Ernst Ziller

Researchers who want to use the spaces of the neoclassical Vallianeio building of the National Library of Greece on central Panepistimiou Street in Athens are now directed to the office of the general director, as the Reading Room remains temporarily closed after part of the interior ceiling fell, which testifies to the need for urgent action by the ministries of Education and Culture for its c

One of the big open questions about the future of Athens is whether and to what extent the disjointed investment plans in the city center will succeed. And to what extent their added value will contribute to the sought-after improvement of the urban environment.

With a screening of Quentin Tarantino's "Pulp Fiction," the Ideal, one of Athens' oldest cinemas, will close for good on Friday after more than a century in business.

The building complex on Stadiou Street that hosts the Attikon and Apollon cinemas and was partly destroyed in a fire in February 2012 will finally be restored, according to the investor who leased the complex on September 29 for 50 years.

EFKA argued that such a status would deter investors from putting money into the Astor building, and that, in the case of Ideal, the new owner's business plan foresees the cinema remaining. But its objection has raised suspicions.

The historic Ideal cinema is to get a new lease on life as its operation will be entrusted to an internationally renowned company active in the field of entertainment, according to Greek hospitality business Mitsis Hotels, which has been granted the building that houses it.

The Athenian version of Open House, an event that first started in London in 1992 to promote appreciation of architecture by the general public, will see a selection of public and private buildings that represent distinct styles and trends spanning different centuries opening their doors to anyone who would like to look around inside.

The renovation of Omonia Square in central Athens will be completed in February, the Athens City Council said on Monday.
Plans include reinstalling a fountain removed from the square in the early 1990s, while new hotels are slated to open on Pireos and Stadiou streets.

The National Observatory of Athens is conducting tours in English, offering the public the opportunity to explore the night sky from the Hill of the Nymphs, opposite the Acropolis, through the 8-meter dome of the Doridis telescope. The refracting telescope was built by the French company P.F. Gautier in 1902 and is housed in a building designed by Ernst Ziller.

Located behind the Panathenaic Stadium, Athens's First Cemetery is famed for its remarkable funerary sculptures and monuments, many signed by eminent artists and architects.