Small block of flats
The Small block of flats is a preserved building that was in danger of being demolished due to the restriction of the view of the Acropolis from the new Acropolis Museum.
Modern and Contemporary era (1821 - )
1930 Constructed.
1978 Listed.
1988 Listed as protected piece of art by Ministry of Culture.
2007 Unlisted in order to be demolished and give the Acropolis Museum to have a better view. This decision caused enormous arguments both in Greece and abroad.
Ottoman era (1453- 1821)
Byzantine era (331 AC- 1453)
Roman era (30 BC- 330 AC)
Hellenistic era (322- 31 BC)
Classical era (478-323 BC)
Archaic era (800-479 BC)
Geometric era (-1100- 800 BC)
Prehistory (-1100 BC)
What I can see
The so-called “Small Block of Flats” was constructed during the Interwar period and is a symbol of the transition from neoclassicism to modernism. Of particular interest are the pilasters of the entrance lights, the ornaments and the mosaics, which refer directly to ancient Greek architecture.
What I can't see
Architect Vassilios Kouremenos was a fan of a “rationalistic cleansing” of classicism, an attempt to harmonize classicism with the new functional needs of the era. At the time of the Interwar period, the number 3 is a frequent pattern in architecture, so we see it often on windows, floors and other details. The same happens with linear elements. However, the phenomenon does not appear in all buildings of the time, but appears more in buildings with neoclassical or art deco elements. This feature gives prestige and orderliness to the building by referring to so-called “urbanity”.
Info
- Address: 17 Dionysiou Areopagitou St.
Bibliography
http://www.eie.gr/archaeologia/gr/arxeio_more.aspx?id=105,
Last visit 13/11/2018
Rodi P.A., Tournikiotis P., (2010), Εκδοχές του Μοντέρνου στην Αθήνα του Μεσοπολέμου, [Aspects of Modernism in Interwar Athens] do.co,mo.mo., 4, Τα τετράδια του Μοντέρνου [Journals of Modernism], Futura
