Architecture

Neoclassical buildings

A large number of neoclassical buildings, more than one hundred and fifty, have survived to this day in Piraeus. The largest number of these buildings were destroyed during the great Allied bombing of the port in 1944. Another significant number were demolished during the 1950s and 1960s, a time when there was a huge need for housing for the population that decided to stay permanently in Piraeus. Thus, in the place of the neoclassical buildings, large apartment buildings slowly began to appear and Piraeus gradually turned into a densely built urban center.

Of the neoclassical buildings that have survived, several are preserved in very good condition. They mainly house large multinational companies, the branches of which operate on their premises. These are banks, shipping companies and clothing companies. On the contrary, of the buildings that have remained privately owned, there are very few examples that are preserved in good condition and in which their owners still reside, while the number of those that have suffered damage due to time and display stability problems is particularly big. Some others are used by public or municipal services such as music school, cultural-sports clubs, art galleries, libraries, etc.

The effort made by the Municipality of Piraeus is significant, so that these buildings can be properly utilized and this rich cultural heritage remains unscathed. The Old Post Office (formerly TTT) has now been completely renovated, housing the Historical Archives of the Municipality, the Municipal Gallery and other services, as well as the Municipal Theatre, which is the most characteristic restored building of the city today.

In the buildings of Piraeus, due to its proximity to Athens, the architecture and construction standards of the Athenian residence were faithfully followed. However, the architectural details of the buildings show interesting and considerable variety, also due to the tendency of the inhabitants to exceed Athenian standards.

The most important neoclassical buildings of Piraeus are considered to be the following:

  • Aikaterini Laskaridis Building/ Foundation, i.e. the former Strigos Mansion,
  • House/Mansion of the Metaxas family
  • Buildings on Pavlou Kountourioti Coast
  • Chatzikyriakeio Foundation Building
  • Hellenic Naval Academy Building
  • And the Vattis s Brothers Eclectic Mansion (former Hotel «Diethnes»)

On the pages of piraeusarchwalks.gr you can see most of the neoclassical buildings of Piraeus, eclectic buildings from the first decades of the 20th century, as well as the most important archaeological sites of the wider region. Although the online application focuses on the architectural heritage of the 19th century and the first decades of the 20th century, it also includes references to the most important archaeological sites and the Archaeological Museum with the theater of the Hellenistic era.