Stadiou 15

Main venue

ANTI’s main venue is the renowned Telecommunications, Telegrams and Post building in the centre of Athens. Designed by the architect Anastasios Metaxas, it was built in 1930-1931. It combines elements of modernism and neoclassicism. Until three years ago, Athenians visited the place to pay phone bills. Its Kafkaesque, administrative architecture and interior design, is a symbol of the transition from analog to digital communication – a symbol of the shift from the era of wire consoles to the early computer age to the current era of online pleasures and discomforts. TTT building is a historical landmark as well. In 1942, the employees of the Telecommunications, Telegrams and Post (TTT) company organized the first strike under the German Occupation. Recently, the building was acquired by a private company. A new era awaits TTT. Will its future re-write its past? It remains to be seen.

Photos: Nysos Vasilopoulos
Outdoor photo: Tasos Karagkounis

Stadiou 22

In 1963, Esperia Palace opened its doors as one of the best 4* hotels in the center of Athens, renowned for its popular and busy restaurant. It was a hub for politicians of all parties, while the members of the parliament from the regions outside of Athens used to stay there for a long period of time. Many presidential election events of the Athens Bar Association took place at the main hall, on the 1st floor. After all, it was in the possession of the severance fund of the association. Esperia used to have 150 rooms and 30 suites. Its operation suddenly stopped in 2010, with the biggest part of the equipment remaining inside the building.

Photos: Nysos Vasilopoulos
Outdoor photo: Tasos Karagkounis

Anthimou Gazi 2

The historical Benakeios Library, property of the Hellenic Parliament, is located in the western side of the Old Parliament, hidden behind the orange trees. It is still an unknown building to the public, already closed since 2004. Benakeios Library was full of significant books, unique documents, historical heirlooms, furniture and objects connected with important people of the modern history of Greece. The building has been declared as a preservable monument, wherein you can still find the dusty bookshelves that carried the 30.000 volumes of Ioannis Psycharis’ library, the leading promoter of Demotic Greek. In 1924, Psycharis, a professor at Sorbonne university at that time, found himself in a bad financial state and was forced to sell his library. Emmanouil Benakis bought the entire library, and after he donated it to the Library of the Hellenic Parliament, he undertook the erection and equipment of the building’s new wing (started in 1925 and finished in 1926, based on the designs of engineer Chatzimichalis).

The impressive black railings with the elaborately designs dominate the elegant balcony in the two study halls –each of them imported- after Antonis Benakis’ request. After the end of the 6th Athens Biennale ANTI, the restoration of the Benakeios Library is planned to commence. The library is now temporarily housed in the former Tobacco Factory at Lenorman str.

Photos: Nysos Vasilopoulos

Kolokotroni 4

Until recently, the fund of the retired engineers and contractors of the public sector (TSMEDE) was housed at 4 Kolokotroni str. Today, the building is in the possession of the severance fund, similarly to Esperia Palace, and was given to the 6th Athens Biennale for its exhibition, ANTI by the Ministry of Labour, in the context of the pilot project for the development of property of its supervised Social Security Organisations & OAED, entitled “Retrieval of the Historic Centre of Athens - Development in terms of social return”.

Photo: Tasos Karagkounis