13 minute read
AGHIOI APOSTOLI
05. monitoring and saving applications
WHILE GENERIC ENERGY-SAVING advice can be helpful – the European Commission has adopted relevant directives for all its citizens – nothing beats personalized guidance tailored to the needs of each consumer. ΔΕΗ allows each consumer to compare their electricity consumption with the average in their neighborhood or broader area and, by doing so, to set a specific goal. This approach is more effective in helping consumers realize that investing in a building upgrade is the best way to save energy and money. More power saving is achieved through installing windows with a thermal break and double glazing compared to old wooden window frames with single glazing. Heat pumps are more efficient than traditional heaters. Heating domestic water with a solar water heater is cheaper than an electric resistance heater. Τhe platform of ΔΕΗ asks consumers to enter data on the use of electrical appliances and calculates how much energy they will save if they replace them.
06. sunshine means free energy
HOUSEHOLDS ARE ALREADY being encouraged to install photovoltaics and turn into energy producers. A subsidy program for installing 200,000 photovoltaic panels on the roofs of homes and businesses is expected to begin soon. With more days of sunshine in Greece compared to other European countries, the return on investment in photovoltaics is more significant.
07. switching to “clean” sources
STILL A TECHNOLOGY UNFAMILIAR to many people, heat pumps harness heat from ambient air to produce at least four thermal kilowatt-hours, using only one kilowatt-hour of electricity. In other words, if the heating cost for an electric radiator is 0.24 euros per hour, with a heat pump, it drops to 0.06 euros – one-quarter of the cost! Europe is already rushing in this direction, with Germany ordering and installing hundreds of thousands of such devices. Greece is following suit. In addition to government programs to subsidize the installation of heat pumps, electricity suppliers are also contributing. ΔΕΗ, for example, has launched a consulting department for heat pumps, introduced a specific pricing policy, initiated collaborations with major heat pump producers, and offered discounts for purchasing such devices.
+ the climate factor
WHY IS GREECE FAMOUS ALL OVER THE WORLD? For mild weather conditions and plenty of sunshine! Simply put, it is easier to heat your home when the average temperature, even in the winter, is above 10 degrees Celcius (Athens data, 1991-2020). No matter how you look at it, the mild Greek winter is an advantage during an energy crisis!
The Future is Here
Increase in power produced from Renewable Energy Sources with the aim of reaching a share of 40% in 2026. Immediate installation of 1,000 charging stations throughout Greece, projected to increase to 10,000 in the medium term. New GreenPass service guaranteeing consumers that the energy they consume is being offset by energy produced from renewable sources. Significant reduction – of 49% – of lignite production between 2019 and 2021.
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Aghioi Apostoli A neighborhood on the rise
In this until recently neglected area around Mavili Square, a number of creative professionals have found a new home and city residents have discovered a new hangout.
BY LAURA ARGYROPOULOU
PHOTOS: OLGA DEIKOU
The building known as the Psoma Mansion.
The remnants of the medieval Western Wall of the city.
Above: The Church of Aghioi Apostoli, as seen from Aghiou Dimitriou Street. Left: At the Café Chantant.
O
OVER THE LAST DECADE, Thessalonians᾽ search for a new hangout has shifted north of Egnatia Street, to the area around the Old Town Hall. Following the pandemic, there has been increased activity a bit further west, in the area surrounding the Church of the Holy Apostles. Mavili Square, the small square at the intersection of Gladstonos and Palama at the northwestern edge of the city center, was the site of the city᾽s western gate during Ottoman times. At the beginning of the 19th century, it was a center of commercial activity, although it also attracted some unsavory types. In the 20th century, the area was dotted with brothels until a “clean-up” policy was adopted in the early sixties. Traces of that shady past lived on in the remaining adult movie theaters, the abandoned shops that lined badly-lit streets, and a general sense of decadence. Lately, however, this part of town has been redefining itself.
In 2017, just as much-needed work around the area᾽s two most important Byzantine sites, the Church of the Holy Apostles and the Pasha Hamam baths, was being completed, municipality authorities took on the reconstruction of Mavili Square using bioclimatic design elements. These projects changed the face of the neighborhood, which now boasts friendlier roads and more greenery and places with outdoor seating, making it a haven in the midst of a dense urban area. Here, the Church of the Holy Apostles – a UNESCO World Heritage Site – shines brighter than ever, thanks to its own recent renovation. This city landmark is a
The Little Cup is a coffee-break destination.
true architectural marvel, featuring impressive mosaics and frescoes that survived damage suffered at the hands of the Ottomans. Today, it is the most important example of religious art from the Paleologian era (1261 - 1453).
One of the area᾽s other landmarks is the former A. Konstantinidis tobacco warehouse on Mavili Square. This listed building, out of which one of the most important companies in the city operated until the 1960s, was relaunched after renovation by its newest generation of owners as a boutique hotel. “Mavili Urban Stay” (themavili.gr) features 42 rooms and common areas that preserve elements of its impressive architecture. There are other structures in the area that have undergone similar transformations, including those of the Thess Residences and the Polis Luxury Apartments.
Hellas Gold
MINING ACTIVITY AND “GREEN” DEVELOPMENT FOR THE WHOLE NORTH-EAST REGION OF HALKIDIKI
THE WORLD TODAY, more than ever, requires that companies commit to sustainable development practices and strategies. Companies are judged strictly on their social and environmental footprint as well as on their performance regarding corporate governance issues (environmental, social, and governance criteria). Hellas Gold, one of the largest mining companies in Greece, produces gold, silver, lead and zinc concentrates at the Kassandra Mines. It is considered a pioneer in the mining sector for the actions it takes for environmental protection, sustainable development and in terms of climate change.
The company has always invested in industry-leading practices and technology while taking care of the remediation and reclamation of the area in and around the mines. Whenever the mining activity is completed in a specific location, the company always seeks to clean up and upgrade the area in order to restore the land to harmony with the surrounding landscape.
The company has already undertaken a broad reclamation of the area where it operates, removing three million tonnes of mineral tailings left behind by former owners of the mines, thus solving a decades-old problem. To this end, the company has created a private plant nursery in Olympiada, in a restored area within the mine site, that hosts a million plants of endemic and local species that will be used in restoration works during the development of this project.
In addition, Hellas Gold monitors its environmental performance via the award-winning environmental monitoring system, with more than 400 monitoring stations and sensors around the Kassandra Mines, which provide real-time data and information. As a result, the data give an integrated picture of the footprint of its activity on the natural environment. The company publishes the results on a special platform, which is accessible to all interested parties, demonstrating in practice its commitment to transparency. n
New residents and old memories
In the 1950s and 1960s, when the area was bursting with life, all the apartment buildings hosted shops and commercial workspaces on their ground floors.
Stefanos Delidis, who grew up in Mavili Square, worked for years at the flower shops on Frangon Street before deciding to open his own on Paparigopoulou Street. He experienced the peak period of the area in the late 1980s and its decline a decade later; today, he᾽s happy to see a creative new crowd moving into spaces left empty for years.
One of these creative newcomers is Simos Antoniadis, an architect who discovered a passion for ceramic art that he᾽s expressing in his new venture ULURU. “For now, it᾽s a ceramic arts workshop, but in the future, I᾽d like it to host other forms of creativity.” Due to open soon, ULURU is housed in an abandoned corner shop that Simos came across while strolling around the area. He rented it immediately and, with the help of his friends, spent a summer transforming the space, which features a bright green ceiling, many plants, and his ceramic creations, as well as the old sign that had hung there previously.
Above: Simos Antoniadis in his ceramic workshop ULURU. Below: Stefanos Delidis in the doorway of his shop.
“I knew what I wanted when I moved here,” says Mike Rafail, a photographer and graphic designer creates posters and other visuals for some of Thessaloniki's most significant cultural events. “I was looking for a space in a lively location but didn᾽t want the hustle and bustle of the city center.” His design studio, That Long Black Cloud, is on Piniou Street, right next to the Pasha Hamam baths. “It᾽s nice to see the neighborhood changing. When I arrived, most shops were empty, but now new ones are opening, and many people are rediscovering this part of the city.”
“We want more people!” says Anastasia Akritidou, who has transformed a spacious former atelier on 17 Olympou into “Law TO Impact,” a co-working space. “We wanted to challenge the stereotype that the bigger a lawyer᾽s office is and the closer it is to the courthouse, the more prestigious they are,” says Anastasia᾽s partner, lawyer Aikaterini Dodi. “Law TO Impact” is a versatile workspace that features open-plan offices and private meeting rooms and is suitable for hosting digital nomads and social entrepreneurs; it also offers legal consultation services to international clients. Its founders aspire for it to become a space for lawyers of all backgrounds and other professionals to operate together for the benefit of the neighborhood.
FORMrelated, the architectural firm of Konstantinos Theodoridis and Eleni Papaevangelou, is located in an industrial semi-basement space on Gladstonos Street. Next to it stands the neoclassical building known as the Psoma Mansion, where Panos and Sonia, a young Greek couple who recently relocated from the Netherlands, have found the apartment of their dreams. “I love places with high ceilings and plenty of natural light that give you space to think and breathe. We found our own somewhat by chance. The notice read, ‘Apartment for sale in a landmark building,᾽ without photos or anything else, but we had a good feeling about it,” Sonia tells us. “The neighborhood has a mix of people. For instance, if a lady at the supermarket notices you holding something exotic (such as coconut milk or coriander), they᾽ll ask you what you᾽ll be making; the owners of the car parts shops are living encyclopedias, and the manager of Cine Vilma tells the most amusing stories as he sweeps the pavement. You are as close to – and as far as you need to be from – everything.”•
Top: The offices of Law To Impact. Above: Mike Rafail, owner of That Long Black Cloud.
Food, coffee & walks
• Dimitris Anastasiadis, the owner of NAMA RESTAURANT transformed a former car paint shop into one of the most charming eateries in town, fully integrated into the city's urban setting and boasting striking views of the Church of the Holy Apostles. The restaurant has become a culinary hotspot over the past five years. Even before the restoration works, the excellent food of chef Giorgos Marinos and Dimitris Tsavos was attracting the city's gourmets to this lovely Scandinavian-design restaurant that serves fresh takes on local cuisine. 1 Olympou
• For those searching for authentic Greek food, THODOROS' TAVERNA is another excellent option in the Mavili Square area. It first opened in 1955 and is now managed by Thodoris, the grandson of the original owner. This street was once known to all for the two different kinds of shops it hosted; the ones selling car parts and the others selling furs. In the evening, when these shops closed, their owners would gather at this taverna for food and music, as many of the area's professionals continue to do to this day. 15 Paparrigopoulou
• A few meters away, you'll find ASPRO DENTRO ("White Tree"), an café -restaurant that doubles as a performance space. The owner, Antonis Fotiadis, is an actor and a chef who dreams of staging a performance where the actors cook and the audience eats as they watch the action. His establishment features a large open kitchen, a bright display case with dishes that include vegan, gluten-free and high-protein options as well as homemade desserts, and a casual, welcoming dining area. Next to the kitchen is a white door that leads to the theater, a space for a range of artistic events. 5 Olympou
• LITTLE CUP looks like a London coffee shop. A year and a half ago, Danai Kyriakou and Thodoris Flegas chose this spot, opposite the ruins of the city's Western Wall, on a wide pedestrianized street to launch a hangout with good coffee and freshly baked goods that's ideal for leisurely breakfasts. Open every day from 07:00 until midnight to serve the needs of the area, Little Cup also organizes bazaars with streetwear brands and parties with DJ sets. Dogs are welcome. 20 Zefiron
• CAFÉ CHANTANT has been operating for the past 13 years. The owner, Simos Iliadis, is a musician and has built a loyal following with eclectic musical selections featuring bouzouki, oboe and everything in between. Live music nights take place, too. 21 Mavili
• WAGON LIT is part Parisian bistro-part New York jazz bar, and a popular choice among discerning drinkers (3 Olympou). If you're in the mood for a beer, the pub Beer24 (17 Olympou) boasts a wide selection of labels from both Greek and international micro-breweries, which you can enjoy on the spot, with views of Mavili Square and its fountain, or to go. Last but certainly not least, the "Moses Coffee" espresso bar (15 Kosti Palama) sources fair-trade coffee and donates part of its proceeds to support female abuse victims. Their motto is "Drink Moses, Save Lives."
Top: At the taverna Thodoros. Above: A tasty dish at Nama Restaurant.
