Villa Maximos
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The Villa Maximos ( Greek Μέγαρο Μαξίμου , Mégaro Maxímou ) in Athens is the official seat of the Greek Prime Minister .
location
The Villa Maximos is located in the heart of Athens at Odos Irodou Attikou 19 , right next to the Presidential Palace and the National Garden .
History of construction and use
The building was built from 1912 on behalf of Alexandros Michalinos. Previously, the property was a royal vegetable garden. After completion of the villa in 1924, it was acquired by Dimitrios Maximos , an economist, governor of the National Bank (1920–1922), senator (1933–1935), foreign minister and prime minister of a transitional government (1947). After his death it came into the possession of the Greek state. The viceroy General Georgios Zoitakis resided here from 1968 to 1972 during the military rule . In 1974 the architects Georgia Zoi as well as Aristodimos and Lia Matzourani were commissioned to redesign the vacant building as a guest house for high-ranking state guests. From the mid-1980s it was initially only used occasionally, and since the 1990s it has been used regularly as the official residence of the respective Prime Minister.
building
The building was planned in 1912 by the architect Anastasios Chelmi, a graduate of the École Spéciale d'Architecture , but was only completed in 1924 after the owner changed. At that time, neoclassicism in Athens was long over, but there were still isolated buildings in a stylized classicism, mostly for conservative clients, such as the building of the Bank of Greece (1933–1938).
The neoclassical building has a usable area of 2000 m². It is characterized by simple architectural lines. The interior design is also simple, but impressive. The palace is surrounded by a small garden.
Web links
- Archeology of the City of Athens (Greek)
- Article in Kathimerini of April 3, 2010 (Greek)
Coordinates: 37 ° 58 ′ 24.4 " N , 23 ° 44 ′ 26.3" E