“Tallest in Greece” once was a proud boast. Today we explore the Athens Towers, or \u03a0\u03cd\u03c1\u03b3\u03bf\u03c2 \u0391\u03b8\u03b7\u03bd\u03ce\u03bd as they’re known in Greek.
The Athens Towers complex has two buildings. Athens Tower 1 stands at 103 meters. It has 28 stories. That makes it the tallest building in Greece. Athens Tower 2 is smaller. It has 15 stories. It reaches a height of 65 meters.
Construction on the Athens Towers began in 1968. It finished in 1971. This was during the dictatorship. Back then, it was the second tallest building in Southeast Europe.
You will find the Athens Towers in the Ampelokipi district. It’s on 2 Mesogeion Avenue. Many companies use it. Interamerican and Alpha Bank are among them. Ioannis Vikelas designed the Athens Tower. He also designed the Goulandris Museum of Cycladic Art’s main building. Ioannis Kympritis was also an architect.
The Athens Tower arose during a break in building height restrictions. Law 395/68 allowed buildings freedom in design. The goal was better lighting and ventilation. Before 1968, the height limit was 35 meters. The Athens Hilton, finished in 1963, was then the tallest at 14 stories. Alivertis-Dimopoulos A.E., a major construction firm, built the Athens Tower. The site at 2-4 Messogeion Avenue was granted for the project.
Telecommunication antennas were added to the roof in the 1990s. The Athens Tower remains the tallest building in Greece. Even without the antenna masts it is impressive.
The Athens Tower’s architecture is minimalistic and futuristic. It imitates buildings in Europe and America. The Seagram Building is an example. Glass curtains are used on the exterior walls. They have aluminum frames. This has become common for commercial buildings in Athens. White marble columns accentuate the building’s vertical axis.
The Athens Tower uses composite construction. It has steel columns and reinforced concrete slabs. This differed from other tall buildings of that time. The builders focused on reinforced concrete. This was because they lacked expertise in large steel structures. It pioneered the use of plastic foundations. Aristarchos Oikonomou developed this technique. He also handled the building’s statics. Plasterboard inside helped reduce the building’s weight. Interior partitions are mobile. This allows easy layout changes.
Below the Athens Tower are three basements. These are for parking, warehouses, and an engine room. Next to the Athens Tower is a smaller tower. It has 12 floors. It shares design features. Unlike the Athens Tower, the smaller tower is zigzagged. It connects to the main tower on the first floor. The original plan included a two-story base. The square we see today with two towers was the final result. The buildings house shops and offices.
Though opinions vary on its design, the Athens Tower is a landmark. It represents a period of growth. It also shows architectural innovation in Athens.