The renovation and functional upgrade of these historic buildings, widely known as the "Military Sheds," has been exclusively funded by the Attica Region with a budget of €14 million. In their new role, the three renovated buildings will house the Church's library, its digitized archive, and spaces for cultural events.
More specifically, according to an official announcement, the complex of buildings from the old 401 Military Hospital in Kolonaki, on land owned by the Church of Greece, is a characteristic example of 19th-century military architecture, reflecting the architectural trends of the era while preserving particularly rare and technical elements.
From 1882 to 1897, part of the building complex was used for the Military Non-Commissioned Officers’ School. From 1904 to 1971, the complex was continuously used by the 1st Military Hospital, which was renamed 401 Military Hospital in 1945. Thousands of patients and wounded soldiers from the wars that shaped Greece's modern history were treated there.
The modernization and aesthetic upgrading of the three buildings (KT1, KT2, and KT3) of this historical complex were funded by the Attica Region, in collaboration with the Church of Greece and the relevant Ministry of Culture department. The project, with a total budget of €14 million, involved the restoration of extensive damages to the buildings (roof and wall collapses, floor erosion, rotting of wooden and oxidized metal elements, etc.), reinforcement of existing structures, and interior remodeling to ensure functionality.
Following the completion of the restoration work, the new uses of the renovated buildings are as follows:
- Building KT1 will be used to host cultural events and museum exhibits. It will include office spaces, storage areas, and other common-use spaces.
- Building KT2 will be used as an Archive, with a small reading room for researchers, areas for receiving archival material and archival work, administrative services, filing cabinets, etc.
- Building KT3 will house the Library, featuring an open reading room and bookshelf space, a waiting area and lending section, a research reading room with access to rare materials, mobile archives, and other auxiliary and common-use spaces.
