Greece’s Environment Ministry's Central Council of Architecture on Thursday declared the preservation listing of the historic Athens cinemas of Apollon and Attikon.
Athens Mayor Giorgos Brulias hailed the decision on Thursday and said that "by the signing of this ministerial decision the municipality's efforts are stepped up, so that Stadiou Street, from Christou Lada Street down to Omonia Square can liven up again, returning cultural and commercial activity while maintaining the identity of the sites.”
The municipality's announcement noted that "former mayor George Kaminis took the initiative to overcome the disagreements between the institutions involved in the reopening of cinemas and to find financing, which eventually happened." It added, "the rigid attitude of the institutions did not allow for the final agreement, therefore the municipality of Athens appealed to the Central Architecture Council of the Ministry of the Environment, calling for the emblematic building which houses the cinemas to be declared as listed."
The two cinemas, housed in the same commercial building complex in central Athens at the corner of Stadiou and Christou Lada streets, suffered devastating damages in a fire that broke out during protests in February 2012.
