Zappeion

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Location

The Zappeion Building is located in the National Gardens of Athens (Greek: Εθνικός Κήπος) in the heart of Athens.

Constructing the Zappeion

In 1869 The Greek Parliament allocated 80,000 sq. meters of public land between the Palace Gardens and the ancient Temple of Olympian Zeus. Following some delay, on January 20 1874 the cornerstone of the building was laid.[1] This new building would be designed by Danish architect Theophil Hansen.[2] Finally on October 20 1888 the Zappeion opened.[3] Unfortunately for its creator Evangelos Zappas, he did not live long enough to see his creation complete. His cousin Konstantinos Zappas was placed in charge of completing this building.[4]

History

It was used during the 1896 Summer Olympics as the main Fencing Hall. In the 1906 Summer Olympics it was used as the Olympic Village.[5]

Many important events of Greek history have taken place at the Zappeion, such as the signing of the documents formalizing Greece's accession to the European Union on January 1, 1981.

Current Building Uses

The Zappeion is currently being used as a Conference and Exhibition Center for use both publicly and privately.

Halls and Floor Plans

It contains about 25 distinct rooms that range in size from 97 sq. m to 984 sq. m.

External links

References