonized architecture with technology. It is a removable metal structure with wooden steps. The facilities and ancillary spaces are located below the auditorium and lower than the orchestra. It was studied and designed in such a way that the viewer has excellent acoustics and view from any seat. After its reconstruction in 1977, due to a fire in 1970, plastic seats were installed and it reached a capacity of 3,850 seats. With the recent renovation and replacement of the plastic seats by wooden benches it reached 3,950. In addition, the worn metal elements of the skeleton were replaced. The renovation respected Zeneto’s design, but also incorporated EU regulations for theatres. The theatre can accommodate up to 6,000 people for events that include both seated and standing spectators.



What I can't see

The theatre’s construction was an initiative of the actress Anna Synodinou, with the aim of staging ancient dramas of the “Hellenic Scene” group, something that ultimately did not happen, due to the coup d’état of the colonels that followed. The dictators evicted the group and used the theatre for events they approved. Today, in addition to performances, concerts and other musical events also take place here.

Bibliography

Unsigned, (2023), Νέα εποχή για το θέατρο Λυκαβηττού ύστερα από 15 χρόνια, [A new era for the Lycabettus Theatre after 15 years], in Lifo

https://www.lifo.gr/now/entertainment/nea-epohi-gia-theatro-lykabittoy-ystera-apo-15-hronia

Last visit 19/11/2023

 

Technical Chamber of Greece, (2000), Athens, London, Paris, TCG,

http://www.culture2000.tee.gr/ATHENS/GREEK/main2.html

Last visit 19/11/2023