Meteorological Station of A.U.Th.
The Meteorological Station is a circular building of modern architecture in the AUTh.
Modern and Contemporary era (1912 - )
1954 Its construction began.
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
This is a modern building of the post-war era, but it is full of neoclassical elements. It is a two-storey cylindrical building with a circular balcony, which rests on concrete columns. The floor openings are dense and framed to emphasize the vertical axis. The observatory is glass-enclosed and no dome is required. This gives a modern character to the building. In the outdoor space, we can see Roman sarcophagi, which were discovered during the university’s construction works.
What I can't see
The architect Ioannis Triantafyllidis tried to design a functional building, which at the same time is reminiscent of an ancient monument or heroon. Perhaps it is the only building of post-war Thessaloniki that refers to the Rotunda. The successful arrangement of spaces proves that classical buildings can be functional and meet modern needs. The propylon is located on the south side and is separated from the vestibule by the fresco “The unchangeable climate of Greece from Greek mythology”, a work by Spyros Vassiliou.
Info
- Address: Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
Bibliography
Kalogirou Ν., (2021), Αρχιτεκτονική και Πολεοδομία στη Μεταπολεμική Θεσσαλονίκη, μια κριτική επισκόπηση, [Architecture and Urbanism in Post-war Thessaloniki, a critical overview], Barbounaki
Kolonas V., (2015), Εκατό χρόνια φιλοξενίας, Τα ξενοδοχεία της Θεσσαλονίκης (1914- 2014), [A hundred years of hospitality, the hotels of Thessaloniki (1914- 2014), Thessaloniki: University Studio Press
