What I can see

The most characteristic part of this apartment building is the rectangular canvas, which works as a “second facade”.  It was designed by Apostolos Thomaidis and is a building of post-war modernism and a time when Brutalism in Europe was flourishing. Its architecture seems to be brutalist, without being clearly an example of this particular order. From the 1960s onwards, apartment buildings have acquired more plasticity through projecting parapets and vertical metal elements on their exterior. This specific building is along the same lines as the neighbouring Makedonia Palace and the ground floor is recessed, therefore an arcade is formed.

What I can't see

This apartment building, like many of the same era, belong to the so-called post-war urban apartment buildings, i.e. those that meet more safety standards, are more functional and more complete as structures, compared to the first apartment buildings of Thessaloniki of the early 20th century and interwar period. With the decrees of 1956 and 1960, the height of buildings and the percentage of land coverage increased. Meanwhile, apartment buildings were also considered as status symbols of the big cities. The press of the time approved the construction of such buildings, as it was commonly accepted that this is how the old city of the “aged” mansions was beautified, many of which nowadays have been listed as preserved monuments and works of art. The pace of construction of these apartment buildings and the degree of leveling of the older ones was as if there had been no buildings, history and architecture in the city before. Many argued that high buildings and, in general, the growth of the city in height, would limit its rampant and anarchic spatial expansion, wanting to avoid the example of Athens. The result was that height did not ultimately reverse the uncontrolled expansion, nor did it ensure more open spaces. Another international failed example of the correlation between building height and open spaces is the skyscrapers in Chicago.

Info

• Address: Michailidi & Bizaniou

Bibliography