Hotel Great Britain

What I can see

The former “Great Britain Hotel” is a luxurious building of the time with neoclassical architecture and eclectic aesthetics. It was an A class hotel and today houses a department of the Aristotle University. In addition to its structure, among the neoclassical elements are also the projecting ends of the rafter, while the renaissance-style floral decorations and garlands belong to the eclectic ones. Each floor is decorated differently, as can be seen from the window decorations. The top two floors are later additions and in retreat. The last floor has a more contemporary architectural style, while the columns of the second to last floor maintain the continuity of the building’s vertical lines.

What I can't see

Originally, it was built to house offices and residences. Later, it was converted into a hotel. The name “Great Britain” used to be prestigious for a hotel, and there were hotels with this name in many cities. It did not only refer to the corresponding luxury hotel in Athens, but also highlighted the desire of the Greeks of the time to acquire a more European identity and leave the Ottoman past behind. The original designs by architect Max Rubens included some curves (e.g. to some balconies), a characteristic of Rubens’ style.

Info

• Address: 46 Egnatia St.

Bibliography