What I can see

This is a two-storey neoclassical building with a basement and balanced provisions on the façade. On Acharnon St. façade, the axis of symmetry is defined by the balcony of the first floor and the two of the ground floor. On the side of Heyden Street, there are three symmetry axes to the façade, i.e. the balconies of the first floor and the arched entrance. The windows have Doric elements and their keys are specially decorated.

What I can't see

Before it was occupied by anarchists, it used to be the second male high school. Significant artistic personalities and intellectuals (e.g. Alekos Fasianos, Theodoros Angelopoulos, Christos Giannaras) graduated from here. It became the most famous squat of the city for 23 years, becoming a symbol of the movement and a landmark for punk concerts. When it was evacuated by police, a “war” started, with the government and municipality on the one side and the anarchists on the other. The cause of the war was the decision of the municipality to turn the squat into a school, but the hidden political and ideological motives were obvious. After the evacuation, school unit construction projects began, keeping the shell, but completely destroying the interior, and thus much of its architectural value. The name “Villa Amalia” was given by the squatters. It derived from a previous squat on Amalias Avenue, which lasted a little and then was moved here. The origianal name of the building is “Villa Argyropoulos”.

Info

• Address: 80-82 Acharnon & 32 Heyden St.

Bibliography