The National Archaeological Museum of Athens, the largest archaeological museum in Greece and one of the most important museums in the world- is set to welcome a huge upgrade that will include new spaces, exhibits, a garden and dining areas.
The Greek Minister of Culture and Sports, Lina Mendoni, announced on Monday that the first stages towards the renovation of the National Archaeological Museum in Athens- devoted to ancient Greek art- have taken place, following the approval of the technical stages of the architectural requirements that will be drafted.
“The emblematic and visionary work of the rebirth of the National Archaeological Museum is now in progress. We want a Museum with a strong and clear identity at a national, European and international level. A Museum that promotes Greek culture and Greek identity in the new age,” said Minister Mendoni.
The expansion of the museum will include an underground car park, a new garden, dining areas and an upgraded entrance. The renovation will also focus on adding natural light to the current exhibits and spaces, highlighting Greek civilization through exhibits spanning the centuries.
According to the announcement, the aim of the new plan is to not only highlight ancient Greek art but to also start showcasing contemporary pieces, as both the main and temporary exhibition spaces will increase substantially in size.
“It will be a Museum that inspires contemporary artistic creation and that rejuvenates; defining the rebirth of the wider area of Athens,” added Mendoni.
Having first opened its doors in 1895, the Municipal Theatre of Piraeus immediately became a jewel in Athens, as well as a cultural landmark of the city – offering inspiration and creation for the Greek theatre and music scene.
Considered a theatre of rich history and beauty, it is housed in a grand neoclassical building designed by architect Ioannis Lazarimos, who through his work on this project was able to highlight some of the finest examples of 19th Century Greek architecture.
Outside the theatre
The style of the building is described as “classicist”, and is highly influenced by German architect Ernst Moritz Theodore Ziller, who designed hundreds of buildings in Athens and was the most famous architect in Greece at the end of the 19th Century.
The façade of the theatre features four Corinthian columns and a condiment; inside, the stage is considered one of the last surviving monuments of the Baroque era in Europe. It consists of a proscenium and a space for the orchestra, and the auditorium features 1300 seats with stalls, boxes, and balconies that are arranged over four levels.
The main room was lit by an enormous chandelier, which can still be seen today. There were also spacious dressing rooms and a luxurious sitting lounge for the actors, while the two-level foyer also hosted balls and exhibitions by renowned Greek artists.
Over the years, a range of prominent Greek directors and actors have performed on this stage and it’s considered one of the best theatres in the country. Hosting both theatrical and musical performances, events and exhibitions has played a major role in the city’s cultural scene.
One of Greece’s most beautiful theatres
Since it first opened, regular maintenance work was done to keep it fresh and inviting, and in 2008, a complete restoration began. In 2013, the stunning building re-opened its doors to the public and curtains were raised once again.
Today, the Municipal Theatre of Piraeus is an imposing neoclassical monument with an exceptional stage, fully operational, with a unique flair. Its extraordinary architecture design still shines through and is worth viewing close up when you are visiting the area, and if you happen to be able to catch a show here, you will undoubtedly be impressed.
Greece’s leading fashion designer Mary Katrantzou is known for her stunning designs and iconic prints. Having gained international acclaim for her unique and inspiring creations, over the last decade, she has collaborated with a range of international brands including Adidas Originals, Victoria’s Secret, Longchamp, and Bvlgari.
What many may not know is Katrantzou has also expanded into the interior design world launching an exclusive range of rugs for the Rug Company- with her special capsule collection entitled “Nostalgia”.
Featuring eight uniquely vibrant rugs, Katrantzou’s first step into the world of interiors is a celebration of her brand’s iconic prints, with each rug design inspired by past collections.
As the daughter of an interior designer mother and a textile engineer father, from an early age, Katrantzou was exposed to the world of interiors. She studied textile design at Central Saint Martins, specialising in interiors, and then followed her bachelor’s degree with a Masters in fashion.
Katrantzou’s work has also been featured in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, The Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Museum, The Barbican and many others.
Her transition from fashion to interiors feels smooth and organic- as each piece is influenced by the bold and imaginative designs for which her eponymous brand is renowned- giving each carpet her signature look and feel.
“We are an image-led brand and print is so transferable across different disciplines. Being able to create context beyond my runway collections and build a lifestyle brand has always been my intention. Filtered beauty through design can impact how we feel whether it’s through what we choose to wear or what we choose to surround ourselves with,” says Katrantzou.
“I chose to collaborate with The Rug Company as there was an authentic synergy between the two brands – a genuine appreciation for craftsmanship and a passion for bold patterns and unique beauty, values which we share at Mary Katrantzou.”
The collection includes three enlarged blooming additions- Bluebell Daydream, (which appears in Carrie Bradshaw’s new apartment in “And Just Like That”, Garden of Eden, and Botanical Paradise– all inspired by Katrantzou’s Spring/Summer 2018 collection ‘Nostalgia’ and more specifically from her childhood ‘paint-by-numbers’ books.
“Bluebell Daydream” rug featured on the set of “And Just Like That”
Her other designs Sunray Nude, Sunday Gold and Sunray Pink draw inspiration from the art of enamel while radiating dazzling light from the dramatic sun silk motif. Framis is vivid in colour and creates movement with its organic shapes. Whereas Valley plays with size and scale to transform a traditional elegant motif of monochrome flowers into a contemporary graphic design.
Designed to suit both contemporary and more traditional style spaces, Katrantzou explains “Nostalgia is always part of my narrative and something that’s really fitting in people’s homes.”
Handmade ceramics have never been more popular and it’s easy to see why. Organic materials and perfectly imperfect finishes are at the forefront of décor and interior design- as people seek to reconnect with nature and themselves.
And there’s no denying Greece leads the way when it comes to ceramics, as this form of art has been a part of Greek culture since antiquity- with Ancient Greeks using ceramics to store oil, water and wine since the Bronze Age.
Led by brothers Efcharis and Nikos Paltoglou, the creators behind Homatino, this stunning studio in Athens goes beyond everyday ceramics. Featuring a wealth of knowledge and experience, thanks to their father Michael, who had a ceramics workshop in the 1970s and taught them from young- the brothers have now taken over creating bespoke art pieces that are simple yet stunning. Turning everyday items (think: candle holders, plates, mugs, vases and bowls) into masterpieces- each collection is carefully designed to be used as both dinnerware and décor.
Reminiscent of Ancient Greek artefacts, each item has its own unique character showcasing Efcharis and Nikos’ keen eye for detail and their age-old technique that includes some modern finishes.
“Inspired by clay, a simple raw material, using traditional techniques of the past, however, influenced by the contemporary way of life, we mold by hand, ceramic molds and shapes which aim to be a part of our lives for the following years,” they explain.
“We are a workshop that got its name from the etymology of the word ‘homatino’ which means made of fine-grained earth (soil) or clay. We chose this name bearing in mind who we really are. A local workshop which chooses to remain true to tradition, crafting ceramic objects, modernizing, protecting and promoting the work of the family business, with respect,” they add.
As a child, Efcharios says he “felt the need to create things with my hands. I expressed this need through clay and from the first moment I felt an overwhelming attraction to this simple material, without knowing of course that it would eventually become my profession.”
Nikos says it was in his adulthood that his “restless nature in combination with my heightened sense for creativity changed pottery and ceramics into one of my most enjoyable interests. After travelling through various parts of Greece and on a search, professionally, in various occupations, ceramics and pottery are what eventually won me over.”
The pieces, which feature organic shapes made by hand – reflect the tones and textures of Greece’s beautiful landscape and rich history and if you are in Kalogreza, Athens, you can visit the brothers’ studio, where you will be able to have a tour and check out the tailor-made pieces up close.
“We approach ceramics in an ‘earthly way’, attempting to create a harmonious balance among form-texture-colour and functionalism, giving it a rawness along with an elegant finish. A basic value is for each piece of ceramic work to send out the message of exemplary design, quality, timelessness and for it to be a part of the daily routine and way of life of each individual.”
The City of Athens in collaboration with the Culture Ministry is honouring Greece’s much-loved actress, activist, and politician Melina Mercouri, with a special exhibition at Technopolis in Gazi, which is set to open its doors on Tuesday, the 18th of January 2022.
The life and work of Melina Mercouri will be on display- through rich photographic and audiovisual material. Visitors will also have the chance to view some of her personal items, many of which will be exhibited for the first time.
Titled “Remember and Love Me”, the exhibition is to mark the occasion of Melina’s 100th anniversary of her birth, with visitors taken on a journey through three sections- based on Melina’s career in films, theatre as well as her political life. The aim of the event is to highlight the passionate artist who rose to international fame; as well as Melina’s love of her homeland and what she offered not only to Greece but to Greeks and Philhellenes worldwide.
“Melina – as we all call her – with her inexhaustible vitality and rare charm, with her intense dynamism and international radiance, the actress, the politician, the woman who was much loved, as she loved with passion, who defended to the end her ideas and beliefs, the “last Greek goddess,” comes to life again in Technopolis,” announced the organisers of the exhibition.
Mercouri was passionate about everything she did. From gracing the screen (she was most famous for her role as Ilya, on “Never on Sunday”) and stage in the early part of her life, to fighting the fascist junta that took control of Greece in 1967, to campaigning for the protection and promotion of culture in Europe, she became Greece’s most famous Minister for Culture; where she strongly advocated the return of the Parthenon Sculptures to Greece.
Items on display will include film and theatre costumes worn by Melina; vintage posters from her cinema career; photos of Mercouri with local Greek and international personalities such as Pope John Paul II, Queen Elizabeth, Salvador Dali, Indira Gandhi, Arthur Miller, Rudolf Nureyev, Omar Sharif, Ava Gardner, and Catherine Deneuve; original scripts with handwritten notes; letters; her dressing room; memorabilia, documents, and items she carried with her during her last trip to New York.
With a love for her homeland, Eugenia Chandris, an executive in the hospitality industry, writer and co-founder of Huffington Greece, has created an innovative platform experience “A Magic Cabinet”, featuring a world of contemporary Greek treasures.
Imagine you had a magic cabinet filled with a recollection of childhood summers in Greece. All those little things that remind you of beautiful moments and entrancing scents, happy places and loved ones you spent time with. You could just open this painted cabinet and be transported to a sensory wonderland; reliving your carefree childhood and remembering the dreams you once had.
Every object in the Magic Cabinet has been carefully selected, tested and researched by Eugenia Chandris herself; and each piece is accompanied by a lovely description compiled from interviews with the producers who reveal how and where Mrs. Chandris discovered them. IN+SIGHTS GREECE caught up with Mrs. Chandris, to chat about the Magic Cabinet, which leads people to a world of eclectic and unique Greek items, and allows people from around the globe to make their own personal magic cabinet- filled with wonders from Greece.
How would you describe who you are today, in a nutshell?
I don’t fit into a nutshell but if I have to condense it, I’m an energetic and restless person who is inspired by new projects, I love to work and create and I am a person who is deeply in love with Greece, with its light, its sea, its ancient soul.
What drew you to create the Magic Cabinet?
The desire to fuse a commercial e-shop with an editorial platform, to be able to sell premium Greek items but also to elaborate on the story of their heritage.
If you opened the door of the Magic Cabinet and there was a place behind it, which would it be?
Actually, I have often thought about that. The cabinet would open up onto a delightfully green and lush garden, warm and bathed in the sunshine; where people could fly through the air of their inspiration and be able to live out what they dream of. There would be kindness and positive thinking. It would be a wonderful place.
Tell us about some of the most unique places you have discovered treasures for the Magic Cabinet.
I discovered Verikokos’ marble atelier inside the castle of Naxos, stumbling down a narrow street after I had been running outside in the sunshine. I couldn’t see my way. I discovered Lord Amber, Meli Baba, and Onoiamata in a rather dismal whole food supermarket in Thessaloniki, taken there by a guy who finds producers for me. Nikos Vladikas ambushed me in one of the aisles, thrusting his tsipouro at me saying “This is the finest”. He is right. I made my decisions by meeting producers at fairs, then during Covid, online. Not strange but surely magical.
What do you love most about your work?
It is always fresh and interesting; I get bored easily. With this site I never am.
Describe to us your usual daily routine.
I make sure I sleep for eight hours, as I feel sleep is essential for good skin cell repair and for the soul. I exercise six days a week, again this is important to me. In the office, I brainstorm with my wonderful team, write the texts, look at the business side of what we are doing and spend time in the stock room, studying the mix of what we offer.
Lately, there is a preference for “made in Greece” products. How did that come about? Is the soil “fertile” for that?
Yes, the time has been right for a while now. Greece should be featured so much more than this. A Magic Cabinet is trying to change that.
Tell us about recent changes in your industry.
I also work in the hospitality industry at the hotels my family is involved in –The Athens Marriot, The Met Thessaloniki, and the Chios Chandris. Covid has dramatically changed the way hospitality operates and it’s also affected online shopping, so I would say that event has changed most. Hotels are recovering and online has strengthened.
One thing that doesn’t change, is human contact. Hospitality is all about that and even though we are an e-shop, we are very excited about our pop-up events and our corporate business where we address our clients directly.
If Greece were a feeling, which would it be?
Unadulterated joy, soaring inspiration.
What can we expect from the Magic Cabinet in the near future?
With an emphasis on design, objects for the home, new Greek creators, A Magic Cabinet will always open up to something exciting, and it will always be rare and valuable, in a “soul” sense. Through the Magic Cabinet you can also create your own custom-made hampers, selecting from a range of unique Greek products or pick one of the already mixed hampers like “I feel like mezze in a shot”, “I feel like a sample of Greece”, “I feel like breakfast in bed”, “I feel like veranda cocktails” among others.
A fragment from the Parthenon temple that was recently returned to Greece by the regional archaeological museum of Sicily, has now been placed on the Parthenon frieze at the Acropolis Museum in Athens, where it will remain on display as part of a long-term loan.
The fragment depicts the right foot and part of the dress of the Greek goddess Artemis, which once sat on the eastern frieze of the 2,500-year-old Parthenon temple atop the Acropolis Hill.
The slab was unveiled in a ceremony at the Acropolis Museum yesterday, January 10, as the fragment was placed in the Parthenon Gallery – a glass-walled chamber with a view of the Parthenon- displaying sculptures of the temple’s 160-metre-long frieze in the same position as they were on the original monument (with plaster copies replacing pieces that are now mainly in the British Museum.)
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Culture Minister Lina Mendoni, the director of Acropolis Museum Nikos Stambolidis and the President of the Acropolis Museum Dimitris Pantermalis attended the ceremony, as Greek officials warmly welcomed the development, stressing that it shows the way for the return of the Parthenon Sculptures kept for two centuries at the British Museum.
Also at the ceremony was Assessor, Dr. Alberto Samonà, Cultural Heritage and Identity of Sicily, who said during the event, “We hope that after Sicily, other regions and countries also decide to take a step forward so that we can build together a new humanism.”
It is unclear how Fagan came to own the fragment, which has been in Palermo, Sicily, since 1818 and was part of the archaeological collection of Robert Fagan, a British diplomat and art dealer who was appointed consul general for Sicily and Malta in the early 19th century. Following his death, his widow sold the piece to the University of Palermo’s Regio Museum, now the Salinas Museum.
Director of A. Salinas Museum in Palermo, Dr. Caterina Greco added, “Today is a very important day, both for the culture and for me personally. The reconnection of the fragment with the other fragments on display in this majestic museum first seals, in the most representative degree, the feelings of brotherhood and cultural identity that have connected Sicily with Greece for centuries.”
The Italian museum has returned the fragment on loan to Greece for eight years with a view of permanent repatriation. It can be viewed by the public at the Acropolis Museum, which is one of the world’s most visited museums.
A colourful exhibition shining a light on the rich history of Greece’s famous tapestry is currently on display at Thessaloniki’s MOMus-Museum of Contemporary Art.
Titled “Weavings anew” the presentation is a new approach to the successful 2019 exhibition “Weavings,” which took place at the Benaki Museum in Athens. Curated by Irini Orati and Constantinos Papachristou, it affirmed the revival of research interest in Greek tapestry and its short, but rich history in recent years.
Hydra 1972 by Nikos Nikoloaou
Art historian and curator of the “Weavings Anew” exhibition Areti Leopoulou says, “Every artist and artwork presented in the exhibition – weavings, paintings, engravings, sculptures – aims at pointing out the dynamic of the creative process, which is not isolated from the wider milieu and the people inhabiting it: these works render visible a peculiar continuation and achievement of the goals set by the 1930s generation up until the 1970s.”
“The cordial coexistence -if not identification- of abstraction with the capabilities and limitations of weaving techniques are noticeable; the autonomy, but also the interaction of artistic mediums is revealed; the dialogue between the artist and the artisan facilitated by weaving is revealed; above all, the potential of the artwork to be liberated from the palimpsest stereotype and become part of everyday life as a decorative and practical object is firmly established. As is the notion that these works, both in their artistic and more folkish iterations, are an integral part not only of our folkloric but also of our artistic tradition,” added Leopoulou.
Famous artworks on display include those of George Vakalo, Spyros Vasiliou, Opi Zouni, Niki Kanagini, Michalis Katzourakis, Vaso Katraki, Kostas Koulentianos, Yiannis Moralis, Alex Mylona, Dimitris Mytaras, Nikos Nikolaou, Sotiris Sorogas, Jannis Spyropoulos, Yannis Tsarouchis, Ioannis Faitakis, Nikos Chatzikyriakos-Gikas and Loch Textiles.
Collectors and institutions that lent works for this exhibition includeAlpha Bank, Benaki Museum/Ghika Gallery, National Center of Social Solidarity (EKKA), Vorres Museum, The Jannis and Zoe Spyropoulos Foundation, the Yannis Tsarouchis Foundation, the Teloglion Foundation of Arts A.U.Th., Julia Dimakopoulou, Maria Vasiliou, Marianna Katraki, the Kanagini family, Michalis Katzourakis, Alexandros Zounis and MOMus-Museum Alex Mylona.
Christmas is around the corner and it’s time to discover the cornucopia of amazing Greek gifts you can find online to send to your loved ones near and far.
Here we have selected the best stores and products that scream “have a happy Christmas and blissful New Year!” From cosmetics and jewellery to home décor items, foods and traditional games like tavli, you’ll find everything at these eclectic stores that showcase some of the most sophisticated varieties of Greek products.
Choose from an exciting selection:
Inspired by holidays on the Aegean, The Nomad Edit offers thoughtfully collected pieces that have us dreaming of summer vacations. Each piece invites us to the Mediterranean; colorful markets, days leisurely spent seaside and sunset dinners alfresco. An online experience that lets you take a slice of the Mediterranean home with you.
Greek Cargo brings you authentic and carefully crafted pieces, sourced for their creativity by local and overseas Greek artisans. Experience the love of Greece with unique and quality made fashion, jewellery, homewares and exclusive products including lush candles and cute kids wear that are designed by Greek Cargo.
Some of our other favourite online stores that feature a range of amazing Greek items that are shipped worldwide: Made In Greece, The Greek Source and Forget Me Not.
Hellenic Aesthetic is America’s first Greek fashion retailer offering a selection of Greece-based designers, whose thoughtfully made products reflect the beauty and vitality of Greek culture. Their aim is to make Greek-made products more accessible globally while promoting Greek craftsmanship, travel and culture.
Trending item:
Slippers are a big fashion item this winter, with lockdown life reminding us how essential home comfort is! Slippers are now even being worn outdoors but regardless of whether you want to keep your PJ look private or not, the Wooppers by Chryssa Adrakta are handcrafted, 100% woollen slippers with a breathable insulation that makes for are a super comfy choice.
…And then there are the foot-hugging, feel-good traditional Greek slippers, which apart from being extremely warm because they are made with pure wool, add a touch of Hellenic playfulness with their folksy designs and pompoms.
Komboloi
Designed to calm the mind and in some cultures used for meditation and prayer (mala beans in India and the rosary beads in the Roman Catholic religion), the komboloi comes in endless varieties. From giant komboloi that can be used as beautiful decorative items for a table to smaller renditions to carry in one’s pocket, with tassels in different colours and sizes, there’s something very calming about playing with beads. The semi-precious stones or other materials like seeds or wood are thought to go beyond a matter of aesthetic tastes and offer different qualities depending on the stone. Amber is the most famous type of bead for anxiety-relief, while amethyst is said to help create peace of mind and quartz crystal to help focus.
There’s no greater pleasure than having a taste of home arrive in a beautiful box or basket to enjoy completely for yourself or share with loved ones. Elenianna has put together some lovely hampers to choose from, such as this Touch Of Greece Wicker Gift Basket overflowing with gourmet goodies.
Taste of Greece is another online store selling artfully presented, high-quality Greek food products, such as this Christmas Star hamper bringing traditional smells and flavours into your home.
Serious foodies may want to splash out on the Grecian Masterchef Gourmet Hamper by The Greek Purveyor, a box filled with a jaw-dropping array of high-end products that can be used to create Greece-inspired culinary magic.
Athens’ most famous museums are always a reliable place to seek out original, creative and elegant gifts made by Greek designers.
The Theocharakis Foundation, which hosts permanent and periodic art exhibitions, concerts, talks and gatherings, presents items in its shop that reflect its cultural spirit. We love their sculptural pieces such as Elia, Karavaki and the Lovers.
Cycladic Art Museum You’ll also find a wide and inspiring selection of things – from décor items to jewellery and artworks, from abstract and modern to classical and antiquity-inspired, at the Cycladic Museum shop. We like the very unique Cycladic figurine Xmas tree decoration.
Benaki Museum At the Benaki Museum store you’ll find an incredible variety of art, utilitarian items, decorative pieces, jewellery and more made by Greek designers in commemoration of Greece’s 200 Years since the War of Independence. There are also more Christmassy items to choose from, such as their three-dimensional Christmas tree balls made out of material and hand painted balls, ceramic pomegranates inspired by famous Greek artists and handmade origami decorations.
Every year Greece’s top jewellery designers create gouria or lucky ornaments that we can hang from our neck or wear on our wrist as a symbol of hope, dreams coming true and protection for the new year.
With all that the world has been going through, we need now more than ever some beautiful symbolic jewellery to offer us an added sense of strength and grace. Here we have selected the best and most classic brands for you to consider as a gift to yourself or a loved one.
Lalaounis
An inspiration to marine biologists, deep-sea divers and artists alike and a symbol cherished since the Minoan times that represented healing properties, coral has resilience and vulnerability at once that’s reminiscent of the human spirit. And this particular amulet (€290) comes with the added bonus of supporting a worthwhile ecological initiative. Famous jewellers Lalaounis write on their website: “In the depths of the Greek Seas lie the oldest, most complex and productive marine ecosystems: Coralligenous Habitats. They are some of the least protected habitats and their survival today is at great risk. With our 2022 good luck pendant, we wish to support the ARCHIPELAGOS Institute of Marine Conservation in their work to protect the biodiversity of the NE Mediterranean and to halt the ongoing destruction of Coralligenous Habitats.”
Antonia Karra
Antonia Karra’s macrame bracelet (€39) is her good luck design for 2022, depicting an engraved compass to lead you on the right path and always help you find your way in the new year. On a more esoteric level, the design is also a reminder to always follow your inner guidance.
Acropolis Museum
Designer Kostas Dimpoulos has chosen a classic Greek symbol of good fortune, prosperity, abundance and fertility that can arrive with new beginnings. His gold-plated brass pendant (€32) sold at the Acropolis Museum is an engraved pomegranate with a red tassel hung just above it. The pomegranate, the star component of the Greek New Year tradition that involves smashing the fruit into the ground in one’s front entrance, makes for a very hopeful gift.
Katerina Psoma
Be A Poem cuff €138 playfully combines rock chic with art deco glamour, this gold-plated cuff with the ‘Be a Poem’ affirmation written on is a reminder to live your life as if you are a work of lyrical art. Psoma’s All Fine pendant (€155) is a hopeful reassurance after trying times and ahead of more uncertain days ahead that everything’s going to be just fine. Gold-plated and decorated with colourful zircon stones, it can be just the right amount of sparkle to wear on a dreary day.
Zolotas
Cosmos is a collection of charms based on the celestial bodies and their orbits, which includes pendants and bracelets decorated with precious stones. The famous jewellery house says that the use of stones was very symbolic, “reflecting the four elements of the world: Emerald and Opal for Water, Tiger’s Eye and Malachite for Earth, Sapphire, Lapis lazuli and Amethyst for Air, Ruby and Agate for Fire.” The Cosmos pendants (€35) are designed to light our new year up, bringing to 2022 fullness and harmony, balance and peace.
Cycladic Art Museum
This autumn/winter hosting the ‘Ancient Kallos’ exhibition dedicated to beauty in antiquity, the Cycladic Art Museum has chosen a mirrored pendant (€75) as its good luck charm for 2022. The handheld mini mirror is meant to represent self-reflection as well as self-love in the coming year and beyond.
Marina Vernicos
With a nudge to biker bravura, angelic blessings, love and freedom of the heart, designer Marina Vernicos’ stand-out necklace (€38) depicts the number 22 in the shape of a heart with wings.
Benaki
Designer Niki Orfanou made her amulet (€30) inspired by a painting by Nikos Hatzikiriakos Gikas depicting a Hydra landscape, created this handmade good luck charm out of brass and silk. The charm is reminiscent of ‘fylakto charms made in folk tradition around Greece out of threads and beads and is sold at the Benaki Museum shop. Also at the Benaki is the ‘Angel’ charm for 2022 (€60) designed by Savvas Dimou and inspired by the sculptural artwork by acclaimed artist Yiannis Tsarouchis.
Zeus + Dione
Zeus+Dione’s lucky charm, for the new year, depicts the power number ‘22’, which is said by numerologists to double the power of anything. The design is inspired by retro mailing stamps which feature waves under the number; in this case, the waves are meant to amplify the power of the number and augur good luck, change and determination to head forward confidently toward change.
Vouliagmenis Avenue, on the glamorous Athens Riviera is set to become home to Greece’s largest shopping mall!
According to Lamda Development who presented its new project to the public last week, the estimated amount of investment for the new development is between 335 to 410 million euros and is set to be completed by 2025.
The mall that will be constructed on Vouliagmenis Avenue, will span 130,000 sq.m., making it the largest and most modern shopping centre in Greece; offering a multifaceted, round-the-clock experience for its local and international visitors.
Featuring popular and up-and-coming Greek and international brands, as well as eateries, entertainment, and wellness facilities; it will also house exhibitions, concerts, gyms, gaming corners, cinemas, children’s recreation areas, and more.
At the 30,000 sq.m. commercial park, which is set to be developed at the Commercial Hub in collaboration with the Fourlis Group, visitors will find big-box stores of international home and sports equipment brands; and the hub will also feature modern office spaces of 27,500 sq.m. that will house the headquarters of Piraeus Bank.
“In the same area, a state-of-the-art 150 m high mixed-use tower will be developed that will house a hotel, offices, and apartments. The state-of-the-art Business Center to be created at The Hellinikon in the coming years will become the heart of Greece’s commercial and business life, bringing significant benefits for the area and the entire Attica region,” announced Lamda.
“The Ellinikon Commercial Hub is a destination of the future. This will become Greece’s most modern commercial and business hub; a popular attraction for citizens from across the country and, of course, for the one million tourists that will be visiting The Ellinikon every year,” said Lamda Development CEO, Mr. Odisseas Athanasiou, during the fourth online presentation held by the company on the major regeneration project at The Hellinikon.
Hundreds of exciting Christmas events are taking place throughout 52 locations in the Greek Capital, giving locals and visitors the chance to celebrate the festive season with a huge program that’s been designed by the Athens Municipality.
Taking place between December 7, 2021, and January 13, 2022, the Christmas and New Year program involves more than 120 activities for people of all ages, including 25 music and theatre performances, as well as seven open-air film screenings.
“This Christmas, Athens will be celebrating each day, with special events created to make people of all ages smile. Due to the challenges faced by the prolonged pandemic, the municipality of Athens has responded with music, theatre, and Christmas surprises for everyone,” announced Athens Mayor Kostas Bakoyannis.
Kotzia Square
Ice Skating Rink
Among the highlights is the opening of the biggest ice skating rink in Athens. Located in Kotzia Square (opposite City Hall) and covering 400 square metres, it’s set to open on December 10. Admission to the rink is free but visitors are required to book via this link here.
There will also be six Christmas “villages” set up in various neighbourhoods, including the suburbs of Acharnes, Kypseli, Pangrati and Goudi, where there will be a range of arts, crafts and hand painting taking place; as well as Santa and his elves, plus other activities and spectacles (including stilt walkers, jugglers, puppets, animateurs, magicians) bringing joy to the streets of Athens.
Athens Centre
Festivities in the Greek Capital
Commencing on December 11, the city’s museums, libraries, galleries, art centres and other venues will also host various workshops for art, narration, theatre games and dance, children’s pantomimes, puppet shows, tours and much more.
The events will also include seven popular Christmas films selected by the Athens Open Air Film Festival and Premiere Nights, that will be screened outdoors in seven different locations in the city between December 17 to 30.
