User:Peggy ohilebo/sandbox

Introduction
The Blue Condominium (Greek: Μπλε Πολυκατοικία) is a unique sample of architecture that symbolizes the interwar era of Athens. It still stands today, in the corner of Arachovis & Themistokleous street in Exarcheia’s center square, and it was built in 1932-1933 by Kostis Antonopoulos who was also the inspirer, builder and first owner of the blue condominium. The architectural designs were made and signed by Kiriakoulis Panagiotakos while the magnificent blue color of the building was given by a painter called Spyros Papaloukas.

Description
It actually consists of two 6 story independent buildings, which were being joined together from the roof and the chamber. Particular attention was given to the format and quality of all common areas of the Blue Condominium such as the entrances, concierge, corridors, stairwells, laundry, the meeting room at the chamber, etc. In the chamber there was a meeting room which dissolved to build seven new houses thus increasing their number from 32 to 39. The original designs foresaw the existence of a pool, but the construction was never completed. It was an innovative and distinctive work for the era of modernist '30s. Renowned architect and decorator Le Corbusier said for blue building that "is very beautiful." The ground floor until today houses a cafeteria (called “Floral”) that has also been designed there to help join people living in Exarcheia of all ages together. Through time, important personalities lived in the Blue condominium such as Leonidas Kyrkos (politician), Renos Apostolidis (writer), Sofia Vempo (musician & actress), Lili Zografou (writer, descendant relation of Dionysius Solomos), Dimitris Horn (actor), Alexis Minotis(top actor & director), Katina Paxinou (actress), the owner Kostis Antanopoulos and his family, Fredy Germanos (journalist and author), Dimitris Myrat (actor, director, impresario & theater theorist), Evaggelos Meimarakis (Greek politician, lawyer and president of the Greek Parliament), the daughter of Ioannis Metaxas (Greek military officer and then prime minister and dictator of Greece 1936-1941), etc.

Events
This building during the Metaxas dictatorship and the Second World War housed the counterintelligence organization "Midas" and his staff officer John Tsigante. During the events of December 1944 (Dekembriana. Greek: Δεκεμβριανα) the Greek People's Liberation Army fighters (Greek: Ελληνικός Λαϊκός Απελευθερωτικός Στρατός, translit. Ellinikós Laïkós Apeleftherotikós Stratós, ΕΛΑΣ) had attempted three times to blow up the building. The Blue Building was also scenery to Greek movies like "The gealous cat" 1956 with Vassilis Logothetidis, Ilya Libikou, Lambros Konstantaras and Nikos Rizos, but also "Stamatis and Gregory" 1962 with Mimis Fotopoulos and Nikos Stavridi.

The Building today
Eighty-one years after it was originally built, the Blue Condominium stripped of its characteristic blue color and highlights in novel interventions, risks losing its own identity. But it certainly stands as a reminder of previous elements of luxury, and documentation of historical memory. Unlikely with any other apartment building in modern Athens, the Blue Condominium is the only one enforcing the original regulation of the building of the '30s, which dictates a strict framework of behavior for the service staff.