Historical buildings in Athens “liberated” from abandonment and decay

Some 63 edifices have once again been welcomed as part of the Greek capital’s historical heritage

Several buildings, jewels for the aesthetics of Athens, are set to make their return to citizens, after years of abandonment, looting and decay. Buildings that are the envy of many European capitals, for their architecture, were “liberated” by local officials and become again, part of Athenian culture and history.

Bringing back what was lost

Over the course of years and decades many old and historic buildings and edifices sunk into disuse and abandonment. Yet the incumbent administration of the Greek capital wanted nothing to do with this practice and moved forward with their rehabilitation.

Thus, earlier this week the Municipality of Athens, in an unceasing effort to liberate public spaces but also to "wake up" corners of the city that were forgotten, implemented a plan for the mapping and utilization of many of these buildings that have stood empty for so long.

Within a year, 63 buildings, small and large, squares, plots, were evacuated from the squatters, cleaned and disinfected, in order to restore and regain their use.

A difficult task for the city, which has borne fruit thanks to the intensive interventions of the Joint Coordination Center of the Greek and Municipal Police, but also of all the services of the Municipality, for the cleaning, the electric lighting and the repairs.

It is particularly symbolic that buildings were released in the area of ​​Omonia where until recently the public debate focused on its degradation and today step by step, in combination with the creation of the square, it is changing. It has now been illuminated and cleaned and slowly returns to the modern rhythms of the city, while maintaining all its characteristics.

Based on this strategy, buildings and public spaces were also liberated in Patissia, the Acropolis, Psyrri and Metaxourgeio.

"It is our great opportunity to re-establish ourselves with Athens," explained the Mayor of Athens, Kostas Bakoyannis, added that “the way to win is to give life to all those points that were left to their fate. It is not done overnight but it is done - with the coordination of all of us and with an insistence on a plan that provides for interventions throughout the city, in the set of actions that change it day by day. The result of this effort is absolutely positive and that is why we are continuing it ".