The Blue Condominium of Exarcheia

The Blue Condominium (Greek: Μπλε πολυκατοικία) is an apartment building in Athens, Greece. Being an example of modern architecture in Athens, it is on the corner of Arachovis and Themistokleous Streets near Exarcheia’s center square, and was built in 1932-1933 for Kostis Antonopoulos who was also the builder and first owner of the building. It was designed by architect Kyriakoulis Panagiotakos while the initial dark blue colour of the façades was selected by painter Spyros Papaloukas.

It actually consists of two independent six-floor buildings, which are joined together at the top floor. Particular attention was given to all common areas of the Blue Condominium such as the entry halls, concierge, corridors, staircases, laundry, and the meeting room on the top floor. The meeting room on the top floor was later separated into seven new apartments, increasing thus their number from 32 to 39. The original designs included a pool, but its construction was never completed.

It was an innovative and distinctive work of the era. When Le Corbusier visited it during during the fourth congress of CIAM, he said that "it is very beautiful." On the ground floor used to be the café "Floral".

Through time, notable people have lived in the Blue Condominium such as Leonidas Kyrkos (politician), Renos Apostolidis (writer), Sofia Vempo (singer and actress), Lili Zografou (writer and descendant of Dionysius Solomos), Dimitris Horn (actor), Alexis Minotis (actor and director), Katina Paxinou (actress), the owner Kostis Antanopoulos and his family, Fredy Germanos (journalist and author), Dimitris Myrat (actor, director, impresario, and 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).

...
Wikipedia