Thessaloniki_EN

26
3 rd walk:
HISTORIC CENTRE (2)
MUSEUM AREA
quarter covers the area around
the junction of Tsimiski and
Pavlou Mela streets. It was
named after the diagonal
tracing of P. Mela street.
1.5 YMCA Building.
This emblematic building
(1934) houses the Young
Men’s Christian Association
of Thessaloniki. It bears a
significant mixture of elements
of neo-colonial and byzantine
architecture. The building also
houses Avlaia theatre; among
the surrounding constructions
are an outdoor basketball field
and a tennis court, an indoor
gym and a cultural centre.
In front of the building lies
the small YMCA square.
The Armenian Church (1903,
V. Poselli) is at a very short
distance, between Dialetti
and Ant. Kamara Streets.
1.6 Archaeological
Museum.
It was designed by P.
Karantinos, a major Greek
architect, and it was
inaugurated in 1962. Inspired
by the ancient Greek Revival
Architectural style, it is
considered as one of the most
typical examples of modernist
architectural design in Greece.
An annex was added in 1980
and in 2003 the museum
was extensively remodelled
to accommodate contemporary
needs. There are rooms for
periodic exhibitions, events
and educational programmes,
a café and a shop (see p.70
for museum exhibits).
1.7 Museum of Byzantine
Culture.
It was built during the
years 1989 – 1993, following
the designs of architect K.
Krokos. It combines elements
of modernism and Greek
architectural tradition and it
is considered one of the best
contemporary constructions
meant for public use in Greece.
In 2001 it was declared a
listed historic monument and
a work of art. Inside there is
a small amphitheatre, a caférestaurant
and a wing for
hosting periodic exhibitions
(see p. 71 for museum
exhibits). The adjacent
building is the new Town Hall
(inaugurated in 2009); at the
back there is a park (formerly
named Pedion Areos, a section
of an old military camp), with
a playground, a small lake and
a café as well as the eclecticstyle
(military) building at the
corner of Vas. Georgiou and
Kaftanzoglou Streets, now
housing the local branch
of the Greek Scouts.
2 NIKIS AVENUE
(see p. 16)
3 SHOPPING STREETS
In the area including
Proxenou Koromila and
Mitropoleos roads and the
adjacent streets such as
Palaion Patron Germanou-
Vogatsikou, Chrysostomou
Smyrnis, Mitropolitou Iosif,
Lassani, Agias Sofias, Karolou
Dil (lined with remarkable
buildings of the interwar
period) and Tsimiski street,
you will find some of the
most expensive shops (selling
clothes, shoes, jewellery,
furniture, accessories etc) as
well as a number of the most
well-known shopping malls
in the city. You will also find
haute couture boutiques by
Greek and foreign designers
and several art galleries.
Thessalonians visit the area
for their shopping as they
go out for a coffee, a meal
or a drink in the numerous
hangouts lining the streets.
4 MUSEUM FOR
THE MACEDONIAN
STRUGGLE
The building is among the
very few purely neo-classical
ones in town; it was built
in the years 1890-1893 to
plans by Ernst Ziller after the
1890 fire. Until 1912 this
building housed the Greek
General Consulate and during
the period 1923-1978 it
provided the space for the
state elementary schools. After
that, the facility has housed
collections of the Museum
(see p. 74). Right next to it,
you will see the metropolitan
church of Agios Gregorios
Palamas (1914, plans by
E. Ziller and Xen. Paionidis);
it is classified as a Byzantine
domed octagon type with neo-
Romanic and neo-classical
elements. Behind the church,
at the corner of Vogatsikou
and Mitropoleos streets, you
will see the Ecclesiastical
Museum of the Metropolitan
Church of Thessaloniki,
where a major collection of
3 rd walk:
HISTORIC CENTRE (2)
MUSEUM AREA
27
23
24
23.
The Y.M.C.A.
building.
Notice the
neo-byzantine
architectural
elements.
24.
A panoramic
view of the
Archaeological
Museum of
Thessaloniki.