Num：M-GL07000200019

Name：Petros‘s House

Covered area：  1200 ㎡

Construction area：  3000㎡；25m*30m*4Floor

Location:42 Agathoupoleos street, Athens, Greece

Master： Ms. Mariana -Lee

Introduction: During 1965-70, due to the growth of the Greek economy, there was a building boom, and family homes were replaced by tall apartment buildings. At that time, many beautiful houses were demolished. But not Petros’ House! In order to preserve its beauty, in 2008 the Department of Regional Planning and Urban Development of the Greek Ministry of Environment included it in the Statutory List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historical Interest and, therefore, it may not be used without special permission from the local planning authority. Undertake demolition, expansion or alteration. In the Department of Environment's explanatory report, the house is described as "an outstanding example of late neoclassicism, designed by a leading architect of the time".

Story：

A few facts about modern Athens history: Athens in the 15th century was occupied by the Turks. Athens became the capital of Greece in 1833 after the Greek War of Independence (1821). During the reign of Otto, the first king of Greece, the city expanded northward, and Greek and German architects built many buildings here. During this period, Athens was devoid of any comforts. The main streets of Athens were not paved until the early 20th century, while the smaller streets remained dusty and muddy. In addition, many houses have no running water and people have to buy water from water sellers. It was only in the mid-1920s that houses in Athens began to receive electricity.

 Map of Athens circa 1870. Where the house was later buried (see red arrow) was just a field.

 At the beginning of the 20th century, sheep were still grazing around the Acropolis! (Photo by Fred Boissonnas).

 The area "Kato Patissia" where the house was located in the mid-1920s was considered a suburb of Athens, where the wealthy chose to build their prestigious homes. Figure, 1925 map of the area.

 The main street in the area is called "Patission Street". Today it is a busy street with lots of traffic, but in 1906 it was a beautiful and peaceful boulevard where Athenians often enjoyed afternoon walks.

The story of the house (oralized by the great-grandson of Petros Kabylafkas, recorded and compiled by Mariana-Lee.):

The land our house is on belongs to a man named Demetrios Adam. He applied for a building permit on June 9, 1925. Building Permit No. 2546, dated June 25, 1925, was handwritten.  

 

On this license we can see that the architect's name was Γ. Ζιλλερέν (written in Greek - at that time they used Greek to convert foreign names). This architect was Gaston Gillieron, who from 1926 to 1931 was the associate architect of the University of Athens Student Union Building (opposite the National Library), a magnificent building in the center of Athens.

Information about the family of this house:

In 1929 my great-grandfather Petros Kabylafkas opened a pharmacy (pharmacy) in the Greek city of Tripolis in the Peloponnese (southern Greece), from Demetrius Demetrios Adam bought the house and gave it as a dowry to his son-in-law George Georgacopoulos, who married his daughter Lilika. My grandparents lived on the upper floor of the house (the other floors were rented) and they had three daughters. When the eldest daughter (my mother) married a commander in the Greek Navy (then called the Royal Navy), she moved to the middle floor of the house. My sister and I were born and raised here.

 

My grandparents lived on the upper floor of the house (the other floors were rented) and they had three daughters. When the eldest daughter (my mother) married a commander in the Greek Navy (then called the Royal Navy), she moved to the middle floor of the house. My sister and I were born and raised here.

 

Until the mid-1960s, most buildings in the area were single-family homes. As you can see from the photo on the left, there are no other tall buildings on either side of the house. Here, a close friend of the family enjoys the sun and views of Athens from the top floor of the house (photo taken in 1950).

...直到2018年

During 1965-70, as Greece's economy grew, there was a building boom, and family homes were replaced by tall apartment buildings. At that time, many beautiful houses were demolished. But not our house, which is still intact!

In order to preserve the beauty of the building, in 2008 the Department of Regional Planning and Urban Development of the Greek Ministry of Environment included it in the Statutory List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historical Interest and, therefore, it cannot be used without special permission from the local planning authority. Demolish, expand or remodel it. In the Department of the Environment's explanatory report, the house was described as "an outstanding example of late neoclassicism, designed by a leading architect of the time". 

Now： In 2018, Mariana-Lee, a young Chinese collector, was traveling in Greece and fell in love with this modern ancient building from 1925 at a glance. Seeing that it was slightly dilapidated, she felt regretful and wanted to restore it to its original appearance. After hard work, Contacted the owner and purchased it, determined to restore it and open this building, which is an "outstanding example of late neoclassical attention", to everyone, so that the world can understand and feel the charm of its culture; at the same time, it was officially The building was named: "Petros's House" to commemorate the Petros family's protection of the building.