The Interwar period in Athens

In 1921, the architect Le Corbusier began publishing a series of essays expressing his vision for modern architecture. “A house is a machine for living,” he declared. Western society, inspired by avant-garde artistic movements, had moved away from the single-family homes and ornate decorative elements of earlier centuries towards residential buildings designed for functionality, energy efficiency and enhanced comfort for their occupants. By expanding vertically, these buildings also optimized the use of space in densely populated urban centers. As the new model for housing, the apartment building became a defining symbol of this era. It represented the integration of advanced technologies, innovative construction methods and cutting-edge materials and heralded a transformation in architectural design and urban living. But how did Interwar architecture in Athens differ from that of cities such as Paris or Milan?

“While there aren’t significant differences, interwar architecture in Greece, unlike in the rest of the Western world, has a unique starting point,” explains Eirini Gratsia, archaeologist and coordinator of MONUMENTA, a nonprofit organization that’s been documenting the architectural heritage of the 19th and 20th centuries in Athens, Piraeus and other cities since 2006.

In Greece, the interwar period began in 1923, following the end of the Second Greco-Turkish War. It was a time of profound social change and political instability marked by an influx of refugees and the gradual adoption of new ideas and lifestyles.

“The trends dominating Europe eventually arrived here, though with some delay. Architects trained abroad and at the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA) embraced the principles of Eclecticism and the Modern Movement,” says Gratsia. “We see a shift away from Neoclassicism and Academicism towards Eclecticism, a style blending elements from various movements, which offered a fresh approach to housing during the 1920s. By the 1930s, this gave way to the principles of the Modern Movement.”

The stroll

“Here we have a stunning example of Eclectic architecture,” Gratsia tells me, as we stand outside the Korkodeilou Apartment Building at 4 Skaramanga Street, near the National Archaeological Museum, admiring the marble carvings on an arch that frames the heavy door.

The building was designed in 1924 by the architect Konstantinos Kitsikis for the shipowner Dimitris Korkodeilos and his family. It has since been declared a listed monument. “This building showcases the cutting edge of construction technology at the time – concrete was used in its construction, allowing for larger openings and greater heights,” Gratsia explains as we tour a high-ceilinged first-floor apartment.

We pause to admire the fireplace, decorated with ceramic tiles from Florence. “These were custom-ordered specifically for the fireplace,” Ismini Kalabaliki, owner of the apartment, tells me. Ismini and her family will move in a few months from now, after renovations by Anaktae, a design studio led by Vivian Philippa and Diana Karvounis, who specialize in restoring or reimagining heritage spaces.

Why did Kalabaliki choose to live in this busy central neighborhood, especially with young children? “We have to be brave and not abandon the area to its fate. I didn’t want to spend money on a newly built place that looks like every other apartment. This building has so much history and character.”

Kalabaliki’s apartment was once the home of Maria Moscholiou, an actress with the National Theatre and the longtime High Priestess of the Olympic Flame Lighting Ceremony. “One of the original owners of the building was the Swiss Club Athens,” adds the building manager, joining in on the conversation. “The Foyer Suisse operated here for many years as a school for Swiss children living in Athens,” she says. The building also frequently hosted distinguished visitors, including politicians such as Konstantinos Karamanlis and Konstantinos Tsatsos, as well as literary figures such as Odysseas Elytis.

Next door stands another impressive building, also designed by Konstantinos Kitsikis, a professor at the National Technical University of Athens. Known as the Papaleonardou Apartment Building (and located at 61 28is Oktovriou Street and Skaramanga), this five-story masterpiece of eclectic architecture was once home to Maria Callas, who lived there with her mother and sister from 1938 to 1945. Following its restoration, it will house the Maria Callas Academy of Lyric Arts.

“The two apartment buildings share many similarities – the richness of their decorative elements is striking in both cases,” says Gratsia. “However, the Papaleonardou Apartment Building better reflects the evolving needs of the urban bourgeoisie in the modern era. It features a basement parking area and an elevator, conveniences that were becoming essential.”

On the hunt

At number 59 28is Oktovriou Street, we spot what might be the most beautiful doorway in Athens. The wrought iron Art Deco entrance, with its signature motif of a frozen fountain, belongs to a six-story apartment building designed in 1934 by architect Emmanuel Kriezis, according to the principles of the Modern Movement.

“Homes built in the mid-1930s resemble boxes, with their design primarily focusing on lighting and functionality,” explains Gratsia. “The main decorative features are bay windows, which gave owners extra interior space, and plaster molding.”

Walking toward Victoria Square, we stop to admire number 65 28is Oktovriou Street, the four-story Isaia Mansion. Known to many Athenians as the headquarters of the Stavrakos Film and Television School and as a venue for exhibitions, this 1923 building was designed by civil engineer Panagiotis Zizilas to function as an income-generating building.

As Gratsia explains, the apartments were initially rented out to members of the Greek diaspora from Egypt. “There’s a shift in mindset – we’re moving away from private homes and, by the 1920s, multi-story buildings are being constructed specifically for rental purposes.”

Across the road on Ioulianou Street stands a five-story eclectic building influenced by Art Nouveau; it’s the work of the renowned architect Vasileios Tsagris. A key figure in transitional eclecticism, Tsagris blended traditional styles with the Modern Movement. His buildings are distinguished by vertical bands that span the full height of his buildings, a defining feature of his architectural language.

Mapping the Modern Movement

A little further down, at 54 28is Oktovriou Street, stands the six-story Alkimos Gratsos Apartment Building, designed by Nikolaos Nikolaidis and built in 1934. This structure is an early and particularly noteworthy example of the Modern Movement. For another edifice by the same architect, we head to 1A Egyptou Street, to a building distinguished by a large clock on one of its facades. Known as the Savvidis Apartment Building, this six-story structure, with its striking curved balconies, is a quintessential representation of the Modern Movement.

Turning onto Chevden Street, we encounter the G. Patsakof Apartment Building, another classic example of the Modern Movement, built in 1935 by civil engineer Nikolaos Kotzamani.

Further along, at 30 Chevden Street, stands the Oikonomidis Apartment Building, designed in 1936 by renowned architect Dimitris Pikionis. Pikionis masterfully combined elements of the Modern Movement with those of traditional architectural styles in the design of its facades. As architect and NTUA professor emeritus Dimitris Filippidis observes, Pikionis succeeded in “bridging the gap between pre-industrial traditional architecture and advanced European design, creating a distinctly ‘national’ Greek architectural style.”

As I part ways with Eirini Gratsia, I ask her what motivated her to document the architectural legacy of Greece’s urban centers. “The desire to preserve the buildings and their stories,” she replies with a smile.