The funding is allocated for studies related to the restoration and repurposing of the former Tsatsouloglou furniture factory, where, as announced by the Ministry of Culture, a major cultural hub will be created.
According to the presentation, the Athens and Epidaurus Festival will continue using the spaces that have been allocated to it, with a more rational distribution. Its administration will be housed in additional space, and the theatrical stages will be restored (as a priority) to meet contemporary operational requirements. The Organization for the Management and Development of Cultural Resources (OMDCR) has been granted Building A, whose restoration is currently in full progress. Building A will house workshops for producing replicas and a sculpture-gallery, while OMDCR will oversee the creation of a café, restaurant, and shop to meet the needs of the complex and its users.
Other buildings will house the Theatre Museum, the Phoebus Anogeianakis Museum of Greek Folk Musical Instruments, and the Museum of the History of Greek Costume of the Greek Women's League. "The valuable collections of the Theatre Museum, along with its Archive and Library, were purchased in 2021 by the Ministry of Culture and are now its property. This is the richest collection of theatrical material in Greece," highlighted L. Mendoni. The Theatre Museum's Archive and Library will be housed in the Soutsou House on 47 Stadiou Street, while its collections will be exhibited at Piraeus 260. The Phoebus Anogeianakis Museum of Greek Folk Musical Instruments will maintain its historic headquarters in Plaka, but its collections and activities will be expanded to accommodate its growing significance and impact. Finally, the complex will also host the museum's facilities of the Greek Women's League, in spaces granted by the Ministry of Culture, recognizing the organization's significant contribution to Greece's modern cultural heritage.
The studies were commissioned to the architectural firm "Kokkinou Kourkoulas Architects & Associates," which is also overseeing the restoration of Building A. Additionally, the external space planting, water management, and paving materials will be designed in accordance with the principles of landscape ecology, biodiversity, resilience, and the creation of sustainable ecosystems by collaborating landscape architect Elli Pagkalou and the "HPA Landscape Architects" office. The energy independence of the complex will be achieved through the use of solar and geothermal energy.
As announced, the donation from Piraeus Bank for the completion of the studies amounts to €1 million.
