The buildings and
gasometers of Technopolis at Gazi fascinate me. Over the last thirteen years
their hulking grey exteriors and mysterious almost sculptural interiors have
made the perfect space for hosting exhibitions, fairs and concerts and now the
city of Athens has launched its first industrial museum here too.
The museum has
been finely set up and you acquire some real knowledge of the
history and technology behind the gasworks while strolling through the thirteen buildings of
the old plant.
Coal gas first came to
Athens in 1857 when a French consortium undertook the task of lighting the
city's streets and squares.
In 1938 the gasworks administration passed from French hands to Athens Municipality and the originally small plant continued to grow, adding gasometers, steam boilers, steam engines, purification units and several other buildings to it's approximately thirty acre site.
There are some
lovely mementos on show from the gasworks administrative history, including
this early photocopier that looks as if it belongs to the Jetsons!
The plant provided
energy to the city until going out of operation permanently in 1984. Luckily,
these wonderful buildings were preserved and the first cultural events were
hosted in the newly named Technopolis (meaning Art City) premises in 1999.
N.B. Apart from the museum exhibits, all sorts of events now take place in Technopolis so it's well worth looking at their web site's programme of upcoming events There are quarterly Meet Market fairs that sell handicrafts and second hand items, hip hop festivals, tai chi and capoheira seminars, bicycle festivals and a whole lot more.
