“Kostis Palamas” Building

The beautiful neoclassical building known for the intense red-brown color. Known to Athenians as the Kostis Palamas building, this stunning, renovated building at the corner of Akadimias and Massalias Streets, has a long history.

Built in the mid-1850s to meet the housing needs of the private Hellenikon Ekpaideuterion School. It was an early example of neoclassicism, displaying the vivid colours seen today. Purchased by the University of Athens in the 1870s, the facility housed the pharmacology, microbiology and mineralogy laboratories, followed subsequently by the forensic and toxicology labs.

In the 1970s, after the building had been deserted for a number of years, the government decided to replace it with a modern building to house the Ministry of Education. However, due to political developments and objections raised by the academic and architectural communities, the project went no further.
In 2004 with the funding of the “Stavros Niarhos” Institute and since then, it has operated as a Cultural Centre – Lounge.
Today, the original building has been fully restored, and now houses the University Cultural Centre and the Faculty Club.

The main function of the Centre is to host cultural events, such as conjectural exhibitions, lectures addressed to small audiences, round tables, book presentations, organization of conferences/meetings, symposiums, receptions, dinners, official meals, etc.

At the same time, the Centre operates on a daily basis as a meeting and cooperation place for the members of the University Faculty as a Lounge offering places especially tailored for reading, discussion and information. There is also a restaurant in the Centre, operating daily, which is called: “The Kapodistrian”.