Modernism, art deco and art nouveau compose the unique architecture of the Koffa Mansion.
Modern and Contemporary era (1912 - )
1925 Built.
2016 Listed.
Ottoman era (1453- 1912)
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 Koffa-Tsannidou mansion is building dominated by art deco, with highlighted vertical decorations, which at the same time emphasize the transverse gallery of the building. It was designed by Konstantinos Kokkoropoulos and Ioannis Zachariadis and the influences of the Secession movement, the Austro-German variant of Art Nouveau, are evident. It consists of a ground floor, a mezzanine and 5 floors, it has a Π shape and its two sides are divided into 3 vertical axes. There are no balconies, except on the top floor of the side axes. The decorative lines of the central axis have gradual tips; the openings are symmetrical and have geometric decoration. The interior is also interesting. It is decoratively simple, ergonomic, with the spaces being functionally organized, is naturally lit and there are remarkable doors, staircase and plaster reliefs on the ceilings. From the beginning, the building hosted offices (law, architectural, notary) and remains as an office and commercial building to this day.
What I can't see
This mansion is an important link in the architectural evolution chain of the city, the transition from eclecticism to modernism and from the Ottoman physiognomy of the city to a westernized cosmopolitan metropolis. One of the first elevators in northern Greece operated here. During WWII, it was commandeered by the Nazis and according to some sources, after the war, it housed the Ministry of Macedonia and Thrace for a short period. The historical Molho Jewish bookstore was housed on the ground floor, the oldest in the city and the only one that had foreign books and magazines. It was founded in 1888 and with the fire of 1917, the bookstore’s original building was destroyed, so it was then sheltered in Koffa Mansion. During WWII, it was sold and looted by the Germans. The Molho family escaped in Skopelos Island. After the war, they claimed the bookshop, which was then used by the British authorities and closed permanently in 2004. In addition, the ground floor housed the Public Power Cooperation exhibition space, where the tests of the first experimental television signal in the country took place, as part of the Thessaloniki International Fair of 1961. Last but not least, the famous pharmacy of the poet Ilias Katsogiannis was also housed here and was a hangout for writers during the 1950s and 1960s.
Info
- Address: 10 Tsimiski St.
Bibliography
https://parallaximag.gr/thessaloniki-news/istoria-tou-megarou-pou-stegase-dyo-istorika-stekia-tis-polis
Last visit 21/12/2023
Tsaktsira L, Papanthimou K., Mantziou G., Kalogirou N., (2014), Θεσσαλονίκη, η πόλη και τα μνημεία της, [Thessaloniki, the city and its monuments], Thessaloniki: Malliaris Pedia
Tsitiridis G., (2022), Ανακαλύψτε τα κτίρια της πόλης: Μέγαρο Κόφφα Τσαννίδου, [Discover the buildings of the city: Koffa Tsannidou Mansion], in Parallaxi,
https://parallaximag.gr/featured/anakalypste-ta-ktiria-tis-polis-megaro-koffa-tsannidou
Last visit 21/12/2023
Fragkoudi Ch., (2016), Μέγαρο Κόφφα- Τσαννίδου, [Koffa- Tsannidou Mansion], in Thessarchitecture,
https://thessarchitecture.wordpress.com/2016/11/13/%CE%BC%CE%B5%CE%B3%CE%B1%CF%81%CE%BF-%CE%BA%CE%BF%CF%86%CF%86%CE%B1/
Last visit 21/12/2023