Angela, tell us about your story, your personal journey…
Μy name is Angela Liarikos. I was born in Canada to Greek parents. I grew up in Montreal where I studied architecture at McGill University. Upon completing my studies, I moved to Berlin where I acquired most of my work experience as an architect and interior designer. Berlin was an incredible place to be for architects at the time, for it was a city undergoing transition and renewal, similar to what is happening in Athens today.
I’ve always wanted to spend some time in Greece so when I bought my apartment in Kypseli in 2018 and completed the renovation, I decided it was the perfect time to move to Athens. And this finally happened in March 2020. I had just arrived in Athens with two suitcases and no idea of what I was going to do. And 5 days later the world came to a halt and we were locked down.
It was during these lockdown walks in my neighbourhood that I became fascinated with the wild juxtaposition of buildings and ruins next to polikatoikies or some beautiful Bauhaus building. I would encounter so many abandoned and decrepit buildings, all of which had housed many generations of souls in the past. Touched by their melancholic charm, I began to record these beauties on my I-phone.
I was also fascinated by the charming time warp that characterizes Athens, the vintage typography of store signs, the sixties entrances and lobbies of the buildings, the metal door detailing and the wild collage of all of this building substance combined.
Furthermore, I became involved in searching for real estate for friends from Berlin so I would see and photograph a lot of apartments from the inside. The demand for properties got progressively higher as time went by. And very soon I had collected a massive number of pictures, interior and exterior alike, more than I knew what to do with.
And this led to the inevitable birth of athens__mon_amour, and my initiation into the world of real estate and the focus on unique properties.
❝The preservation and promotion of Greek urban architecture should undeniably become an important part of Greece’s cultural heritage. ❞
Your tender approach to the buildings and spaces of the area of Kypseli exude an aroma of the era. What are their special features?
When I first started recording all these buildings upon my arrival in Athens, I also started to do some research on the history of Kypseli. I soon learned that Kypseli was the former “it area” of Athens, competing only with Kolonaki and Plaka.
Kypseli’s interiors embody the faded grandeur of Athenian bourgeoisie of the mid- 20th century that exude an era of nostalgia and elegance. Many of the neo-classical and inter-war buildings, especially those on streets like Fokionos Negri or Drossopoulou, boast lofty ceilings with ornate plaster moldings, elegant marble and terrazzo floors, often in black-and-white checkered patterns or grand veined slabs, heavy wooden doors with brass fixtures, often intricately carved or featuring geometric Art Deco elements, balconies with ornate wrought-iron railings…I could go on and on…!
How much charm is hidden in these masterpieces that conceal romance and nostalgia. Tell us some of their stories.
I have two very beloved buildings in Kypseli, both of which I have had the good fortune to meet and collaborate with the current owners.
One of these most prominent buildings is situated on Fokionos Negri, the Lanaras Apartment Building, a fine example of urban prosperity and a classic example of interwar modernism. It’s an Art Deco gem built in 1938 and designed by architect & civil engineer Ioannis Zolotas for the prominent textile industrialist Alekos Lanaras. Before antiparoxi, it was mostly private investors that commissioned these buildings, which usually consisted of one apartment per floor and housed an entire family and extended relatives, as was the case with the Lanaras building. I recently met the current owner of the first-floor apartment, whose father bought the property from Lanaras in 1984. It is wonderful to see that these current owners have maintained most of the original charm of the interior, such as the chunky terrazzo flooring, the dark wood detailing and the porcelain sink and most of the original cabinetry in the kitchen.
The other gem is situated on Ithakis street, a heritage building that once housed the nobel-prize winning poet Odysseas Elytis on the first-floor apartment. Elytis lived, loved and wrote here at the height of the 2nd world war and according to rumours would often sunbathe in the nude on the roof terrace…;)
The second-floor apartment is now in the process of changing ownership, enabled through my services as estate agent. And once again it is wonderful and heart- warming to know that the new owner plans to make this his home, as well as a special place of artistic dialogue and encounter, involving visual art and other creative realms. He has expressed particular interest in keeping with the spirit of Elytis. And that makes my heart sing to know that the properties I am involved in selling are passed down to owners that will honour their history and pay extra respect in the renovation process.
❝ Athens is a symphony of chaos with a pulse that defiantly refuses to be silenced. It’s a city that wears its imperfections like a badge of honor and its resilience is etched in the faces of its people.❞
What is the approach to reviving such places to make them modern while retaining the glamour of the past. How easy is this?
I would say I am a fierce advocate of retaining the original features of these buildings, such as the original terrazzo and wood herringbone flooring. Any sensitive architect undertaking such a renovation would totally agree. A solid sanding and polishing and these floors can be restored to their original beauty, unless of course humidity has destroyed them over time. The electrical and plumbing works are usually the most essential changes that need to be made. And autonomous heating is always a major question that comes up, depending of course, on how each individual owner is going to use the space.
In general, any space can be remodeled to fit today’s needs. Most of the kitchens of that time do not work with the ergonomic requirements of today anyway. But brutally hammering a precious marble sink to pieces and throwing it out, is a crime of sorts. There are ways to remove it sensitively and rework it at an adequate height or in an entirely new setting.
In general, a bit more sensitivity to what we throw out, cover or replace would be appropriate in today’s day and age, where sustainability and recycling are extremely crucial, if we are to reduce the colossal masses of waste and the consequences of the ever increasing, destructive human imprint on our environment.
Is the preservation and promotion of Greek urban architecture part of our culture or is it something we should give extra attention to?
The preservation and promotion of Greek urban architecture should undeniably become an important part of Greece’s cultural heritage but unfortunately still leaves a lot to be desired.
In recent years there has been a severe neglect of architecturally significant buildings particularly following the economic crisis. The combination of financial challenges, insensitive Airbnb-oriented renovations and often short-sighted development policies has led to the deterioration of many iconic structures and their gradual deterioration can be witnessed on a daily basis.
athens__mon_amour was originally created as a recording of an older Athens, an Athens that is slowly fading, with all the insensitive gentrification that is taking place particularly in and around the center.
There is certainly a need for increased governmental and civic commitment to the preservation of these buildings, both through policy changes and practical efforts like restoration funding programs. Community awareness and involvement in protecting architectural heritage could also play a significant role in ensuring that these buildings are not lost to time.
How would you like it to be portrayed and what is its future?
Athens needs more green space! If we are to face the challenges of ever-increasing hot summers, we need to increase the level of oxygen in the city.
And if we allow some of these architectural gems to deteriorate and crumble, then I would very much welcome the idea of micro-parks in their place and not more concrete…
What is it that makes Athens charming in your eyes?
Athens is a symphony of chaos with a pulse that defiantly refuses to be silenced. It’s a city that wears its imperfections like a badge of honor and its resilience is etched in the faces of its people. And its abundant light so engulfing and welcoming…addictive indeed 😉
In a word your philosophy on interior design
Reuse
An iconic building you would like to design from scratch
The apartment on the second floor, above the one Elytis once lived in, on Ithakis Street.
The first thing you look at in a room
The aura created by the light and orientation.
Beauty for you is…
There is endless beauty in the melancholy of these decrepit buildings that I encounter. The state that they are in, although heartbreaking, can also inspire one to dream, to imagine the lives once lived, the love played out, the laughter that reverberated within those walls. Light filters through dust-laden windows, turning neglect into something almost sacred.
Decay, in its own way is a kind of preservation. Not of perfection, but of presence.
Photography Olympia Krasagaki
