Greece’s Ministry of Culture and Sports has announced its latest plans for the conversion of two buildings at the former royal estate of Tatoi. Following a series of architectural, static and electromechanical studies, members of the Central Council of Modern Monuments have given unanimous approval for the restoration of the Staff building and the Cowshed, two important buildings at the core of the historic estate.
In a statement, Culture Minister Lina Mendoni emphasized that the restoration works are progressing in order for the estate to be developed into an important cultural center for Attica: “The authentic characteristics of the Staff building and the Cowshed are being restored, preserving and highlighting their monumental character. The buildings are being modernized to make them fully functional for their new uses.”
The Staff building, constructed in the early 20th century, will be converted into a guest house, accessible to the disabled. With the financial backing of a private investor, restoration works will not affect the morphology of the monument’s outer shell. The surrounding area will also be redesigned, with the addition of a promenade and recreation area.
The Cowshed was completed in 1952, replacing an older building that was not sufficient to meet the needs of the developing agricultural production of the Tatoi estate at the time. An architecturally important building from the post-World War II period, its possible creator may have been the Greek architect Konstantinos Gkinis. It had a capacity of about 90 animals.
The restored building will function as a exhibition center, showcasing the history of agricultural production at the estate, and will also feature a display of vintage cars. On the ground floor, objects related to agriculture and livestock farming will be exhibited, with separate sections dedicated to the estate’s dairy, oil and wine production. A collection of vintage cars will be housed in the building’s west wing, including several Rolls-Royces, an MG TD Midget, electric Fiat 500 Boano Spider Elegance automobiles, and a number of golf carts. The new center will also have a reception area, a shop, toilets, and a multipurpose room.
The project to convert the Cowshed, which aims to be completed by the end of 2025, has been granted a budget of 4,300,000 euros, secured from EU’s Recovery Fund.
