Pallis Mansion
Pallis Mansion
This mansion is a sample of late (French) neoclassicism with many eclectic (neo-baroque) elements and considered very excessive by many architects. This neo-baroque style is a morphological expression which, according to them, as opposed to the neo-classicism that predominated in the 19th Century. The newer, more glamorous manor is ornate with strong eclectic features and heavy, elaborate decorations. Utilizing innovative construction techniques, Metaxas was one of the first to apply reinforced concrete into buildings in Athens.
Subsequent to the Pallis family relocated, the structure became home to the Ministry of Transport until World War II. Afterward, the Omega Technical School the branch of Macedonian-Thrace Bank, and Dionysos café - an actor's haunt in the 1960s - occupied the ground floor. On October 18th, 1944, Georgios Papandreou, the Hellenic Prime Minister of the National Union Government, having only recently returned from the Middle East, gave his liberation speech from the 1st-floor balcony.
The building was listed as protected in the 1990s, to avoid being demolished like others overlooking the square. In recent years, with special permission from the Ministry, the façade was restored and renovations made to preserve the unique interior. It now houses the popular "Public" multi-media bookstore and cafe.
