What I can see

The old industrial facilities of the Papastratos tobacco industry occupy an area of 1,100 square metres and today it is being transformed into a business complex with an internal square by 3SK Stylianidis Architects. It is located in the former industrial zone of Piraeus and in a space where two large squares were planned in the 19th century that were never materialized. The old lithography building has been transformed into a multipurpose space and today houses a well-known company. The industrial aesthetics of the spaces “embraced” the exhibition about the history of the company and the spaces are ideal for cultural and business events. The contemporary version of the building respects its past with several references, such as the horizontal zones of the openings and the preservation of the original volumes. At the same time, however, it follows contemporary bioclimatic standards with an energy shell and vertical planting. The original building was designed by Pericles Paraskevopoulos and the lines of the complex are of early modernism and Bauhaus.

What I can't see

It belonged to the Papastratos brothers from Agrinio, who in 1919 came to Athens and in a very short time the business spread throughout Greece. It offered quality working conditions for the time and after the war, the Papastratos tobacco factory, together with the Keranis tobacco factory, had the most modernized facilities. The preparation of tobacco, production of the cigarettes, addition of filters and finally packaging took place here. The complex was located in the heart of the then industrial zone of Piraeus. The area had been named “Ergostasion” (factories in Greek) and then “Gazi-Papastratos” after the two largest industrial units. Therefore, the tobacco industry became a place name, which was widely used until the deindustrialization of the area.

Info

• Address: 25 Gravias St.

Bibliography