Zappeion

The Zappeion is a classical building inaugurated in 1888 on the southern edge of downtown Athens, designed by Theophil Hansen and built by Ernst Ziller.

Building

The construction was carried out to fulfill the legacy of Evangelos Zappas, the founder of Olympien ( a precursor of the Olympic Games ), who had left after his death in 1865 most of his assets to the Committee of the Olympien under the condition that an appropriate site for the Olympien to build. With years of delay official groundbreaking ceremony was held on January 20, 1874, after numerous preparations have already been made. This started a little later (but much later planned ) Austrian Parliament had the same issue. With the completion of Zappeions in 1888, the building was given the name of his patron. On the occasion of the inauguration in October 1888 the fourth Olympien were opened.

Use

From the beginning the Zappeion was planned as a multi-functional building, above all for goods trade fairs, of which the first was held in 1888. In 1896 it was used for the first modern Olympic Games as the competition site, and at the 1906 Summer Olympics, it was used as the first Olympic Village.

1938, the Exposition de Produits Helléniques was held for one year, an industry trade fair showed all the major industrial products of the country and also the exhibition Chara kai Ergasia ( pleasure and work) showed.

The Zappeion often served as an alternate site if other special buildings or structures were not available. It served as a hospital in 1940 the Greek armed forces and from 1944 as a barracks of the Reichswehr. From April 1 to June 15 of 1964 the Byzantine art exhibition art to European art instead, and from 14 to 21 April 1966, the Hellenic Music Event 1st week of contemporary music. The building served as a short press and information center of the state in 1974 after the fall of the junta.

Popular is the building for meetings and conventions, above all because of the great rotunda. Various European events were held in the building, so here the accession of Greece to the European Community in 1979, signed in 1990, the EBU / EC Conference "women and men in broadcasting: equality in the 90's " was held and 2000, " Oceanography of the eastern Mediterrranean and Black Sea " of the European Commission.

Participating architects

• François -Louis- Florimond Boulanger (1807-1875), first draft 1856
• Theophil Hansen (1813-1891), modification of plans and execution
• Ernst Ziller (1837-1923), site management for Hansen's office
• Renovation and Restoration 1982: Vassilis Sgoutas (1934 - )

37.97138923.736389Koordinaten: 37 ° 58 ' 17 "N, 23 ° 44 ' 11 " O