What I can see

In an area of ​​195 acres, east of the city, there is one of the symbols of modernization of post-war Greece. The Finikas labour residences housed former shack refugees, workers and Roma. The buildings are typical of the Workers’ Housing Organization apartments and are characterized by ergonomics, functionality and simple lines. The goal of the architect Ares Konstantinidis was the gathering of inhabitants around small natural spaces and the development of mild activities such as play, adult gatherings and finally the creation of small neighbourhoods, as it did happen. It is a socialist approach to public space. The settlement was planned to have all public facilities (e.g. schools, health centre, and church) at its centre, but only some of them were completed. Today, the interventions on the complex are many, in a residents’ effort to have a more comfortable living (e.g. semi-outdoor spaces, shelters, fences). Many objects, from older times, create a different atmosphere from that of modern everyday life.

What I can't see

The creation of the settlement was a state initiative and it housed 1,200 families. When the houses were handed over to the residents, they were unfinished and the location, which is on the outskirts of the city, was almost deserted. Today, the biggest event of the district is the festival of the 15th of August for which it is famous.

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